Harley Bud Davidson v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) ( 2019 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), FILED
this Memorandum Decision shall not be Mar 29 2019, 8:08 am
regarded as precedent or cited before any
court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK
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
David W. Stone IV Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Anderson, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
Josiah Swinney
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Harley Bud Davidson, March 29, 2019
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
18A-CR-1806
v. Appeal from the Madison Circuit
Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable Mark Dudley,
Appellee-Plaintiff. Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
48C06-1207-FB-1321
Brown, Judge.
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[1] Harley Bud Davidson appeals the trial court’s determination that he violated
the conditions of his in-home detention. We affirm.
Facts and Procedural History
[2] In March 2013, the trial court entered judgment of conviction against Davidson
for attempted robbery as a class B felony and sentenced him consistent with a
plea agreement to ten years with six years executed and four years suspended to
probation. The court also ordered that Davidson serve three years of his
executed sentence in the Department of Correction (the “DOC”) and three
years on in-home detention. In June 2016 the probation department filed a
notice of violation of probation, and the court held a hearing in July 2016 at
which Davidson admitted to violations of taking substantial steps toward the
commission of the crime of maintaining a common nuisance as a level 6
felony, 1 failing to verify employment, and failing to submit a urine drug screen.
In August 2016, the court held a sanctions hearing, ordered that Davidson’s
previously-suspended sentence of four years be revoked and executed on in-
home detention, and ordered that he find and maintain employment of thirty-
five or more hours per week.
[3] In January 2017, the home detention office filed a Notice of Violation of
Executed Sentence. In February 2017, the court held a hearing and found that
Davidson failed to pay home detention fees, submitted a drug screen which
1
Davidson was charged with maintaining a common nuisance under cause number 48C06-1606-F6-1219.
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tested positive for morphine, and failed to maintain or verify employment. The
court ordered Davidson to obtain a new substance abuse evaluation, comply
with all treatment recommendations, and provide written verification to the
probation department. One of the conditions of Davidson’s sentence was that
he would not be at a place where illegal drugs were being used or possessed or
where others were engaging in illegal activities. In October 2017, the home
detention office filed a notice of violation of executed sentence alleging
Davidson failed to pay home detention fees and was in arrears $2,667, and in
November 2017 the court found that Davidson had failed to pay his home
detention fees, stated that no putative sanctions were imposed, and ordered him
to pay an additional amount toward his arrearage.
[4] On April 16, 2018, the home detention office filed a Notice of Violation of
Executed Sentence, and on May 21, 2018, the home detention office filed an
Amended Notice of Violation of Executed Sentence which alleged: (a)
Davidson failed to maintain and/or verify employment; (b) a home visit was
conducted on April 10, 2018, “and marijuana was located with the defendant’s
property”; (c) Davidson failed to pay home detention fees; (d) Davidson
allegedly committed possession of paraphernalia on May 18, 2018; and (e)
Davidson “[f]ailed to report on 05/18/18 to the Madison County Circuit Adult
Probation Department for a urine drug screen.” Appellant’s Appendix Volume
II at 162. On June 27, 2018, the trial court held a violation hearing at which
Davidson admitted to the violations of (a) and (c) above and the State presented
evidence. The court found that Davidson violated the conditions of his
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executed sentenced for reasons (a), (b), (c), and (e) and that the State failed to
prove allegation (d). The court ordered: “Four (4) years is now ordered
executed at the Madison County Work Release Center. . . No return to
probation.” Id. at 18.
Discussion
[5] A defendant generally is not entitled to serve a sentence in either probation or a
community corrections program. Monroe v. State, 899 N.E.2d 688, 691 (Ind. Ct.
App. 2009). Rather, placement in either is a matter of grace and a conditional
liberty that is a favor, not a right. Id. (citing Cox v. State, 706 N.E.2d 547, 549
(Ind. 1999), reh’g denied). For the purposes of appellate review, we treat a
hearing on a petition to revoke a placement in a community corrections
program such as home detention the same as we do a probation revocation
hearing. Id. (citing Cox, 706 N.E.2d at 549). The State needs to prove the
alleged violations by a preponderance of the evidence. Id. We will consider all
the evidence most favorable to supporting the judgment of the trial court
without reweighing that evidence or judging the credibility of the witnesses. Id.
