Rebecca Lawson v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) ( 2017 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), FILED
this Memorandum Decision shall not be Nov 20 2017, 8:55 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.
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Ruth Johnson Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Marion County Public Defender Agency Attorney General of Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
James T. Whitehead
Timothy J. O’Connor Deputy Attorney General
O’Connor & Auersch Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Rebecca Lawson, November 20, 2017
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
49A02-1703-CR-445
v. Appeal from the
Marion Superior Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable
Appellee-Plaintiff. Marc T. Rothenberg, Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
49G02-1602-MR-6182
Kirsch, Judge.
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[1] Rebecca Lawson (“Lawson”) was convicted, after a jury trial, of murder,1 a
felony, and attempted murder,2 a Level 1 felony, and was sentenced to an
aggregate term of eighty-five years in the Indiana Department of Correction.
Lawson appeals her convictions and raises the following restated issue for our
review: whether the trial court committed fundamental error when it failed to
give a self-defense instruction to the jury.
[2] We reverse and remand.
Facts and Procedural History
[3] Lawson and Patrick Brown (“Brown”) had an on and off again relationship for
several years, beginning in 2012. During this time, Brown also dated Cecelia
Land (“Land”). Brown and Land had broken up sometime in 2015, but were
back together again by February 2016.
[4] On February 12, 2016, Lawson sent Brown a text message asking if he wanted
her to bring dinner over, and Brown responded that he was going to be working
late. State’s Ex. 89 at 4. Lawson texted Brown back a little later, and when he
responded in an angry manner, she decided to drive over to Brown’s house.
Lawson drove to Brown’s house and saw both Brown’s car and Land’s car in
the driveway. Lawson pulled into the driveway and rolled down her window.
Brown came outside and told her, “you should just go.” Tr. Vol. III at 99. Land
1
See Ind. Code § 35-42-1-1.
2
See Ind. Code § 35-42-1-1; Ind. Code § 35-41-5-1(a).
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was looking out the front door of the house and said, “what’s going on.” Id.Lawson had brought collars for Brown’s dogs, and she handed those to him and
started to drive away. At that time, Land had begun walking toward Lawson’s
car. Lawson observed Land throw her arms up in the air, and saw Brown
restrain Land by grabbing her under the arms and pushing her back.
[5] Lawson then drove to a nearby Walgreen’s, and while there, she texted Brown
and told him that Land needed to leave. State’s Ex. 89 at 5. When Brown did
not answer her, Lawson texted him and informed him that she was coming
back to his house to retrieve a gun that belonged to her that she had loaned to
Brown. Id. at 6. The gun was important to her because it was a gift from her
father, who was very ill. Brown still did not respond, so Lawson texted him
that she was returning to his house to get her gun and other belongings because
he had made his choice of who he wanted to be with. Tr. Vol. III at 101; State’s
Ex. 89 at 6.
[6] When Lawson returned to Brown’s house, she parked her car in the driveway,
and Brown came out immediately with Land following him. Lawson always
kept a handgun with her, either in her purse or in a holster in her car. When
she parked the car and saw Land coming out of the house, Lawson took the
gun from her purse and put it in her lap. Lawson felt that she needed the gun
because Land had previously threatened to “kick [her] ass.” Tr. Vol. III at 115.
At trial, Land admitted to having threatened to “kick [Lawson’s] ass” during
one phone call. Tr. Vol. II at 27.
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[7] As Land approached Lawson’s car, Lawson yelled, “I have a gun and a gun
permit,” and Land responded, “I don’t give a shit.” Id. at 36. Brown was
standing next to the driver’s side window, which was open partially. Brown
told Lawson to leave, and she responded that he needed to bring her gun. Land
cursed at both Brown and Lawson and then began to turn and walk away.
Lawson told Brown, “just go get my gun and I’ll leave,” but Brown saw the gun
in Lawson’s lap, and he reached into the car and attempted to grab it. State’s
Ex. 93 at 3, 11-12. Lawson told him not to grab her gun, and she grabbed it
herself and pulled it back. Brown said, “I’ll rip that mother fucker out of your
hand,” and Lawson yelled again for Brown to get her gun. Id. at 12. Brown
then reached into the car again, grabbed Lawson’s face and squeezed “really
hard” while telling her to, “shut the fuck up!” Id. During this time, Land was
coming closer to Lawson’s car.
[8] Brown had never been physically violent with Lawson before, and when he
reached in and began squeezing her face, she was terrified. Tr. Vol. III at 102.
Lawson had the gun in her hand, and she fired in Brown’s direction, striking
him in the chest. Land was approaching with something in her hand, so
Lawson also fired in her direction, striking her twice in the face. The object in
Land’s hand was later determined to be a cellphone.
[9] After realizing what had happened, Lawson dropped the gun in her seat and
called 911. She told the dispatcher that she had shot two people. When the
police arrived at the scene, Officer John Montgomery (“Officer Montgomery”)
of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was one of the first to
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respond, and when he asked who shot who, Lawson told him, “I shot them.”
Tr. Vol. II at 100. Officer Montgomery observed several cell phones, articles of
clothing, and part of a thumb on the ground. He also located a gun on the front
seat of Lawson’s car. Lawson was taken into custody. Brown later died of the
gunshot wound to his chest. As a result of the gunshots wounds she sustained,
Land lost her right eye, part of her thumb, and her sinus cavity and had to have
part of her jaw reconstructed.
[10] On February 17, 2016, the State charged Lawson with murder and attempted
murder. A jury trial was held, at which Lawson raised a claim of self-defense.
This issue of self-defense was discussed by the trial court, defense counsel, and
the State numerous times during the trial. The trial court indicated that it
intended to give a jury instruction on self-defense. Tr. Vol. III at 60-66, 136-39.
