Kennedy Butler v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
this Memorandum Decision shall not be FILED
regarded as precedent or cited before any Dec 20 2016, 5:59 am
court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK
the defense of res judicata, collateral Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
estoppel, or the law of the case. and Tax Court
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Yvette M. LaPlante Gregory F. Zoeller
Keating & LaPlante, LLP Attorney General
Evansville, Indiana Jesse R. Drum
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Kennedy Butler, December 20, 2016
Appellant-Petitioner, Court of Appeals Case No.
82A01-1512-PC-2269
v. Appeal from the Vanderburgh
Circuit Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable Kelli E. Fink,
Appellee-Respondent. Magistrate
Trial Court Cause No.
82C01-1504-PC-2156
Brown, Judge.
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[1] Kennedy Butler appeals the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief.
Butler raises one issue which we revise and restate as whether he was denied
the effective assistance of trial counsel. We affirm.
Facts and Procedural History
[2] The relevant facts as discussed in Butler’s direct appeal follow:
E.D. is a twenty-eight-year-old woman with an I.Q. between fifty
and fifty-eight. She was diagnosed with mild to moderate mental
retardation in preschool, was taught functional life skills in her
school’s special education program, and reads below a second
grade level. She works at Long John Silver’s clearing tables,
taking out the trash, filling the condiments stand, and taking
orders to the tables. Butler also worked at Long John Silver’s
and lived a few houses down the street from E.D., who lived
with her parents.
On July 11, 2008, E.D. returned home from work and ate lunch
in her backyard. Butler stopped to talk to E.D., who invited
Butler inside her home to look at her doll collection, which was
in her bedroom. Butler told E.D. to take off her clothes and lie
face down on her bed. Butler then “put his privates in her behind
and made it hurt and bleed,” and E.D. told Butler that it was
“bad” and she tried to kick him. Tr. p. 627. E.D. told Butler that
she did not want to have sex with him, saying, “[g]o away, get
up,” and “[g]et off me,” but Butler did not comply. Id. at 291.
Eventually, E.D.’s father returned home, Butler left, and E.D.
later told her mother what had happened. E.D. was taken to the
hospital, where a doctor and nurse performed an examination
that revealed a vaginal abrasion and tear that had caused E.D. to
bleed.
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Butler v. State, No. 82A05-0908-CR-481, slip op. at 2-3 (Ind. Ct. App. June 4,
2010), trans. denied.
[3] On July 25, 2008, the State charged Butler with rape and criminal deviate
conduct as class B felonies. Id. at 3. On March 4, 2009, the State added an
habitual offender enhancement. Id.
[4] At the jury trial, Butler’s counsel submitted the following proposed instruction:
In order to prove the defendant guilty as charged in Counts 1 and
2 the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Kennedy
Butler knew that [E.D.] was so mentally disabled or deficient that
she could not consent to either sexual intercourse or deviate
conduct. The defendant has no burden to disprove this element
and the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is with the
State at all times.
Trial Transcript at 855. The court refused that instruction based on the belief
that it was covered in other instructions. The trial court instructed the jury in
part that “[b]efore you may convict [Butler], the State must have proved each of
the following beyond a reasonable doubt . . . [E.D.] was so mentally disabled or
deficient that consent to sexual intercourse could not be given.” Id. at 832.
During closing argument, Butler’s trial counsel argued that E.D. was
competent.
[5] The jury found Butler guilty of rape as a class B felony and not guilty of
criminal deviate conduct as a class B felony. Butler, slip op. at 3. Butler later
admitted to being an habitual offender. Id. The court sentenced Butler to
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fifteen years for the rape conviction and enhanced the sentence by twenty-five
years for being an habitual offender for an aggregate sentence of forty years. Id.
[6] On direct appeal, Butler argued that the evidence was insufficient to support his
conviction for rape because the State failed to establish that E.D. was so
mentally disabled that she was unable to consent and, even if she was unable of
consenting, that he was aware of that fact. Id. at 4. This court held that
“[c]apacity to consent ‘presupposes an intelligence capable of understanding the
act [of sexual intercourse], its nature, and possible consequences.’” Id. (quoting
Stafford v. State, 455 N.E.2d 402, 406 (Ind. Ct. App. 1983)). The record revealed
that E.D. had an I.Q. of fifty to fifty-eight, which is considered mild to
moderate mental retardation, that she reads below a second grade level, has a
childlike vocabulary, and lived with her parents. Id. at 4-5. We observed that
E.D. was able to work outside the home, but her employment was limited to
clearing tables, taking out the trash, filling the condiments stand, and taking
food out to the tables. Id. at 5. We held that the evidence was sufficient to
support the State’s contention that E.D. was mentally disabled to an extent that
she was incapable of understanding the act of sexual intercourse, its nature, and
possible consequences. Id. We also held that it was reasonable for the jury to
infer that Butler was aware of E.D.’s significant mental disability and that
Butler’s arguments to the contrary were a request to reweigh the evidence and
assess witness credibility, which we may not do. Id. at 6.
