Opinion ID: 1984862
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Issue 1 Definition of Carrying

Text: Defendant first contends that his conviction is not supported by sufficient evidence, particularly as to the element of carrying. Ind. Code § 35-47-2-1 provides that a person shall not carry a handgun in any vehicle or on or about his person, ... without a license... . Prior cases involving the carrying of a handgun in a vehicle, have required proof of an intention to convey or transport the weapon, State v. Cox (1973), 156 Ind. App. 548, 297 N.E.2d 920; Klopfenstein v. State (1982), Ind. App., 439 N.E.2d 1181. Defendant argues that because the handgun did not belong to him, and because there was no evidence that he brought it into the tavern or otherwise transported or conveyed the weapon, the element of carrying was not proved. However, the issue in Klopfenstein was whether a driver violated the statute when the handgun was in the possession of a passenger. It required only knowledge of the presence of the handgun in the vehicle, not personal possession. Whether there was sufficient transportation of the weapon from one place to another, was not at issue. As authority for its reference to the intent to convey or transport, as an element of the crime, Klopfenstein cited State v. Cox, supra . Noting the absence of any evidence that a vehicle had been driven or moved while a handgun was in it, the Cox opinion stated: While we are not prepared to say that locomotion must be proven in order to constitute the offense of carrying an unlicensed pistol in a vehicle, we, nevertheless, feel that as a minimum requirement the State must at least offer evidence from which the trier of fact could reasonably infer an intention to convey or transport the weapon from one place to another. 156 Ind. App. at 552, 297 N.E.2d at 923. We must determine whether the legislature, by using the verb carry, instead of hold or possess, intended to require the element of locomotion to constitute the offense. Indiana had long adhered to the rule that penal statutes are to be strictly construed, and matters and things which are not clearly included cannot be brought within the operation of such statutes by construction. Vanhook v. State (1840), Ind., 5 Blackf. 450. In giving effect to this rule, however, the statute should not be overly narrowed so as to exclude cases fairly covered by it and should be interpreted so as to give efficient operation to the intent of the legislature. State v. Bigbee (1973), 260 Ind. 90, 292 N.E.2d 609. When seeking to determine the interpretation to be given a word used in a criminal statute, we are concerned both with legislative intent and the probable perceived common meaning. See, R. Dickerson, The Interpretation and Application of Statutes, 34-38 (1975). Germane to both considerations is reference to an authoritative dictionary of common usage contemporaneous with the applicable legislative enactment. Defendant herein was charged with carrying an unlicensed handgun as proscribed by the 1983 revision of the statute [1] . Webster's New World Dictionary, Second College Edition (1982), enumerates twenty-seven separate meanings of the word carry as a transitive verb. Among them, the following are relevant to our consideration in this case: 1. to hold or support while moving (to carry a package) 2. to take from one place to another; transport, as in a vehicle (to carry the mail) 3. to hold and direct the motion of; be a channel for; convey; (a pipe carrying water) ... 8. to bear the weight of (the balusters carry a railing) ... 11. to have on one's person or keep with one (to carry a watch, to carry memories) ... [Emphasis in original] Thus, since both connotations (to transport and to have on one's person) are recognized, resort to the dictionary is inconclusive. Legislative intent is nevertheless apparent by a comparison of the two possible meanings. We cannot discern a reasonable basis for condoning the unlicensed possession of a handgun while imposing criminal sanctions for the same conduct if coupled with ambulation. We therefore hold that, when referring to the carrying of a handgun on or about one's person, as distinguished from carrying a handgun in a vehicle, the statute proscribes having on one's person an unlicensed handgun. Conviction of the offense does not require proof that the weapon was conveyed or transported from one place to another. Thus, to address the issue first identified by defendant, we must determine whether the evidence was sufficient to show that the defendant possessed the handgun on his person. In addressing the issue of sufficiency of evidence, we will affirm the conviction if, considering only the probative evidence and reasonable inferences supporting the verdict, without weighing evidence or assessing witness credibility, a reasonable trier of fact could conclude that the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Case v. State (1984), Ind., 458 N.E.2d 223; Loyd v. State (1980), 272 Ind. 404, 398 N.E.2d 1260, cert. denied, 449 U.S. 881, 101 S.Ct. 231, 66 L.Ed.2d 105. Defendant admits that the evidence shows that defendant at least had possession of the handgun and was examining it at the time he observed red lights on a vehicle signaling the approach of police, whereupon he discarded the weapon. Such evidence is sufficient to prove the carrying element of the offense. Defendant also asserts that there was an absence of proof that defendant knowingly and unlawfully carried the handgun without a license. While this argument is included under defendant's discussion of Issue 2, we shall consider it here. Criminal intent may be inferred from defendant's conduct. Duncan v. State (1980), 274 Ind. 144, 409 N.E.2d 597; Deneal v. State (1984), Ind., 468 N.E.2d 1029. Specific culpability is not a statutory element of this offense. Pursuant to Ind. Code § 35-41-2-1, commission of an offense occurs when a person voluntarily engages in conduct in violation of the statute defining the offense. Here, the evidence was ample to prove that defendant voluntarily engaged in the proscribed conduct.