Earl B. Martin v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) ( 2019 )


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  • MEMORANDUM DECISION
    Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
    this Memorandum Decision shall not be                                        FILED
    regarded as precedent or cited before any                                Nov 27 2019, 9:02 am
    court except for the purpose of establishing                                 CLERK
    the defense of res judicata, collateral                                  Indiana Supreme Court
    Court of Appeals
    and Tax Court
    estoppel, or the law of the case.
    ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT                                  ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
    Matthew J. McGovern                                     Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
    Anderson, Indiana                                       Attorney General of Indiana
    Ellen H. Meilaender
    Supervising Deputy Attorney
    General
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    IN THE
    COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
    Earl B. Martin,                                         November 27, 2019
    Appellant-Defendant,                                    Court of Appeals Case No.
    19A-CR-627
    v.                                              Appeal from the Vanderburgh
    Circuit Court
    State of Indiana,                                       The Honorable David D. Kiely,
    Appellee-Plaintiff.                                     Judge
    Trial Court Cause No.
    82C01-1712-MR-7874
    Brown, Judge.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019                 Page 1 of 17
    [1]   Earl B. Martin appeals his convictions for murder, attempted murder, two
    counts of robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery. We consolidate the
    issues he raises as whether the trial court abused its discretion or erred in
    admitting certain evidence. We affirm.
    Facts and Procedural History
    [2]   In December 2017, Martin communicated with his co-worker, Jalil Fellows, via
    text messages. Martin asked Fellows if he knew someone they could rob, and
    Fellows gave Martin the phone number for his marijuana supplier, Brandon
    Waldroup. Fellows believed that Martin was going to rob Waldroup of a half-
    pound of marijuana and they would split it in some way.
    [3]   On December 18, 2017, Miranda Grissom, Martin’s friend, picked him up from
    his mother’s house around 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. and took him to her apartment
    located across the street from Rick’s Sports Bar. Grissom observed that Martin
    had a gun. A couple of hours later, Martin left with the gun and said he was
    going to Rick’s to meet his girlfriend.
    [4]   That same day, Waldroup exchanged text messages with a person calling
    himself Jeremiah. They decided to meet at Rick’s Bar, and Waldroup drove to
    the bar with Christopher Hoefling. Waldroup heard a tap on the rear passenger
    door, unlocked the car, and Martin opened the door and pointed a gun at
    Waldroup’s head and a second gun at Hoefling’s head. Waldroup turned his
    head back around, heard a gunshot, and was then struck by a second shot. A
    few seconds later, Waldroup saw his car door open, and Martin pulled him out
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 2 of 17
    of the car and threw him face down on the concrete. Waldroup laid in pain for
    awhile before turning his head to see that his car and Hoefling were gone.
    [5]   A passerby approached Waldroup, and officers arrived at the scene. Waldroup
    was able to give the officers a description of his vehicle and the person who shot
    him as an older black male with a tan jacket. Waldroup was unable to tell the
    police if Hoefling had been shot.
    [6]   Evansville Police Detective David Smith sent officers to speak with Hoefling’s
    father and then to Waldroup’s apartment to look for Hoefling. Detective Smith
    went through the process with Blue Link to locate Waldroup’s car but was
    unsuccessful. 1 He then contacted AT&T regarding Waldroup’s phone, received
    an emergency disclosure, discovered that the phone had been turned off
    moments after the incident, and learned that two phone numbers were of
    interest and belonged to Fellows and Martin.
    [7]   Waldroup was transported to the hospital and had a bullet removed from his
    jaw. While he was in the hospital, he identified Martin from a photo array as
    the person who shot him. Evansville Police Detective Peter DeYoung spoke
    with Waldroup and learned that Waldroup’s phone was likely in the vehicle
    and that there was a second victim. He contacted the phone carrier and asked
    1
    Detective Smith testified that Waldroup’s father thought the car had Onstar and that he ultimately
    determined that the brand of Waldroup’s vehicle used Blue Link.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019                Page 3 of 17
    for an exigent circumstances tracking of the phone so he could locate the
    second victim.
    [8]    Meanwhile, at some point that evening, Martin’s girlfriend, Heather Wilson,
    called him, and he asked her for a ride but did not seem to know where he was
    and gave her the names of the intersecting streets. Wilson picked him up in a
    red PT Cruiser, noticed he smelled of marijuana, and dropped him off at his
    mother’s home.