The State conceded that giving a self-defense instruction to the jury was proper.
Id. at 136-37. During discussion on final jury instructions, defense counsel
tendered a corollary final instruction regarding the subjective nature of a claim
of self-defense. The trial court refused to give the tendered instruction, and in
doing so, stated, “This instruction actually is already addressed in the self
defense instruction that I have given, and it is addressed in the sense that the
subjective nature is already addressed.” Id. at 138. Despite this discussion
about, and agreement to give, a self-defense instruction to the jury, the trial
court did not give a self-defense instruction to the jury during final instructions.
Neither party objected to the omission of the instruction. At the conclusion of
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the trial, Lawson was found guilty of murder and attempted murder and was
sentenced to an aggregate term of eighty-five years. Lawson now appeals.
Discussion and Decision
[11] Generally, the manner of instructing the jury is a matter within the sound
discretion of the trial court, which we review for an abuse of that discretion.
Pattison v. State, 54 N.E.3d 361, 365 (Ind. 2016). “Where, as here, the
defendant failed to preserve an alleged instructional defect, the objection is
waived, and reversal is warranted only in instances of fundamental error.” Id.(citing Wright v. State, 730 N.E.2d 713, 716 (Ind. 2000)). Fundamental error
occurs where there is a substantial blatant violation of basic principles and
where, if not corrected, it would deny a defendant fundamental due process. Id.This exception to the general rule requiring a contemporaneous objection is
narrow, providing relief only in egregious circumstances that made a fair trial
impossible. Halliburton v. State, 1 N.E.3d 670, 678 (Ind. 2013). “A finding of
fundamental error essentially means that the trial judge erred by not acting
when he or she should have.” Whiting v. State, 969 N.E.2d 24, 34 (Ind. 2012).
[12] Lawson argues that the trial court erred when it failed to instruct the jury as to
her claim of self-defense. She contends that the evidence presented at trial
supported giving the instruction and that it is clear that the trial court intended
to instruct the jury on self-defense. Lawson further asserts that it was reversible
error to not give a self-defense instruction because all of the parties agreed that
the jury should be instructed as to self-defense, and the elements of self-defense
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were discussed in closing arguments, and in the absence of an instruction, the
jury was “left to cobble together the elements of self-defense as best it could.”
Appellant’s Br. at 20. Lawson maintains that this was not sufficient, and she was
denied a fair trial.
[13] A criminal defendant is entitled to have a jury instruction on any theory or
defense which has some foundation in the evidence. Hernandez v. State, 45
N.E.3d 373, 376 (Ind. 2015). “‘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. (quoting Howard v. State, 755 N.E.2d 242, 247 (Ind. Ct.
App. 2001)). However, even if the failure to give a tendered jury instruction
was error, this court must assess whether the defendant was prejudiced by the
trial court’s failure to give the instruction. Id. (citing Burton v. State, 978 N.E.2d
520, 526 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012)).
[14] A valid claim of self-defense is a legal justification for an otherwise criminal act.
Richardson v. State, 79 N.E.3d 958, 964 (Ind. Ct. App. 2017), trans. denied. “A
person is justified in using reasonable force against another person to protect the
person or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the
imminent use of unlawful force.” Ind. Code § 35-41-3-2. A claim of self-
defense requires a defendant to have acted without fault, been in a place where
he or she had a right to be, and been in reasonable fear or apprehension of
bodily harm. Id.Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1703-CR-445 | November 20, 2017 Page 7 of 9
[15] Here, the evidence presented at trial showed that Lawson had been involved in
a relationship with Brown and that she went to his home to retrieve a handgun
that she had loaned him. Although Brown told Lawson to leave, she responded
that she would leave if he brought her the gun that she had loaned him. At that
time, Brown noticed a handgun sitting in Lawson’s lap and reached into the car
and attempted to take the gun away from her. Lawson told him not to grab her
gun and grasped it herself and pulled it back from Brown’s reach. Brown then
reached into the car again, gripped Lawson’s face and squeezed “really hard”
while telling her to, “shut the fuck up!” State’s Ex. 93 at 12. During this time,
Land was coming closer to Lawson’s car. Because Brown had never been
physically violent with Lawson before, when he reached in and began
squeezing her face, she was terrified, and she fired in Brown’s direction. At the
same time, Land was approaching with something in her hand, so Lawson also
fired in her direction.
[16] Based on this evidence, the trial court concluded that there was sufficient
evidence to give an instruction on self-defense and indicated that it intended to
give the jury the pattern jury instruction on self-defense. Tr. Vol. III at 60-66,
136-39. The State conceded that giving a self-defense instruction to the jury
was proper. Id. at 136-37. We conclude that sufficient evidence was presented
at trial to support the giving of a self-defense instruction.
[17] As stated above, it is clear that the trial court intended to instruct the jury as to
self-defense. However, the instruction was inexplicably not given to the jury
during final instructions. During the trial, evidence was presented to support
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Lawson’s claim of self-defense and the parties argued the issue during closing
arguments. However, without an instruction to set out the elements of the
defense of self-defense, the jury was not made aware of the exact elements that
would need to be proven and were left to either assume that they were not
allowed to consider a claim of self-defense or to guess how to apply the facts
presented and the arguments made to the law. Therefore, this failure to instruct
the jury on self-defense denied Lawson fundamental due process and made a
fair trial impossible. Halliburton, 1 N.E.3d at 678. Because the trial court failed
to act when it should have, we find that fundamental error occurred. Whiting,
969 N.E.2d at 34. Based upon the error in failing to instruct the jury on
Lawson’s claim of self-defense, we reverse and remand to the trial court for a
new trial.
[18] Reversed and remanded.
[19] Najam, J., and Brown, J., concur.
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