Timothy L. Bye v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) ( 2015 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), Dec 17 2015, 7:38 am
this Memorandum Decision shall not be
regarded as precedent or cited before any
court except for the purpose of establishing
the defense of res judicata, collateral
estoppel, or the law of the case.
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Patrick J. Smith Gregory F. Zoeller
Bedford, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
Richard C. Webster
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Timothy L. Bye, December 17, 2015
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
59A01-1504-CR-141
v. Appeal from the Orange Circuit
Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable Larry R. Blanton,
Appellee-Plaintiff. Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
59C01-1306-FB-410
Kirsch, Judge.
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[1] Timothy L. Bye pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor1 as a Class B
felony and was sentenced to fifteen years with ten years executed and five years
suspended to probation. Bye appeals his sentence, raising the following restated
issues:
I. Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it did not
find that Bye’s remorse and guilty plea were significant
mitigating factors; and
II. Whether Bye’s sentence is inappropriate in light of the nature
of the offense and the character of the offender.
[2] We affirm.
Facts and Procedural History2
[3] On June 18, 2013, at approximately 11:45 a.m., Paoli Fire Chief Dutch Parks
(“Chief Parks”) called Paoli Police Chief Randall Sanders (“Chief Sanders”) to
report that he saw a young female, later identified as J.C., and an older male,
later identified as Bye, together at Radcliff Park “sitting in the grass near the
weeds/tree line.” Appellant’s App. at 13. Chief Parks stated that Bye appeared
to be having “inappropriate contact” “with the young female” and asked Chief
Sanders to “check on the child.” Id.
1
See Ind. Code § 35-42-4-9. We note that, effective July 1, 2014, a new version of this criminal statute was
enacted. Because Bye committed his offense prior to July 1, 2014, we will apply the statute in effect at the
time he committed his crime.
2
Because the factual basis at the change of plea hearing consisted of just the elements of the offense, we
include facts also found in the State’s probable cause affidavit and Bye’s testimony at the sentencing hearing.
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[4] Chief Sanders and Officer Scott Dillman (“Officer Dillman”) immediately went
to the park to investigate. As they approached, Officer Dillman could see that
J.C. was sitting on Bye’s lap and that Bye had his hand on J.C.’s leg. Chief
Sanders was familiar with Bye and knew he was approximately forty years old.
Being unfamiliar with the female, Chief Sanders asked her name and age. J.C.
provided her name and said she was eighteen years old. When Chief Sanders
asked J.C. a second time how old she was, J.C. admitted she was only fifteen.
[5] Chief Sanders took J.C. to his patrol car, contacted her mother (“Mother”), and
asked Mother to come to the park. Officer Dillman stayed with Bye, who told
Officer Dillman that he met J.C. on Facebook and had been seeing her for two
weeks. Bye stated that J.C. told him she was eighteen years old, they had been
meeting in the park, and Mother knew that Bye and J.C. were meeting. When
Mother arrived at the park, she told Chief Sanders that she had met Bye just a
few weeks earlier, had told him that J.C. was only fifteen years old, and had
given permission for J.C. and Bye to talk as friends. Mother related that she
told Bye that, if he wanted a relationship with J.C., he would have to wait until
she turned eighteen years old. J.C. reported that she and Bye had never had
sexual intercourse, but that he had fondled her breasts and “privates,” at first
over her clothing and then under her clothing. J.C. further stated that, a few
days earlier, Bye had inserted his finger into her vagina while they were in the
park.
[6] Based on the information obtained from Mother and J.C., Chief Sanders asked
Officer Dillman to detain Bye. Bye then admitted that he knew J.C. was only
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fifteen years old, and Officer Dillman transported Bye to the Paoli Police
Department to be interviewed. Bye initially denied having any contact with
J.C. other than hugging and kissing her. However, when Officer Dillman
confronted him with J.C.’s statement, Bye changed his story and admitted that
he fondled J.C. and penetrated her vagina with his fingers while they were at
the park two to three days earlier.
