Opinion ID: 853237
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Early in the morning of November 18, 1998, Defendant John Jessie Swaynie kicked in the front door of the home of the family of a woman whom had served as his guardian ad litem during juvenile proceedings in the 1980s. After entering the home, Defendant attacked the woman's husband who had run downstairs to investigate. Defendant pushed the man into the wall and then proceeded to grab and immobilize him from behind. Defendant put his hands around the man's neck and began to strangle him, causing the victim to gasp for air and lose consciousness until a neighbor arrived and was able to free him from Defendant's grasp. While Defendant was strangling the man, he called out to the woman, I'm killing your husband. Following a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of Attempted Murder, [1] Burglary, [2] and Confinement. [3] The trial court entered judgment on the attempted murder and burglary verdicts and imposed an aggregate sentence of 70 years. In a memorandum decision, the Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions but vacated the sentence for burglary on grounds that imposing sentences under these circumstances for both attempted murder and burglary violated Defendant's right against double jeopardy as provided by Article I, § 14, of the Indiana Constitution. Swaynie v. State, 740 N.E.2d 594 (Ind.Ct.App. 2000) (table). We granted the State's petition to transfer. Swaynie v. State, 753 N.E.2d 10 (Ind.2001) (table).