Court Opinion

ID: 9745265
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 22:44:17.806325+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:58.258518
License: Public Domain

PRENTICE, Justice,
concurring and dissenting.
I concur in the result reached by the majority with respect to its affirmance of the conviction of the defendant (appellant). I dissent, however, with respect to its af-firmance of the sentence of death.
I.
I concur in part II of Justice DeBruler's dissenting opinion. The findings of the sentencing judge are devoid of any statement that he, himself, found, beyond a reasonable doubt from the evidence, that the defendant intentionally killed Laura Luebbehusen while committing or attempting to commit a rape upon her. I do not question that, under our standard for testing the sufficiency of the evidence upon appellate review, the evidence would have permitted such a finding, but it was not compelled. In the statement of his findings, the trial court judge correctly observed that one of the statutorily provided aggravating circumstances authorizing the imposition of a sentence of death is that the defendant committed murder by intentionally killing the victim. He proceeded to note, in particularity, that the jury had rejected Defendant's plea of insanity, and from this, he apparently concluded either that the jury had found, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the murder had been committed intentionally or that he was warranted in finding, beyond a reasonable doubt, from the jury's rejection of the insanity plea, that the murder had been committed intentionally. Neither would be correct.
Under the evidence, Defendant could have been found guilty of the crime charged whether he killed Laura Luebbehu-sen intentionally or knowingly or merely accidentally while committing or attempting to commit a rape. He was subject to the death penalty, however, only if he killed her intentionally. The interposition and rejection of the defense of insanity (mental disease or defect) Ind.Code § 85-41-3-6 (Burns 1979) simply has no relevance to the issue of whether or not the killing was done intentionally; yet, it is obvious that the trial court judge regarded it as significant, if not in fact controlling.
IL.
The trial court judge also misconstrued the statute, Ind.Code § 85-50-2-9 (Burns 1979), as a mandate to the judge to impose the death sentence in the event that an aggravating circumstance was found to exist, beyond a reasonable doubt, and that mitigating circumstances, if any, were outweighed by it. Clearly, the statute merely authorizes the imposition of the death sentence, under such circumstances.
Given the existence of one or more of the enumerated aggravating circumstances and the absence of any of the first six (6) mitigating circumstances enumerated under subsection (c) of the statute, the statute mandates neither a recommendation of death by the jury nor the imposition of the *1069death penalty by the judge. Subsection (e) provides that the standards employed by the jury and those employed by the judge be the same, and the seventh (7th) enumerated mitigating circumstance is entirely subjective, i.e., "(7) Any other cirecumstanc-es appropriate for consideration." It permits unbridled discretion to spare defendants from the supreme penalty.
The majority has said, "The language of the trial court may appear awkward but nowhere has the trial court * * * attempted to apply anything resembling a mandatory death penalty." I emphatically disagree with this statement. The statement of the trial judge, for the most part, was a recitation of the death sentence statute and certain evidence supportive of the sentence. There is nothing contained in the statement of the trial judge, however, that acknowledges that it is he who has determined that the defendant should die. There is nothing contained in the statement to indicate that he understood that it was his burden, under the law, to determine whether the defendant should live or die. Rather, the entire tenor of the findings that closed with the statements, "* * * the death sentence is required by the Statutes of the State of Indiana. This Court has no choice but to follow the law.", reflects that the judge regarded himself as a mere conduit who had the unpleasant ministerial duty to announce a sentence fixed by statute.
The trial judge's comments amply demonstrate his misunderstanding of the standard he was required to apply in reaching the sentencing decision. Ind.Code § 35-50-2-9 affirmatively mandates the judge to employ the same standards that the jury was required to consider. That standard is stated as follows:
"The jury may recommend the death penalty only if it finds: * * *."
