Michael Grubbs v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) , 121 N.E.3d 131 ( 2019 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
this Memorandum Decision shall not be
FILED
regarded as precedent or cited before any Jan 15 2019, 9:18 am
court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK
Indiana Supreme Court
the defense of res judicata, collateral Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
estoppel, or the law of the case.
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
R. Patrick Magrath Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Alcorn Sage Schwartz & Magrath, LLP Attorney General of Indiana
Madison, Indiana
Caroline G. Templeton
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Michael Grubbs, January 15, 2019
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
18A-CR-2062
v. Appeal from the Dearborn
Superior Court
State of Indiana, The Hon. Jonathan Cleary, Judge
Appellee-Plaintiff. Trial Court Cause No.
15D01-1802-CM-74
Bradford, Judge.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 18A-CR-2062 | January 15, 2019 Page 1 of 4
Case Summary
[1] In April of 2018, Grubbs pled guilty to invasion of privacy, and the trial court
imposed a 365-day sentence, all suspended to probation. On August 1, 2018,
after Grubbs admitted that he had violated the terms of his probation, the trial
court ordered that he execute ninety days of his previously-suspended sentence.
Grubbs challenges the trial court’s order that he serve ninety days of his
previously-suspended sentence. Because Grubbs’s appeal is moot, we dismiss.
Facts and Procedural History
[2] On February 5, 2018, the State charged Grubbs with Class A misdemeanor
invasion of privacy. On April 17, 2018, Grubbs pled guilty as charged and was
sentenced to 365 days of incarceration, all suspended to probation. Among the
terms of Grubbs’s probation was that he not commit any crimes. On July 30,
2018, the State alleged that Grubbs had violated the terms of his probation by
committing Class B misdemeanor criminal mischief and Class B misdemeanor
public intoxication the week before. At the initial hearing on July 31, 2018,
Grubbs admitted the allegations. On August 1, 2018, the trial court ordered
Grubbs to execute ninety days of his previously-suspended sentence. Grubbs
filed his corrected appellant’s brief on November 13, 2018, 104 days later.
Discussion and Decision
[3] “Probation is a matter of grace left to trial court discretion, not a right to which
a criminal defendant is entitled.” Prewitt v. State, 878 N.E.2d 184, 188 (Ind.
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2007) (citing Sanders v. State, 825 N.E.2d 952, 955 (Ind. Ct. App. 2005)). Once
a trial court has exercised grace in ordering probation rather than incarceration,
the trial court should have considerable leeway in deciding how to proceed. Id.
After the trial court determines that the probationer has violated the terms of
probation, the trial court then determines the sanction for the violation. Pierce v.
State, 44 N.E.3d 752, 755 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015). A trial court’s sanction
decisions are reviewed for abuse of discretion, which occurs where the decision
is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances. Prewitt, 878
N.E.2d at 188. Although Grubbs does not deny that he violated the terms of
his probation, he argues that the trial court abused its discretion in ordering him
to serve ninety days of his previously-suspended sentence.
[4] The State maintains that Grubbs’s appeal is moot as he has already served the
ninety-day revoked portion of his previously-suspended sentence. By the time
Grubbs filed his corrected brief on November 13, 2018, he had already served
the ninety days imposed by the trial court, even if we assume that he earned no
credit time against the term. “The long-standing rule in Indiana courts has been
that a case is deemed moot when no effective relief can be rendered to the
parties before the court.” Mosley v. State, 908 N.E.2d 599, 603 (Ind. 2009). As
we have noted,
An issue is deemed moot when it is no longer “live” or when the
parties lack a legally cognizable interest in the outcome of its
resolution. See In re Utley, 565 N.E.2d 1152, 1154 (Ind. Ct. App.
1991). Accordingly, where the principal questions at issue cease
to be of real controversy between the parties, the “‘errors
assigned become moot questions and this court will not retain
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jurisdiction to decide them.’” Id. (quoting Bartholomew County
Hospital v. Ryan, 440 N.E.2d 754, 757 (Ind. Ct. App. 1982)).
Stated differently, when we are unable to provide effective relief
upon an issue, the issue is deemed moot, and we will not reverse
the trial court’s determination “where absolutely no change in
the status quo will result.” In re Utley, 565 N.E.2d at 1154
(quotations omitted).
Jones v. State, 847 N.E.2d 190, 200 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006), trans. denied. Grubbs
admitted his violation of probation and argues only that revoking ninety days of
his previously-suspended sentence was an abuse of discretion. That term has
already been served. We are therefore unable to grant the relief Grubbs seeks
because even a decision in his favor would result in no change in the status quo.
We agree with the State that Grubbs’s claim is moot.1
[5] The appeal is dismissed.
Bailey, J., and Brown, J., concur.
1
We recognize that Indiana courts have long recognized public-interest exception to the general rule. Jones, 847
N.E.2d at 200. “A public interest exception may be invoked upon the confluence of three elements: (1) the issue
involves a question of great public importance; (2) the factual situation precipitating the issue is likely to recur;
and (3) the issue arises in a context which will continue to evade review.” Id. While it is true that probation
revocations occur with great frequency, Grubbs does not argue, much less establish, that his claim is of great
public interest or arises in a context likely to evade review.
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