    [9]    Martin called Fellows and said it “turned out bad” and Fellows would “see it
    on the news.” Transcript Volume II at 120. That night, Fellows went to
    Martin’s house and obtained three ounces of marijuana.
    [10]   Around 10:00 or 11:00 p.m., Martin called Grissom and asked her to pick him
    up at his mother’s house. She picked him up, noticed that he had marijuana
    with him, and returned him to his mother’s house around 7:30 a.m. the
    following morning.
    [11]   On December 19, 2017, Detective Smith told Evansville Police Detective Brad
    Evrard that he had a number for one of the victim’s phones. They contacted
    the cell provider and obtained information regarding two phone numbers that
    were communicating with Waldroup’s phone. Detective Evrard entered the
    phone numbers into Facebook and discovered that one number belonged to
    Fellows and the other belonged to Martin. He took the numbers for Fellows
    and Martin and “did an exigent warrant to Verizon.” 
    Id. at 246.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 4 of 17
    [12]   The police searched for Waldroup’s vehicle that day but did not find it. That
    afternoon, they executed a search warrant on the home of Martin’s mother.
    Police discovered a .380 caliber Cobra handgun and a .22 caliber Ruger pistol.
    They discovered a velvet Crown Royal bag containing eighteen rounds of
    federal .380 caliber ammunition, a firearm, a Carhartt jacket, and marijuana in
    a bag in a trash can of a neighboring home. Police collected jeans from a
    bedroom with blood on the seat, a pair of work boots, two .380 caliber spent
    shell casings, and a box of .25 caliber ammunition from the northeast bedroom.
    [13]   Evansville Police Detective Jeffrey Allen Hands informed FBI Special Agent
    Kevin Horan of the missing vehicle and that there was another victim. Agent
    Horan created a report for the Verizon phone number believed to belong to
    Martin.
    [14]   On December 19, 2017, the police recovered Waldroup’s vehicle and
    discovered Hoefling’s body inside. After a search warrant was obtained for the
    vehicle, the police discovered a spent .380 caliber shell casing, a small baggie of
    suspected marijuana, and a .22 caliber shell casing. An autopsy revealed
    Hoefling suffered four gunshot wounds to his back and died as a result of a
    large accumulation of blood in the right chest cavity caused by one of the
    gunshot wounds.
    [15]   On December 26, 2017, the State charged Martin with Count I, murder; Count
    II, murder; Count III, attempted murder as a level 1 felony; Count IV, robbery
    resulting in serious bodily injury as a level 2 felony; Count V, robbery resulting
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 5 of 17
    in serious bodily injury as a level 2 felony; and Count VI, conspiracy to commit
    robbery as a level 5 felony. The State also alleged a sentencing enhancement
    for a person committing a felony offense while using a firearm as to Counts I,
    II, IV, and V, and that he was an habitual offender.
    [16]   Martin sent a letter dated March 13, 2018, to Grissom in which he stated “the
    only reason your [sic] not wrapped up in this is because of me,” that he needed
    her to move a package, if she ignored him then “I swear to God your [sic]
    done!,” and “So make your next move your best move my Queen. Lol One
    more thing. Check mate.” State’s Exhibit 28.
    [17]   On December 3, 2018, Martin filed a motion to suppress alleging that the
    Evansville Police Department requested and received his cell phone records
    from Verizon Wireless pursuant to an “Emergency Disclosure” request and that
    this demand violated his rights. Appellant’s Appendix Volume II at 169. The
    trial court held a hearing on the motion to suppress and denied the motion.
    [18]   In January 2019, the court held a jury trial. Fellows testified about his
    communications with Martin and that Martin called him and said it “turned
    out bad” and he would “see it on the news.” Transcript Volume II at 120.
    Waldroup testified that Martin entered the car with guns drawn, shot him in the
    face, and pulled him out of the car. He immediately identified Martin as the
    shooter in the photo array on the day after the shooting and with a “hundred
    percent” certainty during his testimony in court. 
    Id. at 167.