In Hoskins v. State, (1982) Ind., 441 N.E.2d 419, 430 (Prentice, J., joined by Hunter, J., concurring) I noted that this standard does not require the imposition of the death penalty under any circumstances whatsoever and that, "It is not altogether illogical to conclude, therefore, that although a juror finds facts warranting the death penalty and no mitigating circumstances whatsoever, he may, nevertheless, recommend against imposing it without violating his oath." Similarly, the trial judge may refrain from imposing a sentence of death even though its imposition could not be held to be unreasonable under the circumstances. Moreover, it appears from the context of the judge's comments that, had he believed he had a choice, which he in fact did have under the statute, he would not have sentenced Defendant to death. The record reveals that the death sentence was imposed upon an erroneous standard. Consequently, the matter should be remanded for a new sentencing hearing. State v. Watson, (1982) La., 423 So.2d 1130, 1134-36.
In addition to being convinced that the sentence was imposed upon an erroneous standard, I am also convinced that the provisions of Ind.Code § 85-50-2-9, read in conjunction with Federal Due Process requirements concerning capital punishment, require the judge to give considerable weight to the jury's recommendation of mercy and this Court to review a death sentence, imposed contrary to the recommendation of the jury, upon a standard higher than a mere search for manifest unreasonableness as currently required under Ind.R.App.Rev.Sen. 2.
The nunc pro tune order of February 28, 1983 does not state how the jury's recommendation was considered nor how much weight it was given by the judge.
The United States Supreme Court considers the jury "a significant and reliable objective index of contemporary values" with respect to the imposition of the death penalty. Gregg v. Georgia, (1976) 428 U.S. 153, 181, 96 S.Ct. 2909, 2929, 49 L.Ed.2d 859, 879 (plurality opinion of Stewart, J.); Accord Brewer v. State, (1981) Ind., 417 N.E.2d 889, 909. Our Legislature echoed these sentiments when it mandated the trial court to consider the jury's recommendation, Ind.Code § 35-50-2-9(e), and by allowing the jury to consider "any other circumstances appropriate for consideration." Ind.Code § 35-50-2-9(c)(7), as a mitigating *1070circumstance. In light of this acknowledged importance of the role of the jury, before a judge may impose a death sentence over a jury recommendation of no death sentence, that judge must articulate written findings, derived from clear and convincing evidence in the record, so that no reasonable person could differ with the determination. This standard, which has been utilized by the Supreme Court of Florida, eg. Cannady v. State, (1988) Fla., 427 So. 723, 732 (per curiam); Tedder v. State, (1975) Fla. 322 So.2d 908, 910 (per curiam), preserves the defendant's interests in having obtained a favorable jury recommendation after an adversary proceeding. 'See Bullington v. Missouri, (1981) 451 U.S. 430, 445-46, 101 S.Ct. 1852, 1861, 68 L.Ed.2d 270, 283. Any standard of less stringency detracts from the jury's contribution to the sentencing decision as recognized by the specific legislative directive that the judge consider the jury's recommendation. Given this command, and the statement of public policy that the death penalty is only discretionary even if all the requisite standards of proof are satisfied, in the case where the jury recommends mercy, the Legislature could not have intended that the judge merely disagree in order to override that recommendation. But for mere form, the trial judge may as well have discharged the jury upon receipt of the verdict upon the issue of guilt. It is clear that he either thought that the death sentence was required by law or that it was unalterably set in his mind. Hypothetically we could not accept a statement that proclaimed: "I find that the State has proven the existence of an aggravating circumstance authorizing a sentence of death, and I find no mitigating circumstances. I further find that the defendant, by erratic conduct during the trial, may have persuaded the jury to recommend mercy-or for reasons unknown, the jury may not be capable of rendering a rational recommendation upon the sentence determination. In any event, I have determined that a sentence of death is authorized by law, warranted by the circumstances and preferred by me. A recommendation of a life sentence by the jury would not alter my decision. I, therefore, dispense with the jury hearing upon the sentencing phase of this matter, and I now order a sentence of death." From a "due process" standpoint, the hypothetical is no more repugnant than the procedure and findings actually employed in this case.