[7] On June 19, 2013, the State charged Bye with one count of Class B felony
sexual misconduct with a minor. Sixteen months later, on October 14, 2014,
Bye pleaded guilty, without the benefit of a plea agreement, and judgment of
conviction was entered on the same day. At sentencing, Bye admitted that he
had a previous conviction for Class D felony neglect of a dependent. Bye noted
that he and his ex-wife have “joint custody” of their seven children and that he
worked and helped provide for his children. Tr. at 28. Bye maintained that his
abuse of alcohol and drugs, including methamphetamine, marijuana, and
prescription drugs, affected his judgment, resulting in his seeking a sexual
relationship with a fifteen-year-old girl. Id. at 35. Even so, Bye insisted that he
spent “this time in jail to get past all the cravings and the withdrawal symptoms
of the dope”; therefore, Bye “believe[d]” that upon his release, he “will be able
to go back to work and [] will be able to stay off of the dope.” Id. at 28. Bye
claimed as mitigating factors that he “has a relatively low criminal history,” he
pleaded guilty, the crime was unlikely to reoccur, further incarceration would
put undue hardship on his children, he was no longer dependent on drugs or
alcohol, he had a steady job for the prior three years, and he apologized and
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took responsibility for his crime. Id. at 41, 42. Bye asked for an eight-year
sentence with two years suspended, for an aggregate executed sentence of six
years, which was the minimum sentence for a Class B felony conviction.
[8] The State argued that it was an aggravating circumstance that Bye was on
probation for felony neglect of a dependent when he committed this crime.
Moreover, the neglect of a dependent conviction involved Bye preying on
another person in the community, which in that case was an older relative who
did not have the mental capacity to care for himself. The State insisted that it
was significant that in both his prior offense and the current crime Bye preyed
on the vulnerable, and that his two crimes had occurred within a short period of
time. The State also maintained that it was an aggravating factor that Bye was
forty years old and blaming his substance abuse problem for his actions. In
response to Bye’s request that his executed sentence be reduced to the minimum
sentence of six years, the State contended that the imposition of a reduced
sentence and imposition of probation would depreciate the seriousness of the
crime. Further, the State asserted that counseling for substance abuse and
“some sort of sexual [] counseling” could best be addressed in the Department
of Correction. Id. at 46. The State asked the trial court to impose the
maximum sentence of twenty years.
[9] During sentencing, the trial judge discussed Bye’s alleged care and support of
his family, noting that his eighteen-year-old son was in the same jail as his
father, and that “a couple of the middle children” had also appeared before the
judge on different matters. Id. at 51. Addressing Bye’s substance abuse
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problem, the trial court stated that it was his own doing, and that no one had
forced him to use marijuana and methamphetamine or to abuse alcohol and
prescription drugs. The trial court first revoked Bye’s probation on his former
conviction and ordered him to serve 170 days. As to the instant offense, the
trial judge found no specific aggravating or mitigating circumstances, but stated,
“I have read the file. I have read the police reports. I have read the depositions
that were given and the interviews that were taken.” Id. at 51. Having heard
the testimony during sentencing, the trial court sentenced Bye to fifteen years
with ten years executed and five years suspended to supervised probation, to be
served consecutive to the 170-day-sentence. The trial court also recommended
to the Department of Correction that Bye’s time be served in a therapeutic
community. Bye now appeals.
Discussion and Decision
I. Abuse of Discretion
[10] Bye challenges the trial court’s failure to find his remorse and his guilty plea as
significant mitigating factors for sentencing. Sentencing decisions rest within
the sound discretion of the trial court. Anglemyer v. State, 868 N.E.2d 482, 490
(Ind. 2007), clarified on reh’g, 875 N.E.2d 218 (Ind.2007). So long as the
sentence is within the statutory range, it is subject to review only for an abuse of
discretion. Id. An abuse of discretion will be found where the decision is
clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances before the
court or the reasonable, probable, and actual deductions to be drawn therefrom.
Westlake v. State, 987 N.E.2d 170, 175 (Ind. Ct. App. 2013). “A trial court may
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abuse its discretion in sentencing by failing to enter a sentencing statement,
entering a sentencing statement that explains reasons for imposing a sentence
which the record does not support, omitting reasons that are clearly supported
by the record and advanced for consideration, or giving reasons that are
improper as a matter of law.” Id. (citing Anglemyer, 868 N.E.2d at 490-91).
[11] Bye contends that the trial court abused its discretion when it did not find his
remorse to be a significant mitigating factor. “Our courts have recognized
remorse as a valid mitigating circumstance.” Cotto v. State, 829 N.E.2d 520, 526
(Ind. 2005). “An allegation that the trial court failed to identify or find a
mitigating factor requires the defendant to establish that the mitigating evidence
is both significant and clearly supported by the record.” Anglemyer, 868 N.E.2d
at 493. “A trial court is under no obligation to accept a defendant’s alleged
remorse as a mitigating circumstance.” Phelps v. State, 969 N.E.2d 1009, 1020
(Ind. Ct. App. 2012), trans. denied. Further, “[w]here the trial court does not
find the existence of a mitigating factor after it has been argued by counsel, the
trial court is not obligated to explain why it has found that the factor does not
exist.” Id. at 1019.
