Opinion ID: 2191551
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Application of Dixon to Lucas

Text: The confinement of Lucas to the office and her movement and confinement to the fan room also were beyond that necessary to consummate the attempted especially aggravated robbery. After Lucas unsuccessfully attempted to open the safe and provided Richardson with the combination to unlock the safe, Richardson continued to confine Lucas to the office while beating her for approximately twenty minutes. Although the use of force is not a direct element of Dixon's first prong, the length of time that Richardson beat Lucas in the office is relevant to show that the restraint was excessive and beyond that necessary to consummate the attempted especially aggravated robbery. Moreover, we reject the suggestion that a twenty-minute beating of Lucas as she lay curled on the floor was designed to assist in procuring Lucas' cooperation in opening the safe. Instead, we conclude that the use of force for an excessively long period shows that Lucas was no longer confined to assist in opening the safe. Even if Lucas' confinement in the office had not been sufficient to meet the first prong of the Dixon test, the subsequent movement and confinement of Lucas to the fan room clearly went beyond that necessary to consummate the attempted especially aggravated robbery. Lucas gave Richardson the combination to the safe after attempting unsuccessfully to open it. At that point, Richardson either could have continued his attempt to open the safe with Lucas in the office or abandoned his efforts and left the restaurant without moving Lucas. Richardson, however, moved Lucas to the fan room. We reject the assertion that moving Lucas was necessary because the office was very small and Richardson needed the additional space to work on the safe. This conclusion is directly contradicted by both Lucas' testimony and Richardson's statements to police. Lucas stated that the office was not so small that her presence would have prevented Richardson from opening the safe. Richardson stated to the police that his accomplice moved Lucas to the fan room to shut her up and made no statements concerning the size of the office. For these reasons, we hold that Lucas' movement and confinement were beyond that necessary to consummate the attempted especially aggravated robbery. Having satisfied the first prong of the Dixon test, we now address the second prong. All three factors of the second prong of the Dixon test are implicated by the confinement of Lucas to the office and her movement to and confinement in the fan room. The confinement of Lucas in the office after she provided Richardson with the combination to the safe prevented her from summoning help and lessened Richardson's risk of detection. When Richardson moved Lucas from the office to the fan room, that additional movement prevented her from summoning help by moving her farther away from the stairway, which was her only avenue of escape. The location similarly lessened Richardson's risk of detection. The movement and confinement also created a significant danger to Lucas and increased her risk of harm. Lucas had sustained severe head injuries from the beating in the office, after which Richardson dragged Lucas to the fan room by her hair. Lucas was bleeding profusely and had an open head wound and a nearly severed finger. The confinement to the fan room increased her risk of harm by leaving these severe injuries untreated. For these reasons, the especially aggravated kidnapping conviction in reference to Lucas' movement and confinement does not violate due process.