Opinion ID: 2182667
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Issue 3 Habitual Offender Proof

Text: Defendant next contends that certain documents were improperly admitted under T.R. 44 and Ind. Code § 34-1-17-7 to establish his habitual offender status. Ind. Code § 34-1-17-7 provides for admission of copies of public records when they are attested as true and complete by the keeper of the records under the seal of his office, or if the officer has no seal, his attestation must be accompanied by a certificate that such attestation is made by the proper officer from the clerk under the seal of the circuit of superior court. Trial Rule 44(A)(1) provides that proof of an official record may be evidenced by an official publication or a copy attested by the officer having legal custody of the record or his deputy. No proof that the officer has custody of the record is necessary, although it is permitted. Eldridge v. State (1977), 266 Ind. 134, 361 N.E.2d 155. Exhibit 15 is a certified copy of the charging information in CR71-0044 dated February 8, 1971, charging Howard Lee Wilson with robbery on January 12, 1971. Exhibit 16 is a certified copy of the court minutes showing an information filed on February 8, 1971, and an entry of a plea of guilty to theft on March 26, 1971, but does not reflect a cause number or defendant's name. Exhibit 17 is a certified copy of an arrest slip from the Indianapolis Police Department for Howard Lee Wilson for armed robbery dated March 10, 1971, and it reflects cause number CR71-0044. Exhibit 18 is a certified copy of a charging information in CR72-173B charging Howard Wilson with armed robbery on August 5, 1972. Exhibit 19 is a certified copy of the court commitment order in CR72-173B, a conviction for armed robbery for a determinate sentence of 10 years. Exhibit 20 is a certified copy of an Indianapolis Police Department arrest slip for Howard Lee Wilson dated August 5, 1972, for armed robbery. Exhibit 21 is a certified copy of a charging information in CR77-46D charging Howard Wilson with robbery on November 15, 1976. Exhibit 22 is a certified copy of a commitment order of the court for March 23, 1973, for Howard L. Wilson in CR77-46D for robbery reflecting an indeterminate sentence of not less than 10 years and not more than 17 years. Exhibit 23 is a certified copy of the court minutes in three pages for CR77-46D showing a plea of guilty to robbery by Howard Lee Wilson. Exhibit 24 is a certified copy of the records of the Department of Corrections for inmate Howard Lee Wilson containing in nine parts, picture, prints, picture and physical data, information sheet, commitment in CR77-46D, and, picture and physical data, prints and commitment in CR72-173B. Defendant asserts that his right to confront his accusers guaranteed in the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and the Indiana Constitution, Article I, Section 13, was violated because he was denied the right to cross-examine the clerk. Exhibits 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, and 23, are self-authenticating documents and properly admitted as official records under Ind.R.Tr.P. 44(A)(1). The copies were properly certified by the clerk, and they were not inadmissible hearsay. Exhibit 24 was certified copies of the prison records containing copies of photographs, fingerprints, description of Howard Lee Wilson and other records on file from the Indiana Department of Corrections. The copies were certified by Robert E. Hardin, Assistant Director, designated as keeper of the Records for the Reception-Diagnostic Center and were properly notarized. Certified copies of prison records are properly admissible as public records and may be used to establish the fact of defendant's prior felony convictions. Smith v. State (1985), Ind., 477 N.E.2d 857; Harmer v. State (1983), Ind., 455 N.E.2d 1139. It was not necessary that the prison officials themselves had to testify to establish the authenticity of the documents. Graham v. State (1982), Ind., 441 N.E.2d 1348; Barnett v. State (1981), Ind., 429 N.E.2d 625. All the documents, with the exception of Exhibit 16, were sufficiently connected to defendant to establish relevancy, and the proper certification provided the necessary foundation for their admission. Graham, supra . Defendant asserts that Exhibits 17 and 20, as well as 16, were improperly admitted for lack of proper foundation. Assuming, arguendo, that the police record of the arrests in 17 and 20, as well as 16, were improperly admitted, and 16 improperly admitted for failure to connect it to defendant, defendant could not have been thereby harmed. The arrest records came into evidence after the certified copies of the court records showing defendant's conviction upon the charge evidenced by the record of arrest had been properly admitted. Martin v. State (1983), Ind., 453 N.E.2d 1001. An incorrect ruling will not furnish a basis for reversal where there is no room for the inference that it was probably prejudicial. Id. We find no error in the admission of the documents requiring reversal.