    Heather Wilson,
    Martin’s girlfriend until the time of the robbery, testified that she did not discuss
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 6 of 17
    with Martin about going to Rick’s Sports Bar that day. The court admitted a
    surveillance video recording from a liquor store near the scene of the shooting
    which showed a male walking through a parking lot wearing a tan jacket at
    approximately 8:51 p.m.
    [19]   Erin Gabor, an IT Specialist Computer Forensic Examiner employed by the
    FBI, prepared a report regarding Martin’s phone titled Extraction Report and
    refers to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Computer Analysis Response
    Team. The court admitted the 2,770-page report as State’s Exhibit 31 over
    Martin’s objection. Gabor testified that the report included information from
    the cell phone given to her in the investigation.
    [20]   Evansville Police Officer Douglas Hamner testified that he used a chemical
    known as bluestar on the PT Cruiser which reacts to the presence of
    hemoglobin and blood. He observed a reaction on the front passenger seat, the
    outside front passenger door handle area, and the front passenger inside door
    handle.
    [21]   Outside the jury’s presence, Agent Horan testified he is a cell phone expert and
    that he provided a report to the Evansville Police Department containing an
    expert opinion about the movement of Martin’s phone on the evening of the
    crime. He explained that the report is generated from inputting the Verizon
    records into a software program. Martin’s counsel argued that Verizon did not
    provide a business records affidavit or certify the records. Agent Horan testified
    that he was a member of the cellular analysis survey team and had been trained
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 7 of 17
    “in almost all things, cell phone . . . .” Transcript Volume III at 159. Martin’s
    counsel later stated: “I’m not contesting whether he’s qualified. I’m contesting
    that the data he relied upon, which is in substance his map, is not
    authenticated.” 
    Id. at 166.
    He also objected under Ind. Evidence Rules 803
    and 901.
    [22]   In the presence of the jury, Agent Horan testified that he received specialized
    training and was assigned to the Cellular Analysis Survey Team, which is a
    group of experts in the field of cellular technology and cellular tracking. During
    Agent Horan’s testimony, Martin’s counsel objected to the admission of the
    report prepared by him. The court overruled the objection, and admitted the
    report as State’s Exhibit 232. Agent Horan testified as to the report and
    location of the phone during certain times on December 18, 2017.
    [23]   Mitzi Templeton, a forensic firearm and toolmark examiner, testified that a
    bullet retrieved from Hoefling’s body during the autopsy was fired from the
    Cobra .380 caliber firearm. She indicated that a .380 caliber shell casing
    recovered from Waldroup’s vehicle and two .380 caliber shell casings recovered
    from the residence of Martin’s mother were fired from the Cobra .380 caliber
    firearm.
    [24]   Nicole Huffman, a forensic scientist, testified she detected human blood on a
    swab of the recovered tan jacket. She testified that the DNA profile was “at
    least one trillion times more likely if it originated from Earl Martin and
    Brandon Scott Waldroup rather than originating from Earl Martin and an
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 8 of 17
    unknown individual,” and that “[t]hat analysis provides very strong support for
    the explanation that Brandon Scott Waldroup is a contributor to the DNA
    profile.” 
    Id. at 223.
    With respect to a swab from Martin’s boots, Huffman
    detected blood and testified that “[t]he DNA profile developed was interpreted
    as originating from a single individual and the DNA profile is at least one
    trillion times more likely if it originated from Brandon Scott Waldroup than if it
    originated from an unknown unrelated individual,” and “this analysis provides
    very strong support for the explanation that Brandon Scoot [sic] Waldroup is a
    contributor to the DNA profile.” 
    Id. at 229.
    [25]   Huffman testified that the DNA profiles developed from four cuttings of
    Martin’s shirt were each interpreted as originating from a single individual, that
    the DNA profile was “at least one trillion times more likely if it originated from
    Brandon Scott Waldroup than if it originated from an unknown unrelated
    individual,” and “[t]his analysis provides very strong support for the
    explanation that Brandon Scott Waldroup is a contributor to the DNA profile.”
    
    Id. at 230.
    With respect to a fifth cutting from the shirt, she developed a DNA
    profile and interpreted it as originating from three individuals, the DNA profile
    was “at least one trillion more times likely if it originated from Earl Martin,
    Brandon Scott Waldroup, and an unknown unrelated individual rather than if it
    originated from Earl Martin and two unknown individuals,” and “[t]his
    analysis provides very strong support for the explanation that Brandon Scott
    Waldroup is a contributor to the DNA profile.” 