I am also concerned that the trial judge has displayed an apparent misunderstanding of the term "mitigating cireumstances," as used in the statute. I am drawn to this conclusion by his statements: "As for mitigating circumstances, the Court finds none.", and, " * * * and the Court finds no mitigating circumstances to outweigh it (the aggravating cireumstance)." Whether or not there were mitigating circumstances of such weight as to create a conflict in the mind of a reasonable man upon a determination of the appropriate sentence is not a matter upon which I intend to imply an opinion. However, the record is replete with unrefuted evidence of cireumstances which a reasonable man could not but weigh in the balance in making a decision of such gravity. In the main, I refer to the sordid evidence of the defendant's character, a paragon of revulsion which society simply cannot tolerate unfettered. This same evidence, however, also portrays a sick, rejected and tormented creature who, although legally accountable for his loathsome and despicable conduct is, himself, a victim of forces essentially beyond his control. Whether or not he should be permitted to live by reason of these circumstances, despite his vile crime, is a matter upon which reasonable minds may differ; but human decency, the statute (any other circumstances appropriate for consideration), and due process considerations require that they be weighed in the balance. The denial of the existence of any mitigating circumstances is indicative of the trial judge's misconception of his sentencing responsibility that is likely to have resulted in grievous error.
Additionally, the judge's unbridled discretion to reweigh the evidence under the same standards considered by the jury, which action I am not convineed occurred *1071here, potentially injects the same type of arbitrariness into the system which the Supreme Court has condemned. In cases where the judge and jury disagree, Florida's heightened standard of proof has been implicitly approved as an integral and significant factor in sustaining the constitutionality of the sentencing scheme. Barclay v. Florida, (1988) — U.S. —, 103 S.Ct. 3418, 77 L.Ed.2d 1134 (plurality opinion); Dobbert v. Florida, (1977) 432 U.S. 282, 295-96, 97 S.Ct. 2290-2299, 53 L.Ed.2d 344, 357-58; Proffitt v. Florida, (1976) 428 U.S. 242, 249, 96 S.Ct. 2960, 2965, 49 L.Ed.2d 913, 921. In light of Ind.Code § 35-50-2-9 and the above cited authorities, I am compelled to conclude that this Court's failure to impose a heightened standard of proof upon a judge who seeks to override a jury recommendation of mercy runs afoul of Federal constitutional proscriptions concerning the due process required prior to imposition of the death penalty.
IIL
Upon Issue No. V in the majority opinion, I believe that the appropriate standard for authentication has not been provided.
"Anyone who is familiar with a person's writing from experience, having seen him write, or having carried on correspondence with him or from the opportunities of having frequently handled and observed the person's handwriting, is competent as a non-expert to give an opinion as to the genuiness of his signature or handwriting." Spencer v. State, (1958) 237 Ind. 622, 626, 147 N.E.2d 581, 583.
Dr. Abendroth testified that he had received three or four letters from Schiro, and he recalled some of their contents which he related to the court. He was also not equivocal about his ability to identify Defendant's handwriting nor to identify the exhibit at issue.
The majority appears to imply that, because Dr. Abendroth did not swear to knowledge of the origins of the first letters, he was not qualified to identify Defendant's handwriting. I do not understand the connection and note that in Thomas v. State, (1885) 103 Ind. 419, 427-29, 2 N.E. 808, 813-15, no such connection was required. Therein, though the witness produced ten letters, assertedly written by Defendant, before identifying the handwriting on the two letters, exhibits at issue, there was no testimony of how the witness knew that the accused had penned the first ten. Additionally, in this case, there is no showing that Mary Lee, whom the majority asserts could have provided the necessary authentication, did anything more than deliver the letter nor that she had any familiarity with Defendant's handwriting. Consequently, under the majority's ruling, in most cases, only the author of the letter would be able to authenticate it no .matter how many 'times the witness, through whom a party sought to introduce the letter, had received letters from the author of the letter at issue. The law does not impose this onerous burden as the foundation for admitting a letter. Thomas v. State, supra.
However, the trial court has broad discretion in admitting or rejecting writings authenticated only by testimony of a witness who professes to recognize the author's handwriting. Thus, although I do not agree with the majority's conclusion that the letter was inadmissible, neither do I believe that the court committed error by rejecting it, as it was not required to accept Dr. Abendroth's testimony as a sufficiently reliable authentication.
I vote to affirm the trial court's judgment with respect to the conviction of Defendant but to vacate the death sentence and remand the case for a new sentencing hearing.