eric-d-smith-v-the-marion-county-prosecutors-office-terry-r-curry ( 2015 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), this Mar 30 2015, 9:32 am
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.
APPELLANT PRO SE ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEES
Eric D. Smith Gregory F. Zoeller
Plainfield, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
Kristin Garn
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Eric D. Smith, March 30, 2015
Appellant-Plaintiff, Court of Appeals Case No.
49A02-1406-MI-440
v. Appeal from the Marion Superior
Court.
The Honorable James B. Osborn,
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Judge.
Office, Terry R. Curry, John G. Cause No. 49D14-1105-MI-18642
Baker, Margrett Robb, Justice
May, Justice Mathias, Justice
Sullivan, Sr., and The Indiana
General Assembly,
Appellees-Defendants.
Sharpnack, Senior Judge
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Statement of the Case
[1] Eric D. Smith appeals the trial court’s grant of the Appellees’ motion to dismiss
his amended complaint for injunctive and declaratory relief. We affirm.
Issue
[2] Smith presents two issues for our review, one of which is dispositive: whether
the trial court erred by dismissing Smith’s complaint for failure to state a claim.
Facts and Procedural History
[3] In August 2001, Smith was convicted by a jury of nine counts of arson, all Class
B felonies, and one count of conspiracy to commit arson, also a Class B felony.
Ind. Code §§ 35-43-1-1 (1999), 35-41-5-2 (1977). The evidence at trial showed
that in February 2001, in order to exact revenge on his ex-girlfriend, Smith
started a fire on the patio of her apartment using a stack of Duraflame Logs, a
towel, gasoline, and matches. The three-alarm fire destroyed twelve apartment
units. Smith was sentenced to twenty years.
[4] Smith filed a direct appeal alleging that the State failed to present sufficient
evidence to support his convictions. A panel of this Court affirmed his
convictions in a memorandum decision. See Smith v. State, No. 49A04-0201-
CR-31 (Ind. Ct. App. Nov. 19, 2002). Smith subsequently filed a petition for
post-conviction relief, which was denied following a hearing. He appealed the
denial of relief, and this Court affirmed the post-conviction court’s
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determination. See Smith v. State, No. 49A05-0409-PC-495 (Ind. Ct. App. April
13, 2006).
[5] Since that time, Smith has filed copious motions to modify sentence, motions to
correct erroneous sentence, appeals of the denials of these motions, and
successive petitions for post-conviction relief. After Smith filed several
unsuccessful successive petitions for post-conviction relief, we issued an order
imposing restrictions on Smith with respect to filing future successive petitions
due to his “propensity toward endless litigation [that] warrants the unusual step
of establishing a screening mechanism to forestall future frivolous lawsuits.”
Smith v. State, No. 49A02-0704-SP-341 (Ind. Ct. App. Order of July 9, 2007).
[6] Subsequently, in December 2007, out of concern for Smith’s continuous,
meritless filings, we issued a further order requiring him to seek leave from this
Court before filing any additional appeals arising from his arson convictions.
The order provided, in pertinent part:
4. A. Appellant may first file a motion for leave of this Court to
file any additional appeal directed to this Court seeking review of
any criminal matter arising out of Appellant’s conviction for
arson.
B. Any motion for leave to file an appeal that is tendered by
Appellant must include an Appellant’s case summary, a current
certified copy of the chronological case summary, the motion
filed with the trial court, any answer to the motion, a certified
copy of the trial court’s judgment from which Appellant seeks
review, and a copy of the timely filed notice of appeal from the
final judgment. Any motion for leave filed after the date of this
order shall include a copy of this order. Failure to include any of
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the above-listed documents shall subject Appellant’s motion for
leave to file an appeal to dismissal with prejudice.
….
E. Upon receipt of any filings from Appellant, the entire matter,
including but not limited to: (A) the trial court clerk’s obligation
to assemble the clerk’s record and file the notice of completion of
clerk’s record; (B) the trial court reporter’s obligation to prepare
the transcript and file the notice of completion of transcript; and
(C) all briefing shall be automatically held in abeyance until such
time as this Court issues an order either allowing the appeal to go
forward or dismissing the appeal.
Smith v. State, No. 49A04-0706-CR-325 (Ind. Ct. App. Order of December 19,
2007). In spite of these restrictions, Smith has continued to file meritless
motions and appeals in this Court, as well as filing countless motions in the trial
1
courts of this state, in circumvention of our prior orders.
1
Because of Smith’s persistent filings, this Court, on September 9, 2014, issued an order expanding its
December 19, 2007 order. The order provided:
1. This Court’s December 19, 2007 order is hereby expanded to include all appeals arising out of
cases in any court in Indiana where a conviction was entered before the date of this order.
2. The restrictions put in place by this Court’s December 19, 2007 order remain in effect except
that Smith is no longer required to file an Appellant’s Case Summary because that document has
been abolished under the Appellate Rules.