    Id. at 230-231.
    She gave
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 9 of 17
    similar testimony regarding a sixth cutting from the shirt, Martin’s underwear,
    and Martin’s blue shorts.
    [26]   On cross-examination, Martin’s counsel asked Huffman if when she said
    somebody is one trillion times more likely to be the contributor that “we’re
    basically saying to this jury that you’re pretty certain that that’s the person’s
    DNA,” and she replied: “We’re saying that the DNA profile I developed is best
    explained by that situation, like that, it’s best supported by that explanation
    versus another. We’re actually comparing two different scenarios and saying
    this is more likely than that.” 
    Id. at 233.
    When asked if a swab of a dried red
    substance in front of the tan jacket that she understood belonged to Martin was
    human blood, she answered affirmatively. Martin’s counsel asked: “No
    question based upon your analysis that the contributors to that DNA profile
    were Mr. Martin and Mr. Waldroup. Is that right?” 
    Id. at 236.
    Huffman
    answered: “My reports are a trillion more times likely that that is where they
    originated from.” 
    Id. at 236.
    [27]   Susan Laine, a forensic DNA analyst, testified that she tested the swab from the
    slide of the Ruger, found human blood, determined that the DNA profile
    originated from a single individual and that “the profile was at least one trillion
    times more likely if it originated from Christopher Leo Hoefling than if it
    originated from an unknown unrelated individual.” 
    Id. at 248.
    [28]   Detective Hands testified that Verizon sent records and identified them as
    State’s Exhibit 240. Upon questioning by Martin’s counsel, Detective Hands
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 10 of 17
    indicated that the file from Verizon was encrypted, that Verizon provides
    instructions on how to open and authenticate it, and that the file was sent to
    Detective Smith’s email. Martin’s counsel objected on the basis of Ind.
    Evidence Rules 901 and 803(6). After some discussion, the court sustained the
    objection. Detective Hands then identified State’s Exhibit 31 as a CD
    containing the download of Martin’s phone that was sent to the FBI with the
    search warrant. The court indicated that the exhibit had already been admitted,
    Martin’s counsel renewed his objection, and the court overruled the objection.
    [29]   After the State rested, Martin presented the testimony of Brandon Cox who
    testified that he lived in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, had a Ruger SR 22 semi-
    automatic pistol for sale in November 2017, listed it on a website, and
    ultimately sold it to Hoefling.
    [30]   The jury found Martin guilty as charged, and he later admitted to the firearm
    sentencing enhancements and to being an habitual offender. The court found
    that Count II merged with Count I and sentenced him to an aggregate sentence
    of 135 years.
    Discussion
    [31]   The issue is whether the trial court abused its discretion or erred in admitting
    certain evidence. Martin argues that the cell phone records were not properly
    authenticated and were inadmissible under Ind. Evidence Rule 901(a) and
    points to State’s Exhibits 31 and 232. He contends that the erroneous
    admission of the evidence was not harmless because the records had a
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 11 of 17
    substantial effect on the jury’s deliberations. He also points to Ind. Evidence
    Rule 803(6) and asserts that his phone records and the map and testimony
    generated from them constitute impermissible hearsay and its admission
    violated his right of confrontation. He argues that the business records were
    compiled by the FBI to show his movements on the day of the shooting and
    Agent Horan admitted that he used this information to create a map and
    provide a location of his phone at the relevant times. He contends that he had
    no way to cross-examine the custodian of the data underlying the map and no
    ability to confront the State about the accuracy of the information generated by
    the FBI agent. He also argues that his cell phone and the cellular location
    evidence related to his phone were seized in violation of the Fourth
    Amendment.
    [32]   The State argues that the cell phone records were not admitted into evidence,
    that Agent Horan authenticated the report he prepared, and that an expert is
    permitted to rely upon inadmissible evidence in reaching conclusions. It also
    argues that any error in admitting the evidence over the Rule 901 and Rule 803
    objections was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of guilt and relative
    insignificance of the cell phone location evidence. It contends that no warrant
    was required under the exigent circumstances exception and the officers acted
    in good-faith reliance on then-controlling precedent that a warrant was not
    required.