[12] Bye claims that the “the record was replete with evidence in support of a
finding of remorse.” Appellant’s Br. at 13. As support for his claim, Bye states
he “actually expressed remorse and apologized for his crime at his sentencing
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hearing.” Id. Bye’s sole expression of remorse arose in response to his
attorney’s questioning on re-direct.3 That colloquy was as follows:
Q. And, and I think you said this before but I want to make it
clear, are you, are you sorry for what happened and you want to
tell everyone. . .
A. (interjecting) Yeah, yeah, I’m sorry for what happened. You
know, I wish I could take it back but I can’t. I can’t change the
past.
Tr. at 36-37. The State responded to Bye’s claim of remorse, stating:
It is the State’s position that the, uh aggravating circumstances
clearly outweigh the, uh, mitigating circumstances. [Defense]
Counsel said that the defendant makes no excuses for what
happened, well that’s the first thing we heard was an excuse. Uh,
that, you know, it was the drugs and alcohol, anything that he
could, uh, what was it, uh, snort or smoke but he wouldn’t, he
wouldn’t shoot up. Well that’s the first thing he said. And I
want the court to make [a] decision whether his, uh, uh, his
apology, I don’t know if it was an apology but whether his
remorse is sincere or not.
Id. at 46-47. The trial court did not find that remorse was a mitigating factor;
however, once Bye’s claim was argued by counsel, “the trial court [was] not
obligated to explain why it [] found that the factor does not exist.” Phelps, 969
N.E.2d at 1019.
3
Our search of the transcript revealed no other instance where Bye said he was sorry or expressed remorse.
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[13] “We recognize that substantial deference must be given to a trial court’s
evaluation of remorse.” Sharkey v. State, 967 N.E.2d 1074, 1079 (Ind. Ct. App.
2012). “Remorse, or lack thereof, by a defendant is something better guarded
by a trial judge who views and hears a defendant’s apology and demeanor
firsthand and determines the defendant’s credibility.” Id. (citing Phelps, 914
N.E.2d at 293). Bye has not persuaded us that the trial court abused its
discretion when it failed to find his remorse was a significant mitigating factor.
[14] Bye also contends that the trial court abused its discretion when it failed to find
his guilty plea was a significant mitigating factor. Our court has said, “[A]
defendant who pleads guilty deserves to have at least some mitigating weight
extended to the guilty plea in return.” Lavoie v. State, 903 N.E.2d 135, 143 (Ind.
Ct. App. 2009). However, a guilty plea does not automatically amount to a
significant mitigating factor. Wells v. State, 836 N.E.2d 475, 479 (Ind. Ct. App.
2005), trans. denied. “A plea’s significance is reduced if it is made on the eve of
trial, if the circumstances indicate the defendant is not taking responsibility for
his actions, or if substantial admissible evidence exists against the defendant.”
Caraway v. State, 959 N.E.2d 847, 853 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011), trans. denied.
[15] Bye was charged in June 2013, and the trial court scheduled his jury trial for
November 12, 2013. Bye requested and received numerous continuances over
the year that followed. As late as a pre-trial conference held on September 29,
2014, Bye gave no indication of any intent to plead guilty. It was not until the
trial court held a second pre-trial conference on October 14, 2014 that Bye
entered his plea of guilty. That date was almost sixteen months after Bye was
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charged and eleven months after the initial date for his jury trial. During this
time, the State was required to provide discovery to Bye, to respond to and
provide witnesses for depositions paid for with public funds, and seek a
protective order to prevent J.C.’s deposition from being distributed to anyone
other than the State and the defense. While Bye’s plea was not literally entered
on the eve of trial, significant resources were dedicated to the prosecution of his
case for more than a year before he entered his guilty plea. Moreover, the
State’s evidence against Bye was significant. Two officers discovered Bye at the
park in a compromising position with J.C. J.C. and Mother both stated that
Bye knew J.C. was fifteen years old, and Bye, himself, admitted that he knew
J.C. was fifteen. J.C. reported to officers that Bye had penetrated her vagina
with his finger, and when confronted, Bye admitted having committed that act.
Simply put, Bye held out, and when he faced a looming trial with substantial
evidence against him, he made a pragmatic decision to plead guilty. Bye has
not persuaded us that the trial court abused its discretion by failing to identify
his guilty plea as a mitigating factor.
II. Inappropriate Sentence
[16] Bye next argues that his sentence is inappropriate. Under Indiana Appellate
Rule 7(B), we “may revise a sentence authorized by statute if, after due
consideration of the trial court’s decision, [this C]ourt finds that the sentence is
inappropriate in light of the nature of the offense and the character of the
offender.” See Corbally v. State, 5 N.E.3d 463, 471 (Ind. Ct. App. 2014). The
question under Appellate Rule 7(B) is not whether another sentence is more
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appropriate; rather, the question is whether the sentence imposed is
inappropriate. King v. State, 894 N.E.2d 265, 268 (Ind. Ct. App. 2008). It is the
defendant’s burden on appeal to persuade the reviewing court that the sentence
imposed by the trial court is inappropriate. Chappell v. State, 966 N.E.2d 124,
133 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012), trans. denied.
