Opinion ID: 853121
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Continuance at Sentencing

Text: Warner sought a postponement of the sentencing hearing so that he could obtain a psychiatric evaluation to assess his risk of future dangerousness. The court denied this request, stating that the psychological profile would not be helpful for my determination. (R. at 2451.) Warner contends this was error. The determination of whether to grant a continuance lies within the sound discretion of the trial court when the motion is not based upon statutory grounds. Brewer v. State, 275 Ind. 338, 368, 417 N.E.2d 889, 906 (1981), cert. denied, 458 U.S. 1122, 102 S.Ct. 3510, 73 L.Ed.2d 1384 (1982). There is a strong presumption that the trial court properly exercised its discretion. Elmore v. State, 657 N.E.2d 1216, 1218 (Ind.1995). In this case, Warner contends that a continuance was required to permit an investigation into his potential for future dangerousness and his prior mental condition. Nevertheless, he tells us nothing to indicate what he thinks the evaluation would have uncovered or how it would have affected his sentence. As a result of our decision to reverse his attempted robbery conviction, Warner will receive the presumptive term of fifty-five years for murder. Counsel has not suggested any particular way that a psychological evaluation would have led to a lesser sentence. We find no abuse of discretion here. See Brewer, 275 Ind. at 368, 417 N.E.2d at 906 (denial of motion grounded upon sheer speculation that some benefit might flow is not arbitrary or abusive).