[7] On December 6, 2010, Butler filed a pro se petition for post-conviction relief.
On April 29, 2015, Butler, by counsel, filed an amended petition for post-
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conviction relief alleging in part that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing
to instruct the jury regarding when an adult with a disability has the capacity to
consent to sexual intercourse.
[8] On September 18, 2015, the post-conviction court held a hearing. Butler’s trial
counsel testified that he did not recall tendering a jury instruction regarding a
victim’s competency to consent. When asked if he did not do so for any
strategic purpose, trial counsel answered: “I don’t know if I would stay [sic]
[s]trategic purpose no, my understanding of the law at the time was that the
alleged victim was not capable of legally consenting so based upon my research
at the time I didn’t see a need to tender that instruction.” Post-Conviction
Transcript at 8-9. On cross-examination, trial counsel testified that the case was
seven years ago and he did not exactly remember the defense. On redirect
examination, Butler’s post-conviction counsel referred to a case adopting a
standard that said the capacity to consent “presupposes an intelligence capable
of understanding the act as nature and possible consequences” and asked if trial
counsel relied on that case. Trial counsel stated that he would not have relied
on that case because he did not believe that there was any evidence to support
that E.D. was operating at a functional level. Id. at 12.
[9] On December 4, 2015, the court denied Butler’s petition. In part, the court’s
order states:
FINDINGS OF FACT
*****
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13. . . . [Butler’s trial counsel] testified that neither he nor [co-
counsel] tendered a jury instruction regarding the victim’s ability
to consent to sexual activity although they did research the issue
prior to trial. Based upon their research and the evidence,
including a psychological evaluation of the victim, [trial counsel]
believed that the victim was not functioning even close to a
me[n]tal maturity level at which she would have had the capacity
to consent to sexual activity at the time of the offense. Therefore,
[trial counsel] did not see a need to submit a proposed jury
instruction regarding a disabled person’s ability to consent to
sexual activity.
*****
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
*****
7. Though [trial counsel] did not characterize his decision as part
of any strategy, his decision not to request a jury instruction
regarding victim’s capacity was a reasonable strategic decision.
His testimony indicated that there was no evidence whatsoever
that the disabled victim in this case had the capacity to make
decisions regarding sexual activity. In fact, the evidence
regarding this fact conflicted with a defense of consent. It is well-
established the ineffective assistance of counsel claims cannot
success [sic] based upon counsel’s strategic decisions, unless the
strategy is so deficient or unreasonable as to fall outside the
objective standard of reasonableness. Autr[e]y v. State, 700
N.E.2d 1140, 1141 (Ind. 1998). The Court, therefore, does not
find that [trial counsel’s] representation fell below the objective
standard of reasonableness.
8. Moreover, [Butler] has failed to present any evidence that he
was prejudiced by his attorney’s failure to submit the proposed
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instruction regarding capacity to consent. To the contrary, the
testimony of [trial counsel] seems to indicate that had such a jury
instruction been given, the jury would have had nothing but
evidence that the victim did not have the capacity to consent to
sexual activity at the time of the offense, thereby undermining the
defense’s position. Consequently, without any evidence of
prejudice, the Court cannot find that [Butler] received ineffective
assistance of counsel as to his first allegation.
Appellant’s Appendix at 185-190.
Discussion
[10] Before discussing Butler’s allegations of error, we note the general standard
under which we review a post-conviction court’s denial of a petition for post-
conviction relief. The petitioner in a post-conviction proceeding bears the
burden of establishing grounds for relief by a preponderance of the evidence.
Fisher v. State, 810 N.E.2d 674, 679 (Ind. 2004); Ind. Post-Conviction Rule 1(5).
When appealing from the denial of post-conviction relief, the petitioner stands
in the position of one appealing from a negative judgment. Fisher, 810 N.E.2d
at 679. On review, we will not reverse the judgment unless the evidence as a
whole unerringly and unmistakably leads to a conclusion opposite that reached
by the post-conviction court. Id. Further, the post-conviction court in this case
entered findings of fact and conclusions thereon in accordance with Indiana
Post-Conviction Rule 1(6). “A post-conviction court’s findings and judgment
will be reversed only upon a showing of clear error – that which leaves us with
a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made.” Id. In this
review, we accept findings of fact unless clearly erroneous, but we accord no
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deference to conclusions of law. Id. The post-conviction court is the sole judge
of the weight of the evidence and the credibility of witnesses. Id.
