Opinion ID: 2244925
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Convictions for both Attempted Robbery and Attempted Carjacking.

Text: Defendant was convicted of attempted robbery as a class A felony and attempted carjacking. On appeal, he argues that he cannot be convicted of both crimes, arguing that attempted carjacking is a lesser-included offense of attempted robbery. [2] Defendant argues that on the facts of this case, his convictions for both Attempted Robbery and Attempted Carjacking violate Indiana Code § 35-38-1-6, which provides: Whenever: (1) a defendant is charged with an offense and an included offense in separate counts; and (2) the defendant is found guilty on both counts; the judgment and sentence may not be entered against the defendant for the included offense. Defendant objected at trial to being convicted and sentenced for both Attempted Robbery and Attempted Carjacking, thus preserving the alleged error for appellate review. The legislature has defined included offense to mean: [A]n offense that: (1) is established by proof of the same material elements or less than all the material elements required to establish the commission of the offense charged; (2) consists of an attempt to commit the offense charged or an offense otherwise included therein; or (3) differs from the offense charged only in the respect that a less serious harm to the same person, property, or public interest, or a lesser kind of culpability, is required to establish its commission. Ind.Code § 35-41-1-16. Comparing the robbery and carjacking statutes, [3] robbery as a class A felony is defined as: A person who knowingly or intentionally takes property from another person or from the presence of another person: (1) by using or threatening the use of force on any person; or (2) by putting any person in fear; commits robbery ... [as a] class A felony if it results in serious bodily injury to any person other than a defendant. Ind.Code § 35-42-5-1 (1993). Similarly, carjacking as a class B felony is defined as: A person who knowingly or intentionally takes a motor vehicle from another person or from the presence of another person: (1) by using or threatening the use of force on any person; or (2) by putting any person in fear; commits carjacking, a class B felony. Ind.Code § 35-42-5-2 (1993). Analyzing the statutory offenses of carjacking and robbery as a class A felony against the General Assembly's definition of a lesser-included offense, it is clear that, because a motor vehicle is property, carjacking is established by proof of the same material elements or less than all the material elements required to establish the commission of .... robbery as a class A felony. Ind.Code § 35-41-1-16 (1993). In addition, carjacking differs from the offense charged only in the respect that a less serious harm or risk of harm to the same person ... is required to establish its commission than is required to establish the commission of robbery as a class A felony. Id. Thus, under Indiana Code Section 35-41-1-16, carjacking is a lesser-included offense of robbery as a class A felony and, under Indiana Code Section 35-38-1-6, the conviction for attempted carjacking must be vacated. In vacating the conviction in this case, we emphasize that Carjacking would not necessarily always be an included offense within Robbery. If a person was convicted of Carjacking for the taking of a motor vehicle and of Robbery for the taking of some other property, then ordinarily no included offense problems would arise. However, in this case, the Attempted Carjacking charge and the Attempted Robbery charge had identical elements of proof, both being based upon the taking of the same motor vehicle. The included offense of Attempted Carjacking must accordingly be vacated.