    [33]   The trial court has broad discretion to rule on the admissibility of evidence.
    Bradley v. State, 
    54 N.E.3d 996
    , 999 (Ind. 2016). A trial court’s ruling on the
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 12 of 17
    admission of evidence is generally accorded a great deal of deference on appeal.
    Hall v. State, 
    36 N.E.3d 459
    , 466 (Ind. 2015), reh’g denied. We do not reweigh
    the evidence; rather, we consider only evidence that is either favorable to the
    ruling or unrefuted and favorable to the defendant. Beasley v. State, 
    46 N.E.3d 1232
    , 1235 (Ind. 2016). We will not reverse an error in the admission of
    evidence if the error was harmless. Turner v. State, 
    953 N.E.2d 1039
    , 1058 (Ind.
    2011). In determining the effect of the evidentiary ruling on a defendant’s
    substantial rights, we look to the probable effect on the fact finder. 
    Id. at 1059.
    An improper admission is harmless if the conviction is supported by substantial
    independent evidence of guilt satisfying the reviewing court that there is no
    substantial likelihood the challenged evidence contributed to the conviction. 
    Id. [34] Initially,
    we note that the trial court did not admit the cell phone records.
    Rather, Martin points to State’s Exhibit 232, which is Agent Horan’s report of
    his analysis drawing his conclusions about the location of the phone at various
    times and is titled “FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team,” and State’s Exhibit
    31, which includes FBI Examiner Gabor’s report of her extraction of the data
    on Martin’s cell phone conducted pursuant to a search warrant. State’s Exhibit
    232. Agent Horan identified State’s Exhibit 232 as his report at trial. Ind.
    Evidence Rule 703 provides: “An expert may base an opinion on facts or data
    in the case that the expert has been made aware of or personally observed.
    Experts may testify to opinions based on inadmissible evidence, provided that it
    is of the type reasonably relied upon by experts in the field.”
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 13 of 17
    [35]   To the extent Martin cites Carpenter v. United States, 
    138 S. Ct. 2206
    , 2217-2218
    (2018), we cannot say that case requires reversal. In Carpenter, police officers
    arrested four men suspected of robbing multiple stores in Michigan and 
    Ohio. 138 S. Ct. at 2212
    . One of the men confessed that, over the previous four
    months, the group had robbed nine different stores and identified fifteen
    accomplices and gave the FBI some of their cell phone numbers. 
    Id. Based on
    that information, the prosecutors applied for court orders under the Stored
    Communications Act to obtain cell phone records for Carpenter and several
    other suspects. 
    Id. The Court
    addressed the question of whether the
    Government conducts a search under the Fourth Amendment when it accesses
    historical cell phone records that provide a comprehensive chronicle of the
    user’s past 
    movements. 138 S. Ct. at 2211
    . The Court observed that the
    government acquired the cell-site records pursuant to a court order issued under
    the Stored Communications Act, which required the government to show
    “reasonable grounds” for believing that the records were “relevant and material
    to an ongoing investigation.” 
    Id. at 2221.
    The Court held that “[t]hat showing
    falls well short of the probable cause required for a warrant.” 
    Id. The Court
    recognized:
    Further, even though the Government will generally need a
    warrant to access [cell-site location information (“CSLI”)], case-
    specific exceptions may support a warrantless search of an
    individual’s cell-site records under certain circumstances. “One
    well-recognized exception applies when ‘“the exigencies of the
    situation” make the needs of law enforcement so compelling that
    [a] warrantless search is objectively reasonable under the Fourth
    Amendment.’” Kentucky v. King, 
    563 U.S. 452
    , 460, 131 S. Ct.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 14 of 17
    1849, 
    179 L. Ed. 2d 865
    (2011) (quoting Mincey v. Arizona, 
    437 U.S. 385
    , 394, 
    98 S. Ct. 2408
    , 
    57 L. Ed. 2d 290
    (1978)). Such
    exigencies include the need to pursue a fleeing suspect, protect
    individuals who are threatened with imminent harm, or prevent
    the imminent destruction of 
    evidence. 563 U.S., at 460
    , and n. 3,
    
    131 S. Ct. 1849
    .
