Court Opinion

ID: 9729579
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 14:43:19.338051+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:59.802388
License: Public Domain

DeBRULER, Justice,
concurring in result.
The State’s witness Lauderbaugh was the boyfriend of the victim’s mother. He removed his dog from the victim’s room after she was killed and shortly before the victim’s body was discovered there. In this situation the later statement of Lauder-baugh to his children that he would beat one of them to death because he had done it before was relevant because the victim fell within the class of persons with whom he had a father-child relationship and because his presence at the crime scene had a critical potential. It was therefore error to exclude evidence of this statement as irrelevant, as it surely was relevant; however, because of the nature of the State’s case, I am willing to say that the erroneous ruling was without prejudice to Robinett’s substantial rights and was therefore harmless. Harvey v. State (1971), 256 Ind. 473, 269 N.E.2d 759.
With respect to the sentencing process, the trial court expressly found no mitigating factors. In defending at the sentencing hearing, appellant posed evidence of drug and alcohol use and unusual conditions at the time of the crime as having mitigating value. This record does not reasonably give rise to the belief that such mitigative matter was not properly considered. Jones v. State (1984), Ind., 467 N.E.2d 681. Upon the foregoing analyses, I vote to affirm the conviction and sentence.