3. Failure by Smith to fully comply with this order and the December 19, 2007 order will result in
the imposition of a penalty which may include incarceration for which good time credit is not
applicable.
Smith v. Butts, No. 33A01-1402-MI-87 (Ind. Ct. App. Order of September 9, 2014).
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[7] In October 2011, Smith filed the amended complaint that is the basis of the
current appeal. In the complaint, Smith requested declaratory and injunctive
relief for alleged violations of his constitutional rights by the Marion County
Prosecutor’s Office, the Marion County Prosecutor, certain judges of the Court
of Appeals, and the entire Indiana General Assembly for their part in allegedly
2
depriving him of obtaining a modification of his sentence. The defendants in
the action filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, and, following a
hearing, the trial court dismissed Smith’s complaint. This appeal followed.
Discussion and Decision
[8] This Court reviews de novo the trial court’s grant of a motion to dismiss
pursuant to Indiana Trial Rule 12(B)(6). Veolia Water Indianapolis, LLC v. Nat’l
Trust Ins. Co., 3 N.E.3d 1, 4 (Ind. 2014). A motion to dismiss under Rule
12(b)(6) tests the legal sufficiency of a complaint to determine whether the
allegations in the complaint establish any set of circumstances under which a
plaintiff would be entitled to relief. Id. When evaluating the trial court’s grant
of a Rule 12(B)(6) motion, this Court accepts as true the facts alleged in the
complaint, considers the pleadings in the light most favorable to the plaintiff,
and draws every reasonable inference in favor of the nonmoving party. Id. at 4-
5. We affirm the trial court’s grant of the motion only when it is apparent that
2
In their brief, the Appellees note that it does not appear that service of process was ever attempted on the
Indiana General Assembly. Appellees’ Br. p. 1, n.1. Smith indeed acknowledges that “[t]he Indiana General
Assembly were [sic] named as a defendant, but was not served the complaint yet.” Appellant’s Br. p. 16.
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the facts alleged are incapable of supporting relief under any set of
circumstances. Id. at 5.
[9] In his complaint, Smith alleged that Indiana Code section 35-38-1-17(b) (1991)
(setting forth the required circumstances for modification of sentences), Post-
Conviction Rule 1, section 12(b) (authorizing the filing of a successive petition
for post-conviction relief if the petitioner establishes a reasonable possibility that
he is entitled to post-conviction relief), and Appellate Rule 57(B) (providing that
an order declining to authorize the filing of a successive petition for post-
conviction relief is not considered an adverse decision from which transfer may
be sought) are being used by judges and prosecutors to “retaliate” against him
for his “legal endeavors,” “anarchist political beliefs,” and “political reasons.”
Appellant’s App. p. 20. He further claimed that these deprivations violated his
constitutional rights. For relief of these alleged abuses, he sought a declaratory
judgment proclaiming the unconstitutionality of Indiana Code section 35-38-1-
17, Post-Conviction Rule 1, section 12(b), and Appellate Rule 57(B). In
addition, he sought an injunction restraining this Court from denying him leave
to file a successive petition for post-conviction relief as well as an injunction
against the Marion County Prosecutor and the Marion County Prosecutor’s
Office prohibiting them from withholding their approval of a sentence
modification.
[10] Smith’s claims are, in essence, an impermissible collateral attack on his
convictions and sentence as well as an attack on all of the prior determinations
concerning his numerous attempts to modify his sentence. “A collateral attack
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on a judgment has been defined as a judicial proceeding pursued to avoid,
defeat, evade, or deny the validity and effect of a valid judgment or decree.”
City of Gary Common Council v. White River Envtl. P’Ship-Gary, 713 N.E.2d 893,
895 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999), trans. denied. Here, dissatisfied with the rulings he has
received from this Court regarding the filing of an additional successive petition
for post-conviction relief and with the prosecutor’s refusal to approve a sentence
modification in the trial court, Smith brought this civil action in order to obtain
a modification of his sentence. Smith has attempted to go outside the bounds of
his criminal case and collaterally attack his sentence in a civil action; this he
cannot do.
[11] Additionally, Smith contends that certain judges of this Court have violated his
rights by refusing to allow him to file additional successive petitions for post-
conviction relief pursuant to Post-Conviction Rule 1, section 12(b). Judges in
this state are entitled to absolute judicial immunity for all actions taken in their
judicial capacity, unless those actions are taken in the complete absence of any
jurisdiction. Droscha v. Shepherd, 931 N.E.2d 882, 888-89 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010).
There is nothing in this case to suggest that jurisdiction was lacking. Thus, the
judges of this Court have absolute immunity for their acts in carrying out their
judicial duties, including exercising their discretion to determine not to allow
Smith to file additional successive petitions.
