Opinion ID: 2168266
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: compromise verdict

Text: Appellant was charged with two counts of attempted murder for the shootings of Belinda Dale and Janice Todd and with murder for the shooting of Jo Ann Dale. Some hours after beginning its deliberations, the jury sent a note out to the judge asking if there were any lesser offenses that could be considered under the two attempt counts; the judge responded that there were not. Appellant argues that this indicates that the two acquittals and one conviction subsequently rendered represented a compromise reached by the jury. He argues further that the jury must have accepted his version of the incident in order to acquit him of the charges as to the shootings of Jo Ann and Belinda and that therefore the not guilty verdicts on those counts and the guilty verdict on the charge as to the shooting of Janice were irreconcilable such that his conviction cannot stand. In Hicks v. State (1981), Ind., 426 N.E.2d 411, we explained that it is not within our province to attempt to interpret the thought process of the jury in arriving at their verdict... . The reason for allowing the jury to render verdicts, that are seemingly inconsistent, inheres within our system of jurisprudence. The jurors are the triers of fact, and in performing this function, they may attach whatever weight and credibility to the evidence as they believe is warranted. Id. at 414. This Court does continue to review findings and verdicts to determine whether they are consistent; however, perfect logical consistency is not demanded and only extremely contradictory and irreconcilable verdicts warrant corrective action by this Court. Townsend v. State (1986), Ind., 498 N.E.2d 1198. The verdicts here do not warrant such corrective action. The jury could have believed that the shootings of Belinda and Jo Ann and the initial shots fired at Janice were justified in self-defense and, consistent with that belief, the jury could further have found that appellant shot Janice two more times as she lay wounded in the bathtub and based the guilty verdict on the charge as to her on this conduct.