Thomas Tracy v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) ( 2018 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), FILED
this Memorandum Decision shall not be Jun 13 2018, 9:13 am
regarded as precedent or cited before any
CLERK
court except for the purpose of establishing Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
the defense of res judicata, collateral and Tax Court
estoppel, or the law of the case.
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Jennifer L. Koethe Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
LaPorte, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
J.T. Whitehead
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Thomas Tracy, June 13, 2018
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
46A03-1709-CR-2151
v. Appeal from the LaPorte Superior
Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable Richard R.
Appellee-Plaintiff. Stalbrink, Jr., Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
46D02-1609-F3-820
Barnes, Judge.
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Case Summary
[1] Thomas Tracy appeals his conviction for Level 3 felony aggravated battery.
We affirm.
Issues
[2] Tracy raises four issues, which we restate as:
I. whether the trial court properly admitted
Tracy’s statements to an officer;
II. whether the trial court properly refused Tracy’s
proposed self-defense instruction;
III. whether the trial court properly excluded
evidence of synthetic marijuana found on the
victim; and
IV. whether the deputy prosecutor committed
prosecutorial misconduct.
Facts
[3] In July 2016, Tracy and Brandon Black were inmates at the Indiana State
Prison in Michigan City. Officer Krystal Boyer was employed by the prison
and was working at a checkpoint. Tracy and Black, who worked as porters in
the mental health unit, were leaving the unit to return to their own units.
Officer Boyer let the men out of the mental health unit, locked the gate, and
heard “scuffling.” Tr. Vol. II p. 39. She saw Tracy and Black “kind of running
back and forth,” Black “had his hands up,” and Black was saying that “he
wasn’t doing anything, but that he was being attacked.” Id. Tracy was being
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aggressive, and Black was trying to run away or back away. Officer Boyer told
them to stop several times and grabbed her radio to tell other officers that a fight
had started. Officer Boyer thought she saw a weapon in Tracy’s hand.
[4] Sergeant Chris Puetzer and Officer Ryan Statham responded to Officer Boyer’s
radio signal, and they arrived on the scene within seconds. Sergeant Puetzer
ordered Tracy and Black to get on the ground, and Black complied. Black was
frightened and said, “I’m not swinging back. I’m not swinging back.” Id. at 76.
Officer Statham saw a string and a weapon fall out of Tracy’s sleeve. When
Tracy hesitated to comply with the officer’s order, the officers sprayed him with
pepper spray. Tracy then complied and asked “something along the lines of
‘did I kill him’ or ‘I hope I killed him.’” Id. at 63. After Tracy and Black were
secured, the officers found a weapon in the grass near Tracy. The weapon was
a sharpened piece of metal with a cloth and rubber band handle attached to a
string. Black had puncture wounds to his left chest and left back. Tracy had no
injuries.
[5] The State charged Tracy with Level 1 felony attempted murder and Level 3
felony aggravated battery. Tracy filed a motion to suppress “any and all oral
and written communications, confessions, statements, admissions or tests,
alleged to have been made by the Defendant prior to, at the time of, or
subsequent to his arrest in this cause.” Appellant’s App. Vol. II p. 30. Tracy
alleged that he had made certain “oral statements” that had to be suppressed
because he was subject to a custodial interrogation and was not informed of his
Miranda rights. The trial court granted Tracy’s motion. At Tracy’s jury trial,
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the jury found him guilty of aggravated battery and deadlocked on the
attempted murder charge. The trial court sentenced Tracy to twelve additional
years in the Indiana Department of Correction for the aggravated battery
conviction. Tracy now appeals.
Analysis
I. Admission of Tracy’s Statement
[6] This argument concerns Tracy’s statement to the officers during the incident.