[11] The issue is whether Butler was denied the effective assistance of trial counsel.
He argues that his trial counsel’s failure to tender a jury instruction on the
standard regarding the ability of an individual with diminished mental capacity
to consent, left the jury without guidance on the only disputed element of the
crime. He cites Stafford v. State, 455 N.E.2d 402 (Ind. Ct. App. 1983), for the
idea that the court adopted a standard of consent for a mentally incapacitated
individual. Butler does not appear to specifically assert what instruction his
trial counsel should have tendered, but argues that “[t]he standard, as adopted
in Indiana, is whether or not the victim is capable of this type of understanding –
not whether or not the victim has such an understanding at the time of the act.”
Appellant’s Brief at 11. He points to the following trial testimony of Dr.
Rebecca Luzio during direct examination:
Q Okay. During your evaluation, did you, knowing what the
allegations were in this case, did you discuss at all with [E.D.]
about the consequences of sexual activity?
A I didn’t.
Q Do you have an opinion as to whether she understood . . .
would understand this?
A Uh, I think she might now, she’s probably been told, I’m not
sure. But I think . . . I did not get that sense at that time.
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Trial Transcript at 438. He also points to the testimony of E.D.’s mother in
which she stated that she had talked with E.D. about sex, that it was not “real
detailed,” that it is “where babies come from and mommies and daddies are
married and they have children, it’s something that happens when you’re
married,” and “that was a way for her . . . to understand it.” Id. at 356. Butler
points out that the jury asked E.D.’s mother if she explained the act of sexual
intercourse to E.D., and Mother answered “as far as the actual act, no I . . . I
don’t think I’ve ever explained the actual act to her, just the concept.” Id. at
404-405. He asserts that given the testimony of Dr. Luzio that E.D. might now
understand and the testimony of E.D.’s mother, it is possible that the jury
would have found that E.D. had the ability to understand sexual activity, which
is what is required by Stafford.
[12] The State argues that Butler cannot show that the trial court would have been
compelled to give an instruction based upon Stafford and points out that the
Stafford court’s interpretation was part of a sufficiency analysis. The State
contends that Butler’s trial counsel knew that the trial court likely would have
rejected such an instruction because it rejected a similar instruction that he
proposed. It asserts that Butler cannot demonstrate that an instruction based
upon Stafford would have made a difference and points to this court’s holding
that the evidence was sufficient. The State also points to the record and asserts
that the jury would have convicted Butler even with an instruction based upon
Stafford.
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[13] Generally, to prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a petitioner
must demonstrate both that his counsel’s performance was deficient and that
the petitioner was prejudiced by the deficient performance. French v. State, 778
N.E.2d 816, 824 (Ind. 2002) (citing Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104
S. Ct. 2052 (1984), reh’g denied). A counsel’s performance is deficient if it falls
below an objective standard of reasonableness based on prevailing professional
norms. Id. To meet the appropriate test for prejudice, the petitioner must show
that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional
errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. Id. A reasonable
probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.
Perez v. State, 748 N.E.2d 853, 854 (Ind. 2001). “[L]ogic dictates that ‘a verdict
or conclusion only weakly supported by the record is more likely to have been
affected by errors than one with overwhelming record support.’” Hilliard v.
State, 609 N.E.2d 1167, 1169-1170 (Ind. Ct. App. 1993) (quoting Strickland, 466
U.S. at 696, 104 S. Ct. at 2069)). Failure to satisfy either prong will cause the
claim to fail. French, 778 N.E.2d at 824. Most ineffective assistance of counsel
claims can be resolved by a prejudice inquiry alone. Id.
[14] When considering a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a “strong
presumption arises that counsel rendered adequate assistance and made all
significant decisions in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment.”
Morgan v. State, 755 N.E.2d 1070, 1072 (Ind. 2001). “[C]ounsel’s performance
is presumed effective, and a defendant must offer strong and convincing
evidence to overcome this presumption.” Williams v. State, 771 N.E.2d 70, 73
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(Ind. 2002). Evidence of isolated poor strategy, inexperience, or bad tactics will
not support a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. Clark v. State, 668
N.E.2d 1206, 1211 (Ind. 1996), reh’g denied, cert. denied, 520 U.S. 1171, 117 S.
Ct. 1438 (1997). “Reasonable strategy is not subject to judicial second
guesses.” Burr v. State, 492 N.E.2d 306, 309 (Ind. 1986). We “will not lightly
speculate as to what may or may not have been an advantageous trial strategy
as counsel should be given deference in choosing a trial strategy which, at the
time and under the circumstances, seems best.” Whitener v. State, 696 N.E.2d
40, 42 (Ind. 1998).