If there is substantial evidence of probative value to support the trial court’s
conclusion that a defendant has violated any terms of home detention, we will
affirm its decision to revoke home detention. Id. The violation of a single
condition of home detention is sufficient to revoke home detention. See Wilson
v. State, 708 N.E.2d 32, 34 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999).
[6] Davidson argues: “It is not disputed that marijuana was found at the property
defendant shared with his significant other and with whom he had been in a 4
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year relationship. It was her marijuana however, and it was in a closed safe.”
Appellant’s Brief at 10. He argues there was no showing by the State that he
knew there was marijuana on the property where he lived and a requirement of
knowledge of the presence of the contraband must be read into the probation
term to avoid revocation for unintentional violations. He further argues that he
was told to report for a drug screen “as soon as possible” which “does not
automatically mean the same day” and that he was in the hospital on May
18th. Id. at 18. He argues the case should be remanded to redetermine the
sanction without reliance on the drug violation and drug screen violation. The
State maintains that it presented sufficient evidence that Davidson violated the
conditions of his in-home detention and that the trial court acted well within its
discretion in sanctioning him.
[7] With respect to the discovery of marijuana, the trial court found that “the State
has met its burden of proof . . . by a preponderance of the evidence that
marijuana was located . . . within the defendant’s property,” “it’s pretty clear
from the admission from Ms. Goins it was marijuana,” “she had further
testified and Mr. Davidson [agreed] with it that they resided together at the
same property so as the allegation is phrased marijuana was located on
defendant’s property,” and “so as to how it’s phrased the State has met its
burden of proof.” Transcript Volume II at 51. The evidence most favorable to
the court’s judgment supports the finding that Davidson violated the condition
of his placement that he not be at a place where illegal drugs were possessed.
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[8] As to the failure to submit to a drug screen, when asked if he had any
knowledge regarding the allegation that Davidson failed to report on May 18th
for a urine screen, Devon Burris, a probation officer, replied “yes, I actually
instructed [Davidson] to report that, that day um.” Id. at 22. When asked
“[w]hen did you tell him to report for a drug screen,” he replied “[a]s soon as
possible.” Id. The State elicited testimony from an employee of the probation
department indicating that he worked until 2:00 p.m. on May 18, 2018, and
when asked if he received any information that Davidson “was ordered to come
for a urine screen on that date,” the employee replied “I did. I received a text
message from [Burris] that said uh we disconnected a home visit on Harley
Davidson . . . and we sent him to you guys for a urine screen.” Id. at 35. The
employee indicated that Davidson did not report to the probation department
on that date for a urine screen. When asked “[w]hy weren’t you there again,”
Davidson stated “I was at uh St. John’s” and “I was at the hospital,” and when
asked what he was being treated for at the hospital, he replied “I just felt uh
sick.” Id. at 38. Davidson indicated he was in the hospital “probably until
about six . . . a night” and he “called Home Detention that Monday and uh
nobody ever called me back, they just issued a warrant.” Id. at 39. Davidson
indicated he did not bring any documentation regarding his hospital visit with
him to court, that he had it at home, and that he did not provide it to his
probation officer. The trial court found the “uncontroverted evidence is that
Mr. Davidson did not report as ordered on May 18th for a drug screen,” “[h]is
excuse is unavailing. I didn’t feel well so I went to the hospital, I didn’t report,
I called on Monday because May 18th was a Friday,” “the State has met its
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burden of proof that [] Davidson did not report and does not give me a legally
sufficient justification for not doing so when the only testimony I have is I
didn’t feel well so I went to the hospital.” Id. at 52. The evidence most
favorable to the court’s determination without reweighing that evidence or
judging the credibility of the witnesses supports its finding.
[9] Based on the evidence most favorable to the revocation, we conclude the State
presented sufficient evidence from which the trial court could find by a
preponderance of the evidence that Davidson violated conditions of his in-
home detention and enter an order that he serve his sentence on work release.
[10] For the foregoing reasons, we affirm trial court’s ruling.
[11] Affirmed.
May, J., and Mathias, J., concur.
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