After the officers secured both Tracy and Black, Tracy said “something along
the lines of ‘did I kill him’ or ‘I hope I killed him.’” Tr. Vol. II p. 63. Tracy
argues that the trial court’s admission of his statement violated the previously-
granted motion to suppress and Tracy’s Fifth Amendment rights.1
[7] This issue is more appropriately framed as whether the trial court abused its
discretion by admitting the evidence at the trial. See Washington v. State, 784
N.E.2d 584, 586-87 (Ind. Ct. App. 2003). The admission and exclusion of
evidence falls within the sound discretion of the trial court, and we review the
admission of evidence only for abuse of discretion. Wilson v. State, 765 N.E.2d
1265, 1272 (Ind. 2002). An abuse of discretion occurs “where the decision is
1
The State argues that the motion to suppress concerned only Tracy’s statement to Officer Charles Whelan
during an interview after the incident. The State concedes that Tracy’s statements to Officer Whelan were
inadmissible.
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clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances.” Smith v.
State, 754 N.E.2d 502, 504 (Ind. 2001).
[8] The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, made applicable to
the States via the Fourteenth Amendment, provides: “No person shall . . . be
compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived
of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law[.]” The United States
Supreme Court held in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444, 86 S. Ct. 1602,
1612 (1966), “that a person questioned by law enforcement officers after being
‘taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom of action in any
significant way’ must first ‘be warned that he has a right to remain silent, that
any statement he does make may be used as evidence against him, and that he
has a right to the presence of an attorney, either retained or appointed.’”
Stansbury v. California, 511 U.S. 318, 322, 114 S. Ct. 1526, 1528 (1994) (quoting
Miranda, 384 U.S. at 444, 86 S. Ct. at 1612). The required announcement of
Miranda rights is triggered by a custodial interrogation. State v. Brown, 70
N.E.3d 331, 335 (Ind. 2017). “Under Miranda, ‘interrogation’ includes express
questioning and words or actions on the part of the police that the police know
are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response from the suspect.”
White v. State, 772 N.E.2d 408, 412 (Ind. 2002) (citing Rhode Island v. Innis, 446
U.S. 291, 301, 100 S. Ct. 1682, 1689-90 (1980); Loving v. State, 647 N.E.2d
1123, 1126 (Ind. 1995)). Volunteered statements do not amount to
interrogation. Id.
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[9] Here, during the incident, after the officers secured Tracy, he said “something
along the lines of ‘did I kill him’ or ‘I hope I killed him.’” Tr. Vol. II p. 63.
This statement was volunteered; it was not made in response to any
interrogation by the officers. Consequently, the statement was not obtained as
a result of a custodial interrogation, and the trial court did not abuse its
discretion by admitting the officer’s testimony concerning the statement.
II. Instructions
[10] Tracy argues that the trial court abused its discretion by refusing to give his
tendered self-defense instruction. Tracy proposed the pattern jury instruction
regarding self-defense, which the trial court rejected because it concluded there
was no evidence presented to support giving the instruction.
[11] The manner of instructing a jury lies largely within the discretion of the trial
court, and we will reverse only for an abuse of discretion. Henson v. State, 786
N.E.2d 274, 277 (Ind. 2003). “‘In determining whether a trial court abused its
discretion by declining to give a tendered instruction, we consider the following:
(1) whether the tendered instruction correctly states the law; (2) whether there
was evidence presented at trial to support giving the instruction; and (3)
whether the substance of the instruction was covered by other instructions that
were given.’” Id. (quoting Lampkins v. State, 778 N.E.2d 1248, 1253 (Ind.
2002)). The issue on appeal is whether the evidence presented at trial supported
the giving of Tracy’s proposed self-defense instruction.
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[12] “A defendant in a criminal case is entitled to have the jury instructed on any
theory of defense that has some foundation in the evidence.” Ault v. State, 950
N.E.2d 326, 328 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011), trans. denied. We apply this rule even if
the evidence is weak and inconsistent so long as the evidence presented at trial
has some probative value to support it. Id. Further, we recognize it is within
the province of the jury to determine whether the defendant’s evidence was
believable, unbelievable, or sufficient to warrant the use of force. Id.
