Court Opinion

ID: 9740095
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:27:50.66451+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:16.215620
License: Public Domain

PIVARNIK, Justice,
concurring in result only.
Although I do concur with the majority in affirming the trial court in its judgment, I can concur in result only, because I believe the majority is incorrect in its holding regarding the State's questions in re Manuel's other outstanding warrants at the time of his escape. From all that appears in the record, Judge Letsinger may have been correct in his assessment that the prosecutor was going too far in his attempt to show all the outstanding warrants for Manuel, possibly showing warrants of which Manuel was unaware. Since the jury heard very little on the subject, the conclusion that no harm was done is justified.
In analyzing this issue, however, it is my view the majority has misstated the law and has virtually overruled Underhill v. State (1981), Ind., 428 N.E.2d 759. The majority contends the prosecutor needed to show only that Manuel was wanted for traffic court in Hamilton County. It then states: "Even when a defendant knew about other warrants, the probative value to the State is usually minimal as against the prejudice to the defendant. The questions concerning other warrants do not meet the test in Underhill and were inadmissible." Thus, the majority seems to hold that in a prosecution for escape, the prosecutor is limited to showing the defendant was detained for only one charge even if he is also being held for several others. This is exactly the question raised in Un-derhill when the prosecutor sought to show Underhill was being detained on sev*1163en separate charges. Underhill attempted to gain an order in limine requiring the State to stipulate he was in "lawful detention" when he escaped, This was to be presented to the jury rather than the fact he was being held for six separate charges. Justice Hunter, writing for a unanimous court in Underkill, held:
Over defendant's objections at trial, certified copies of the various charges pending against him at the time of his escape were admitted, together with testimony of three witnesses-the sheriff, jailer, and clerk-who verified the authenticity of the documents and reiterated the existence of the charges. In sum, the jury was informed of seven separate charges, including a previous escape, which had been pending against defendant at the time of the escape charged.
Evidence of separate, independent, and distinct crimes is inadmissible to establish a defendant's guilt of a charged crime, except to show intent, motive, purpose, identification, or a common scheme or plan. Pierce v. State, (1977) 267 Ind. 240, 369 N.E.2d 617; Woods v. State, (1968) 250 Ind. 132, 235 N.E.2d 479. Here, the evidence of pending charges not only served to establish the "legality" of defendant's confinement but, significantly, also bore on the question of defendant's motive for and intent to escape. Defendant argues in issue VI, infra, that there was no evidence to indicate he acted in concert with Mike Evans, the other escapee. The severity of the penalties potentially awaiting him for the numerous charges pending tended to disprove that claim. Consequently, there was no error in admitting the evidence. Id.
Underhill, 428 N.E.2d at 764-65.
Escape is a separate crime from any for which Manuel is being detained. Accordingly, it does not "attach" to any particular charge. Therefore, as Underhill provides, it is proper to show all matters on which the prisoner is being lawfully detained. It is true, of course, it would not be proper to show a warrant was extant for the arrest and detention of Manuel if he did not know such a warrant existed. We do not know the nature of the other charges that the prosecutor in the instant case sought to enter into evidence since he abandoned the project. No harm was done in this case. However, statements made by the majority in its analysis of this issue have clouded the sound holding of Underkill and unreasonably confused this issue.
I concur in result only.
GIVAN, J., concurs.