[12] Smith also argues that because he seeks injunctive relief, his claim against the
appellate judges is not barred by judicial immunity. In support of his allegation,
Smith cites Pulliam v. Allen, 466 U.S. 522, 541-42, 104 S. Ct. 1970, 80 L. Ed. 2d
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565 (1984), which states that judicial immunity is not a bar to prospective
injunctive relief against a judicial officer acting in his or her judicial capacity.
However, as Smith recognizes, his claims arise under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983
(1996), which provides for a civil action for the redress of a deprivation of rights
by any person acting under the color of state law. Since 1996, Section 1983 has
prohibited the grant of injunctive relief in any action brought against a judicial
officer for an act or omission taken in the officer’s judicial capacity unless a
declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. See 42
U.S.C. § 1983; Smith v. City of Hammond, 848 N.E.2d 333, 339 (Ind. Ct. App.
2006), trans. denied. There has been neither an allegation nor a showing that a
declaratory decree was violated or that declaratory relief was unavailable in this
cause of action.
[13] Moreover, in his complaint, Smith requested relief in the form of an injunction
ordering judges of this Court to refrain from denying his request to file yet
another successive petition for post-conviction relief. This action is beyond the
authority of the trial court — a trial court does not have the authority to order
the Court of Appeals or its judges to act or refrain from acting, and Smith cites
no authority in support of his requested relief.
[14] Next Smith asserts that the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office and the Marion
County Prosecutor violated his rights when they declined to provide permission
for him to pursue a sentence modification pursuant to Indiana Code section 35-
38-1-17(b). The version of Indiana Code section 35-38-1-17(b) in effect at the
time Smith committed these offenses stated that if a defendant sought a
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sentence modification more than 365 days after he had begun serving his
sentence, approval of the prosecutor was required in order for the court to
reduce the sentence. See also Owens v. State, 886 N.E.2d 64, 67 (Ind. Ct. App.
2008) (stating that typically trial court has no discretion to reduce or suspend
defendant’s sentence pursuant to Indiana Code section 35-38-1-17(b) unless
prosecuting attorney gives approval), trans. denied. The prosecutors of Indiana
and their deputies are afforded absolute immunity in carrying out their duties of
investigative, administrative, and prosecutorial activities. Foster v. Pearcy, 270
Ind. 533, 537, 387 N.E.2d 446, 449 (1979). A determination as to a sentence
modification is clearly within the bounds of the Marion County Prosecutor and
his staff’s prosecutorial duties and is left to their discretion. Therefore, the
Marion County Prosecutor and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office are
absolutely immune from civil suit based upon the performance of a
prosecutorial function, including exercising their discretion to decline to agree
to a modification of Smith’s sentence.
[15] Finally, Smith contends that the trial court’s dismissal of his complaint should
have been without prejudice. The Defendants filed a motion to dismiss
pursuant to Indiana Trial Rule 12(B)(6), and the trial court ordered the cause
dismissed with prejudice. Trial Rule 12(B) provides, in pertinent part:
When a motion to dismiss is sustained for failure to state a claim
under subdivision (B)(6) of this rule the pleading may be
amended once as of right pursuant to Rule 15(A) within ten [10]
days after service of notice of the court’s order sustaining the
motion and thereafter with permission of the court pursuant to
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such rule.
Therefore, a Trial Rule 12(B)(6) dismissal is without prejudice because the
complaining party remains able to file an amended complaint within the
parameters of the rule. Thacker v. Bartlett, 785 N.E.2d 621, 624 (Ind. Ct. App.
2003). Thus, the trial court erred in dismissing Smith’s complaint with
prejudice. However, Smith has not shown on appeal, with sufficient specificity,
how he would have amended his complaint to avoid a Trial Rule 12(B)(6)
dismissal. In his brief, Smith merely states that “[a]ll [he] has to do is cite the
elements of Indiana Code 34-13-3-5(c) [the Indiana Tort Claims Act] and then
provide a reasonable factual basis to support the allegations.” Appellant’s Br. p.
16. This information is not sufficiently specific so as to allow this Court to
make a rational assessment of whether Smith was prejudiced by the trial court’s
ruling. Without a demonstration of prejudice, we must conclude the trial
court’s error was harmless. See Baker v. Town of Middlebury, 753 N.E.2d 67, 74
(Ind. Ct. App. 2001) (holding that although trial court erred in dismissing with
prejudice complaint for failure to state a claim, error was harmless because
plaintiff failed to provide specific information as to how he would have
amended his complaint to avoid dismissal), trans. denied.
[16] Moreover, Smith argues that the dismissal did not apply to his claims against
the Indiana General Assembly because it “was not served the complaint yet.”
Appellant’s Br. p. 16. It is well settled that a party may not appeal invited error.
Beeching v. Levee, 764 N.E.2d 669, 674 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002). Here, Smith failed
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to act when it was his burden to do so; he cannot now complain of any error
stemming therefrom.
Conclusion
[17] For the reasons stated, we conclude that the trial court properly dismissed
Smith’s complaint.
[18] Affirmed.
[19] Friedlander, J., and Pyle, J., concur.
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