Opinion ID: 2240007
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Documentary Evidence Habitual Offender Phase

Text: The defendant argues that during the habitual offender phase the trial court erroneously admitted improperly certified records of his prior convictions. First, the defendant contends that two certified records, State's exhibits # 1 and # 3, were improperly admitted because the clerk who properly certified the records on March 13, 1986, was no longer the clerk at the time of the defendant's trial in June 1986. The defendant does not challenge the propriety of the clerk's March 1986 certification. We find no error in the admission of exhibits # 1 and # 3. That the clerk who certified the records no longer continued in that capacity at the time of the defendant's trial does not affect our analysis. Without benefit of authority, the defendant also contends State's exhibits # 2 and # 4, which were certified by the record-keeper for the Westville Correctional Center, were improperly admitted because the record-keeper was not the proper party to keep commitment papers on the defendant. The proper party, the defendant contends, would be the Clerk of the Lake Superior Court, where the conviction was obtained. In Harmer v. State (1983), Ind., 455 N.E.2d 1139, we resolved this issue adverse to the defendant's position. The trial court did not err in admitting exhibits # 2 and # 4. Lastly, and again without authority, the defendant contends that Jane Firanek, the person who certified State's exhibits # 2 and # 4, failed to provide in the certification her official title, without which it is impossible to ascertain whether the person who signed was the rightful person to have signed as record-keeper for the Westville Correctional Center. However, a reading of the exhibits reveals that Jane Firanek was officially designated as the keeper of the Records for the Westville Correctional Center, Indiana Department of Correction. Moreover, the exhibits were attested by a Notary Public who knew Jane Firanek to be the record-keeper of the Indiana Department of Correction. Again, the defendant has failed to show error in the admission of the exhibits.