[15] At the time of the offense, Ind. Code § 35-42-4-1(a)(3) provided: “Except as
provided in subsection (b), a person who knowingly or intentionally has sexual
intercourse with a member of the opposite sex when. . . the other person is so
mentally disabled or deficient that consent to sexual intercourse cannot be given
. . . commits rape, a Class B felony.” 1
[16] In Stafford, we addressed the defendant’s argument that the evidence was
insufficient to support his conviction of rape because the State failed to prove
that the victim was incapable of giving consent. 455 N.E.2d at 405. The court
examined cases from Illinois and held that “[a]dopting the standard that
capacity to consent presupposes an intelligence capable of understanding the
act, its nature, and possible consequences and coupling it with our standard of
1
Subsequently amended by Pub. L. No. 158-2013, § 437 (eff. July 1, 2014); Pub. L. No. 214-2013, § 36 (eff.
July 1, 2014); Pub. L. No. 168-2014, § 67 (eff. July 1, 2014).
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review, there is sufficient evidence” that the victim was incapable of giving
consent to sexual intercourse. Id. at 406.
[17] To the extent Butler relies upon Stafford, we note that the Indiana Supreme
Court has held that “the ‘mere fact that certain language or expression [is] used
in the opinions of this Court to reach its final conclusion does not make it
proper language for instructions to a jury.’” Keller v. State, 47 N.E.3d 1205,
1209 (Ind. 2016) (quoting Ludy v. State, 784 N.E.2d 459, 462 (Ind. 2003)), reh’g
denied. The Court also held that “[a]ppellate review of the sufficiency of the
evidence . . . will ‘rarely, if ever,’ be an appropriate basis for a jury instruction,
because the determination is fundamentally different.” Id. (quoting Garfield v.
State, 74 Ind. 60, 64 (1881)).
[18] We also observe that Butler’s trial counsel testified that his “understanding of
the law at the time was that the alleged victim was not capable of legally
consenting so based upon my research at the time I didn’t see a need to tender
that instruction.” Post-Conviction Transcript at 8-9. Further, his trial counsel
argued that E.D. was competent during closing argument. Specifically, he
stated that “this is a consent case,” pointed out that E.D. rides a city bus five
days a week by herself, holds a job, and goes to work five days a week. Trial
Transcript at 783. He pointed to the testimony of E.D.’s father that E.D. would
understand sexual conduct. Trial counsel asserted that E.D. was competent
and was able to testify, understand the nature of the oath, and think for herself.
Trial counsel also tendered a jury instruction which stated in part: “In order to
prove the defendant guilty as charged in Counts 1 and 2 the State must prove
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beyond a reasonable doubt that Kennedy Butler knew that [E.D.] was so
mentally disabled or deficient that she could not consent to either sexual
intercourse or deviate conduct.” Id. at 855.
[19] The court refused that instruction based on the belief that “it was covered by the
elements that are covered in Instruction No. 2 and No. 3, and also the
definitions of intentionally and knowingly in Court’s Instruction No. 4
particularly the last sentence in Court’s Instruction No. 4.” Id. at 796-797.
Preliminary Instruction No. 3 informed the jury:
In Count I, the statute defining the offense of Rape, a Class B
felony, which was in force at the time of the offense charged,
reads in part as follows: A person who knowingly or intentionally
has sexual intercourse with a member of the opposite sex when
the other person is so mentally disabled or deficient that consent
to sexual intercourse cannot be given commits Rape, a Class B
felony.
Id. at 815. Final Instruction No. 2 also informed the jury of the elements of the
offense and stated:
Before you may convict the Defendant, the State must have
proved each of the following beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. The Defendant, Kennedy Butler
2. knowingly or intentionally
3. had sexual intercourse with [E.D.] when
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4. [E.D.] was so mentally disabled or deficient that consent to
sexual intercourse could not be given.
If the State failed to prove each of these elements beyond a
reasonable doubt, you should find Defendant not guilty of Rape,
a Class B felony, as charged in Count 1.
Id. at 832.
[20] Under the circumstances, we cannot say that the evidence as a whole unerringly
and unmistakably leads to a conclusion opposite that reached by the post-
conviction court or that Butler has demonstrated ineffective assistance. See
Merrill v. State, 716 N.E.2d 902, 906 (Ind. 1999) (holding that the defendant’s
trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to tender an alibi instruction because
the instruction was unlikely to change the outcome of the trial where the “jury
heard his alibi defense and if it had believed him, could have returned a verdict
in his favor” and the “jury also heard Merrill’s alibi witness deny being in the
restroom with him”).
Conclusion
[21] For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the post-conviction court’s denial of
Butler’s petition for post-conviction relief.
[22] Affirmed.
Baker, J., and May, J., concur.
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