    As a result, if law enforcement is confronted with an urgent
    situation, such fact-specific threats will likely justify the
    warrantless collection of CSLI. Lower courts, for instance, have
    approved warrantless searches related to bomb threats, active
    shootings, and child abductions. Our decision today does not
    call into doubt warrantless access to CSLI in such circumstances.
    While police must get a warrant when collecting CSLI to assist in
    the mine-run criminal investigation, the rule we set forth does not
    limit their ability to respond to an ongoing emergency.
    
    Id. at 2222-2223.
    [36]   The Indiana Supreme Court has held that exigent circumstances that have been
    found sufficient to overcome a warrantless entry have included: (1) a suspect is
    fleeing or likely to take flight in order to avoid arrest; (2) incriminating evidence
    is in jeopardy of being destroyed or removed unless an immediate arrest is
    made; and (3) hot pursuit or movable vehicles are involved. Snellgrove v. State,
    
    569 N.E.2d 337
    (Ind. 1991). The Court has also recognized an “emergency
    circumstances” exception to the warrant requirement when a violent crime has
    occurred and entry by police can be justified as a means to prevent further
    injury or to aid those who have been injured. Sapen v. State, 
    869 N.E.2d 1273
    ,
    1277 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007) (quoting 
    Snellgrove, 569 N.E.2d at 340
    (citing Tata v.
    State, 
    486 N.E.2d 1025
    , 1028 (Ind. 1986))), trans. denied. Further, “[a]mong the
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 15 of 17
    exigencies that may properly excuse the warrant requirement are threats to the
    lives and safety of officers and others and the imminent destruction of
    evidence.” Holder v. State, 
    847 N.E.2d 930
    , 937 (Ind. 2006).
    [37]   The record indicates that Martin fired multiple shots, shot Waldroup, pulled
    him out of his car, threw him face down on the concrete, and left the scene with
    Hoefling. Given that law enforcement was attempting to find Hoefling, we
    conclude that exigent circumstances existed. See Johnson v. State, 
    117 N.E.3d 581
    , 585 (Ind. Ct. App. 2018) (holding that the police were investigating a
    murder and that a threat to the lives and safety of others and possible
    destruction of evidence were sufficient exigent circumstances to justify
    obtaining cellular location information without a court order and that the
    defendant had not shown a violation of his federal constitutional rights), trans.
    denied; Govan v. State, 
    116 N.E.3d 1165
    , 1174 (Ind. Ct. App. 2019) (holding that
    the police had ample reason to believe that the defendant had committed
    violent felonies and presented an ongoing threat to the lives and safety of others
    and had reason to believe that obtaining real-time data about the location of the
    defendant’s cellular phone would assist them in finding him and that these were
    sufficient exigent circumstances under the Fourth Amendment to justify
    obtaining real-time phone location information without first seeking a court
    order), trans. denied.
    [38]   Moreover, the record reveals substantial independent evidence of guilt set forth
    above. Grissom testified that she picked up Martin the day of the shooting and
    took him to her apartment which was across the street from Rick’s Sports Bar.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 16 of 17
    Waldroup immediately identified Martin as the shooter in the photo array after
    the shooting and with “a hundred percent” certainty during his testimony in
    court. Transcript Volume II at 167. The court admitted surveillance video
    from the liquor store near the scene in which a male walked through a parking
    lot wearing a tan jacket at approximately 8:51 p.m. The record includes
    testimony regarding the DNA profiles found on the tan jacket and Martin’s
    boots, shirt, underwear and shirts. Based upon this evidence as well as the
    ballistics evidence and other evidence in the record, we conclude that any error
    was harmless. See Zanders v. State, 
    118 N.E.3d 736
    , 756 (Ind. 2019) (“In light of
    the Supreme Court’s decision in Carpenter, we hold that the State’s access to
    Zanders’s historical CSLI was a Fourth Amendment search. We also hold that,
    regardless of whether the search falls under the exigent-circumstances exception
    to the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement, the admission of the CSLI
    evidence was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.”).
    [39]   For the foregoing reasons, we affirm Martin’s convictions.
    Affirmed.
    Altice, J., and Tavitas, J., concur.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-627 | November 27, 2019   Page 17 of 17
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 19A-CR-627

Filed Date: 11/27/2019

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 11/27/2019