Opinion ID: 853390
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Habitual Offender Evidence Admission

Text: The defendant next contends that the trial court erred during the habitual offender phase of the trial in admitting evidence of two prior misdemeanor convictions and a prior information charging the defendant with being a habitual substance offender. The State's information charging that the defendant was a habitual offender alleged that he had accumulated two prior unrelated felony convictions, one for theft as a class D felony, and the other for operating a vehicle while intoxicated as a class D felony. To prove these prior offenses, the State presented State's Exhibits 23 and 24. Each exhibit consisted of a packet of the Officer's Arrest Report / Book-in Slip, the charging informations, and the order of judgment of conviction. Exhibit 24, supporting the conviction for class D felony operating while intoxicated, included a count charging that defendant was a habitual substance offender, based on two identified additional prior unrelated substance offense convictions. The exhibit also indicated that, except for the class D felony conviction, the other counts were dismissed. At trial, the defendant objected to State's Exhibits 23 and 24 only on grounds of improper foundation. The issue now claimed on appeal was not raised at trial, and the trial court thus had no opportunity to consider the possibilities of redaction, exclusion, or jury admonishment. The defendant may not assert for the first time on appeal grounds for exclusion of evidence not asserted at trial. Gill v. State, 730 N.E.2d 709, 711 (Ind.2000); Taylor v. State, 710 N.E.2d 921, 923 (Ind. 1999). This claim is forfeited by procedural default.