[13] Indiana Code Section 35-41-3-2(c) provides:
A person is justified in using reasonable force against any other
person to protect the person or a third person from what the
person reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful
force. However, a person:
(1) is justified in using deadly force; and
(2) does not have a duty to retreat;
if the person reasonably believes that that force is necessary to
prevent serious bodily injury to the person or a third person or
the commission of a forcible felony. No person in this state shall
be placed in legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever for protecting
the person or a third person by reasonable means necessary.
[14] Tracy argues that there was evidence to support the giving of the self-defense
instruction because the video of the incident shows that Black “had his hand on
his side,” there was no evidence to show that Tracy originally had the weapon
used, and no witness testified as to how the fight started. However, the video of
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the incident shows Tracy attacking Black, there is no evidence that Black was
armed, and there is no evidence that Black was the aggressor here. The trial
court properly found that the proposed self-defense instruction was not
supported by the evidence. See, e.g., Henson, 786 N.E.2d at 279 (concluding that
the evidence did not support the giving of a self-defense instruction).
III. Evidence Regarding the Victim
[15] Tracy argues that the trial court abused its discretion by excluding evidence that
Black had synthetic marijuana in his possession at the time of the incident.
Tracy argued that the evidence was relevant because “to the extent he ingested
some of the contraband that he was carrying makes him more likely that he
would act in a - - disorderly manner and a threatening manner, especially with
the K2-type substance.” Tr. Vol. II p. 106. The State argued that the admission
of the evidence would violate Indiana Evidence Rule 404(b), and the trial court
excluded the evidence.
[16] Our supreme court held in Garland v. State, 788 N.E.2d 425, 430 (Ind. 2003),
that Indiana Evidence Rule 404(b) can be applied to the admissibility of
evidence about prior bad acts by persons other than defendants. Under Indiana
Evidence Rule 404(b), “[e]vidence of a crime, wrong, or other act is not
admissible to prove a person’s character in order to show that on a particular
occasion the person acted in accordance with the character.” However, such
“evidence may be admissible for another purpose, such as proving motive,
opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake,
or lack of accident.” Evid. R. 404(b)(2). The law governing the admissibility
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of specific acts evidence for “other purposes” requires a trial court to make three
findings. Camm v. State, 908 N.E.2d 215, 223 (Ind. 2009). First, the court must
determine that the evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts is relevant to a
matter at issue other than the defendant’s propensity to commit the charged act.
Id. Second, the court must determine that the proponent has sufficient proof
that the person who allegedly committed the act did, in fact, commit the act.
Id. Third, the court must balance the probative value of the evidence against its
prejudicial effect pursuant to Rule 403. Id.
[17] According to Tracy, the evidence of Black’s possession of synthetic marijuana
was admissible to “show that it could have had a variety of effects on Mr.
Black’s demeanor at the time of the altercation.” Appellant’s Br. p. 14. Tracy
implies that, because Black had possession of synthetic marijuana, Black could
have been acting aggressively at the time of the incident. In Tracy’s offer to
prove, an officer testified that ingesting synthetic marijuana causes a variety of
symptoms ranging from “feeling good” to “crazy behavior.” Tr. Vol. II p. 114.
The fact that Black had synthetic marijuana in his possession simply is not
relevant to show Black’s “motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan,
knowledge, identity, absence of mistake, or lack of accident.” Evid. R.
404(b)(2). There is no evidence that Black had consumed the synthetic
marijuana and no evidence that he was acting aggressively. The evidence was
not admissible under Indiana Evidence Rule 404(b). The trial court properly
excluded the evidence.
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IV. Prosecutorial Misconduct
[18] Next, Tracy argues that the deputy prosecutor committed prosecutorial
misconduct. During closing arguments, the deputy prosecutor stated:
[Defense counsel] also wants to tell you at the hospital Brandon
Black had opiates in his system. At the hospital, Brandon Black
had opiates in his system. That’s certainly not pertinent in any
realm. He went to a hospital to be treated for being stabbed. He
received opiates at the hospital. The pertinent time frame even
for this argument that [defense counsel] would suggest would be
did anyone have drugs in their system at the time of the attack.
