Opinion ID: 2039658
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Consideration of Aggravating Circumstances

Text: Appellant was convicted of murder, which carries a forty-year presumptive sentence, I.C. XX-XX-X-X. The trial court made specific findings of aggravators and mitigators, found that the aggravators outweighed the mitigators, and enhanced the presumptive sentence by twenty years. Appellant claims that the trial court misapplied the felony sentencing statute, I.C. XX-XX-X-X, in arriving at this sentence. XX-XX-X-X(b)(4) states that a sentencing court may consider as an aggravating circumstance that the [i]mposition of a reduced sentence ... would depreciate the seriousness of the crime, and appellant argues that this factor is applicable only where the trial court is considering imposition of a reduced sentence. [2] Appellant's argument fails because it is based on a preliminary, incorrect assumption that there are circumstances under which the only sentence a judge would consider imposing is a reduced sentence. The presumptive sentence assigned to a given class of felony is the penalty determined by the legislature to be appropriate for the standard crime committed by the standard criminal, in other words, where aggravators and mitigators rest at approximate equipoise. The legislature has also given courts the authority to vary from that presumptive sentence, but to do so, the judge must make specific findings of aggravating and mitigating circumstances, detail why each is considered to be aggravating or mitigating, balance their relative weights to arrive at the decision to impose a reduced or enhanced sentence, and then impose a sentence which falls within a statutorily prescribed range. Dumbsky v. State (1987), Ind., 508 N.E.2d 1274. When going about the business of setting a sentence, a judge must, of necessity, consider the entire range of sentencing possibilities, search for and balance aggravators and mitigators, and be open and prepared to either reduce or enhance the standard sentence within the statutory range based on his assessment of the existence of aggravators and mitigators and their relative weights. Appellant also argues that the seriousness of the crime is a factor already taken into account by the legislature in setting the presumptive sentence and that therefore the trial court misapplied I.C. XX-XX-X-X when basing the enhanced sentence upon a finding that a reduced sentence would depreciate the seriousness of the crime. This argument was rejected by this Court in McNew v. State (1979), 271 Ind. 214, 391 N.E.2d 607, and need not be further addressed here. The court's sentencing order stated that one aggravating circumstance was that great care, caution and planning was used by the Defendant in the commission of the arson, with the intent to kill the victim, Gloria Bustamante, and that the crime was committed purposely, knowingly, and intentionally. Appellant asserts that the trial court wrongfully used an element of the crime as an aggravating circumstance because murder must be a knowing and intentional killing. The court, in its order, is required to explain the reasons for imposing a sentence which is greater or lesser than the standard set by statute. This part of the order particularized the manner in which appellant went about achieving his unlawful purpose and disclosed a basis for the conclusion that he displayed a higher degree of moral culpability which would be deserving of an enhanced sentence. Appellant also argues that there was no evidence of care and planning in the perpetration of these crimes and contests the validity of considering the planning of a crime as an aggravating circumstance because [arguably,] any arson, by its very nature, takes some planning. The extensive, strategic placement of the accelerant poured through the downstairs, which blocked all routes of escape from the upstairs, provided ample evidence that the fire and the resulting death of Gloria Bustamante was carefully planned. Further, this Court has held that the planning of an offense can appropriately be considered as an aggravating circumstance. McCawley v. State (1980), 274 Ind. 137, 409 N.E.2d 594. Finally, the trial court found as aggravating circumstances that the victim was a person with whom the Defendant would have a trusting relationship inasmuch as they were husband and wife at the time of the death of Gloria Bustamante and that evidence was introduced during the trial that the Defendant would gain financially as a result of the arson. Appellant does not assert that these were improperly considered by the court to be aggravating circumstances, but rather, that these findings were not supported by the evidence. A review of the record shows that Gloria trusted appellant sufficiently to continue to live with him despite pleas and warnings from her daughter and mother and that she apparently harbored so little fear that he would harm her on the day before her death that she spent the entire day with appellant shopping, preparing the evening meal and ironing his clothes for him, eating and watching television with him, chatting pleasantly with appellant's then-daughter-in-law, and then going up to the bedroom they shared to retire for the night. Appellant argues that evidence that financial gain was the motive for the arson was not substantial and was rebutted by evidence at trial. However, there was uncontested evidence from insurance officials as to appellant's eligibility for life and home insurance policy proceeds as a result of the fire and the respective amounts payable from each policy. There was sufficient evidence to support the court's findings. The trial court committed no error in its consideration of aggravating circumstances.