[17] Indiana’s flexible sentencing scheme allows trial courts to tailor an appropriate
sentence to the circumstances presented, and the trial court’s judgment “should
receive considerable deference.” Cardwell v. State, 895 N.E.2d 1219, 1222 (Ind.
2008). The principal role of appellate review is to attempt to “leaven the
outliers.” Id. at 1225. Whether we regard a sentence as inappropriate turns on
“our sense of the culpability of the defendant, the severity of the crime, the
damage done to others, and myriad other facts that come to light in a given
case.” Id. at 1224.
[18] In reviewing the appropriateness of a sentence, our Supreme Court has
“decline[d] to narrowly interpret the word ‘sentence’ in Appellate Rule 7 to
constrict appellate courts to consider only the appropriateness of the aggregate
length of the sentence without considering also whether a portion of the
sentence is ordered suspended or otherwise crafted using any of the variety of
sentencing tools available to the trial judge.” Davidson v. State, 926 N.E.2d
1023, 1025 (Ind. 2010); see Marley v. State, 17 N.E.3d 335, 339 (Ind. Ct. App.
2014) (quoting Davidson, 926 N.E.2d at 1025 (under Appellate Rule 7(B) we do
not consider only appropriateness of aggregate length of sentence, but also
whether part of sentence is suspended), trans. denied. Here, the trial court
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suspended a portion of Bye’s sentence and placed him on probation for five
years. Accordingly, while Bye questions whether his fifteen-year sentence is
inappropriate, the issue before us is more correctly stated as whether his fifteen
year sentence with ten years executed and five years suspended to probation is
inappropriate.
[19] The advisory sentence for the class of crimes to which the offense belongs is the
starting point for the court’s consideration of what sentence is appropriate for
the crime committed. Weiss v. State, 848 N.E.2d 1070, 1072 (Ind. 2006). At the
time the offense was committed, our General Assembly had classified sexual
misconduct with a minor, involving a child over the age of fourteen and under
the age of sixteen and an accused over the age of twenty-one, as a Class B
felony. Ind. Code § 35-42-4-9(a)(1). The advisory sentence for a Class B felony
is ten years, with a maximum sentence of twenty years and a minimum
sentence of six years. Ind. Code § 35-50-2-5. Bye’s executed sentence of ten
years was the advisory sentence for a Class B felony.
[20] Addressing the nature of the offense, Bye contends that he admitted that he
fondled and “performed sexual deviate conduct on J.C., who was fifteen at the
time.” Appellant’s Br. at 21. Even so, he maintains that this was not “a lengthy
course of molestation.” Id. He further maintains that he was not in a position
of trust or authority over J.C. While the length of the molestation and the
position of trust or authority may be used by a trial court as aggravators, we are
not persuaded that the lack of those same factors can be used to mitigate Bye’s
crime. See Ind. Code § 35-38-1-7.1 (setting forth mitigating and aggravating
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circumstances that may be considered during sentencing). As the State points
out, Bye, who had a daughter the same age as J.C., found J.C. via Facebook,
ingratiated himself with Mother, and at the age of forty digitally penetrated
fifteen-year-old J.C.’s vagina. Bye has not convinced this court that a ten-year
executed sentence is inappropriate in light of the nature of the offense.
[21] Addressing his character, Bye contends that his sentence was inappropriate
because his criminal history was not significant. Citing to his sole Class D
felony conviction for neglect of a dependent, Bye admits that the conviction
does “not reflect well on [him],” but argues that it was not a grave offense nor
was it connected to sexual misconduct with a minor or any other sex crimes.”
Appellant’s Br. at 21. The State counters that, although Bye’s first crime was not
committed until he was thirty-nine years old, it is significant that he committed
the second felony, of increasing severity, about nine months after he was
convicted for felony neglect. The State also recognizes that Bye was on
probation at the time he committed the instant offense, which is listed as a
circumstance that allows a trial court to impose an aggravated sentence. I.C. §
35-38-1-7.1(a)(6). We are not persuaded that Bye’s sentence was inappropriate
in light of the character of the offender.
[22] Here, the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it sentenced Bye.
Moreover, Bye’s sentence is not inappropriate in light of the nature of the
offense and the character of the offender. Affirmed.
Najam, J., and Barnes, J., concur.
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