But even then that doesn’t matter because when you read the
elements of the crime, nowhere will you see that Brandon Black
had to be drug free. Nowhere will you see that Brandon Black
had to be a Boy Scout. You won’t see anything about Brandon
Black, except you’ll see that one of the elements of the crime is
that Thomas Tracy stabbed him. Not an element of the crime.
Nothing else. You don’t have to consider that at all. If you do
consider it, please realize, those hospital records are from the
hospital where he was receiving pain medication. It doesn’t matter
if he was high as a kite, which the defense could not prove with those
evidentiary records.
Tr. Vol. II pp. 147-48 (emphasis added). Tracy objected to the emphasized
language, arguing that he was under no obligation to make any proof. The trial
court offered to instruct the jury that Tracy did not have an obligation of proof
before it “started instructions.” Id. at 148. After closing arguments, the trial
court informed counsel that it would not give an additional instruction because
one of the existing instructions covered the issue. Defense counsel then said,
“Okay. That’s fine, Judge. Thank you.” Id. at 150. Defense counsel then said,
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“Would you show my motion for mistrial based on the misrepresentation of the
burden,” and the trial court denied the motion for a mistrial. Id.
[19] “In reviewing a claim of prosecutorial misconduct properly raised in the trial
court, we determine (1) whether misconduct occurred, and if so, (2) ‘whether
the misconduct, under all of the circumstances, placed the defendant in a
position of grave peril to which he or she would not have been subjected’
otherwise.” Ryan v. State, 9 N.E.3d 663, 667 (Ind. 2014) (quoting Cooper v.
State, 854 N.E.2d 831, 835 (Ind. 2006)). “A prosecutor has the duty to present
a persuasive final argument and thus placing a defendant in grave peril, by
itself, is not misconduct.” Id. “‘Whether a prosecutor’s argument constitutes
misconduct is measured by reference to case law and the Rules of Professional
Conduct. The gravity of peril is measured by the probable persuasive effect of
the misconduct on the jury’s decision rather than the degree of impropriety of
the conduct.’” Id. (quoting Cooper, 854 N.E.2d at 835). “To preserve a claim of
prosecutorial misconduct, the defendant must—at the time the alleged
misconduct occurs—request an admonishment to the jury, and if further relief is
desired, move for a mistrial.” Id.
[20] “The Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination is violated ‘when a
prosecutor makes a statement that is subject to reasonable interpretation by a
jury as an invitation to draw an adverse inference from a defendant’s silence.’”
Dumas v. State, 803 N.E.2d 1113, 1118 (Ind. 2004) (quoting Moore v. State, 669
N.E.2d 733, 739 (Ind. 1996)). “However, statements by the prosecutor
concerning the uncontradicted nature of the State’s evidence do not violate the
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defendant’s Fifth Amendment rights.” Id. “Rather, comment on the lack of
defense evidence is proper so long as the State focuses on the absence of any
evidence to contradict the State’s evidence and not on the accused’s failure to
testify.” Id.
[21] During closing argument, defense counsel suggested that Black was intoxicated
on opiates at the time of the offense. The deputy prosecutor pointed out during
her closing argument that opiates were administered to Black at the hospital
and that the medical records did not support defense counsel’s argument. We
conclude the deputy prosecutor’s statements were “well within the permissible
range of fair commentary on the evidence or lack thereof” and were not a
comment on Tracy’s right not to testify. See Dumas, 803 N.E.2d at 1118
(rejecting the defendant’s argument that the deputy prosecutor commented on
his right not to testify). Tracy’s argument fails.
Conclusion
[22] The trial court properly admitted Tracy’s voluntary statement; the trial court
properly rejected Tracy’s self-defense instruction; the trial court properly
excluded evidence that the victim had synthetic marijuana in his possession
during the incident; and the deputy prosecutor did not commit prosecutorial
misconduct. We affirm Tracy’s conviction for Level 3 felony aggravated
battery.
[23] Affirmed.
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Vaidik, C.J., and Pyle, J., concur.
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