Court Opinion

ID: 9518961
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 01:05:53.172568+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:39:28.896886
License: Public Domain

Concurring Opinion
DeBruler, J.
The statute under consideration provides as follows:
“No person in this state shall be placed in legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever for protecting himself or his family by reasonable means necessary, or when coming to the aid of another whom he reasonably believes to be in imminent danger of or the victim of aggravated assault, robbery, rape, murder or other heinous crime.” Ind. Code § 35-13-10-1, being Burns § 9-2412.
This is the full text of the statute.
If this statute granted an accused the right to a summary pre-trial hearing and judicial determination of his claim of self-defense or defense of his family, no degree of concern for public convenience or absurdness, which might arise in the judicial mind from reading it, could possibly lead the courts of this State to ignore its mandate. The courts would have the constitutional duty to enforce its terms to the best of their ability. Such a statute would have been enacted as a further protection for those accused of crime by our society, and the courts would be required to maximize the realization of its purpose. Brown v. State, (1975) 262 Ind. 629, 322 N.E.2d 708.
However this statute does not grant that right at all. It employs the term “legal jeopardy.” Appellant contends that this term should be equated to “being brought to trial.” This contention cannot hold up since the statute refers to “legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever.” Jeopardy is used here in its broadest sense.. It would include, any State action which.. *137would serve to increase the risk of trial and conviction. An arrest would serve to increase this risk. The decision of the prosecutor to charge and the grand jury to indict would increase this risk. The command of this statute is addressed to all public officials who perform duties in law enforcement and the courts. In light of the broad sweep of this term and the absence from the statute of any mechanism for its enforcement which would serve to limit its purposes, I agree with the majority that the statute was intended as a legislative re-affirmance of the proposition that at this time in history the ancient right of self-defense remains inviolate in every person.
Note. — Reported at 325 N.E.2d 173.