FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE:
GREGORY BOWES KAREN M. FREEMAN-WILSON
Indianapolis, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
J. T. WHITEHEAD
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
WAYNE CURRY, )
)
Appellant-Defendant, )
)
vs. ) No. 49A02-9910-CR-732
)
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellee-Plaintiff.
)
APPEAL FROM THE MARION SUPERIOR COURT
The Honorable Cale Bradford, Judge
Cause No. 49G03-9810-CF-169246
December 28, 2000
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
MATTINGLY, Judge
Wayne Curry appeals his convictions after trial by jury of criminal deviate conduct,
See footnote
attempted rape,See footnote and burglary,See footnote each as Class A felonies, and battery,See footnote as a
Class C felony. He raises three issues for our review we restate
as:
1. Whether Currys convictions violate the Indiana constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy;
2. Whether the trial court erred in its instruction on reasonable doubt; and
3. Whether the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support the jurys verdict.
We affirm in part and reverse and remand in part.
(R. at 119.) This instruction is a correct statement of law,
Madden
v. State, 549 N.E.2d 1030 (Ind. 1990), and Curry acknowledges as much.
(Br. of Appellant at 12.) Curry, however, posits the evidence did not
support the use of this instruction and its use unfairly highlighted and vouched
for the testimony of the victim. (Id.) We disagree.
When considering whether the evidence supports an instruction, we examine the jury instructions
as a whole and in reference to each other. An error in
a single instruction will not require reversal unless the entire charge misleads the
jury as to the law in the case. Edgecomb, 673 N.E.2d at
1186. In this case, the fact that the victims testimony was corroborated
by Currys admissions and other physical evidence does not make the instruction erroneous.
The jury was instructed how to use witness testimony, including the victims,
and that it could not convict absent evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.
We find no error.
3. Sufficiency of the Evidence
When reviewing the sufficiency of evidence presented to support conviction, we neither reweigh
the evidence nor judge the credibility of the witnesses. Perry v. State,
638 N.E.2d 1236, 1242 (Ind. 1994); Byrd v. State, 707 N.E.2d 308, 312
(Ind. Ct. App. 1999). Rather, we look to the evidence that supports
the verdict and all reasonable inferences which can be drawn therefrom. Taylor
v. State, 681 N.E.2d 1105, 1110 (Ind. 1997); Chissell v. State, 705 N.E.2d
501, 505 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999), trans. denied, 714 N.E.2d 170 (Ind. 1999).
We will affirm a conviction if there is probative evidence from which
a reasonable jury could find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Taylor, 681 N.E.2d at 1110.
Curry does not dispute there was overwhelming evidence that Ms. Pounders suffered a
horrifying attack, (Br. of Appellant at 17), and challenges only the sufficiency of
evidence linking him to the crimes. There was ample evidence to support
the finding he was the attacker.
Evidence that Curry was the attacker came from three sourcesphysical evidence, admissions, and
victim identification. Currys fingerprints were found on the sliding glass door to
the victims apartment, thereby placing him at the scene of the crime.
He attempted to explain this to the investigating detective. During his questioning,
the investigating detective informed Curry of his intention to match Currys DNA and
fingerprints with any found at the crime scene. The detective asked Curry
if he wanted to tell him anything before they took blood, hair, and
saliva samples from him. The detective also asked Do you think theyre
going to believe that you dont know how your fingerprints and your DNA
got in that apartment? (R. at 324.) To this, Curry responded
I know exactly how my fingerprints got in that apartment . . .
. [b]ecause I was welcomed into the home. (Id.)
Curry went on to admit having consensual intercourse with the victim.
See footnote He
stated Yeah, I had sex with her, but not forcefully. (
Id.)
When asked if they had anal sex, he told the detective Yeah, she
told me shed like that. (Id. at 329.) When asked about
whether she liked rough sex, Curry responded The way she acted, she did
cause shes weird. (Id.)
Beyond the fingerprints on the door of the victims apartment and Currys admissions,
the victim was able to give a general description of her assailant.
While the description was somewhat vague and she admitted to not being able
to identify Curry as her assailant, her general description was not inconsistent with
Currys appearanceincluding a tattoo on his forearm. This description in connection with
the physical evidence and admissions provides sufficient evidence to permit the jury to
have concluded Curry was the attacker.
DARDEN, Judge, concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I fully concur with the majority as to Issues II and III of
the opinion. However, as to Issue I, I would respectfully affirm in
part, dissent in part and, accordingly, remand to the trial court.
Referring to Issue I and as to Count I of the charging information,
I fully concur with the majority to affirm Currys conviction for the crime
of attempted rape as a class A felony. As to Count II
of the charging information, I would also concur with the majority to reduce
Curry's conviction for criminal deviate conduct to a class B felony. As
to Count III of the information, I would dissent with the majority which
ruled to reduce Currys conviction for burglary as a class A felony to
burglary as a class B felony;
(R. 17273).
I passed out and when I woke up, I was getting pushed off
of my bed onto the other side of the floor. . . .
The person had laid me on my stomach on the other side
of the bed that I was laying on when I was sleeping and
he had me pinned - - I dont know how - - he
had me pinned where I couldn't see anything. My hair was flipped
to my face where I couldn't see anything. And he pulled my
shorts down to my knees or to my ankles, I don't remember how
far, and he had started to rape me anally. . . .
(R. 174).
He had tried to go into my vagina [the attempted rape], but it
didn't go in. And he had gone into my anus and he
was in there for a little bit [the criminal deviate sexual conduct], I
don't know how long it was, and he had stopped and he had
gone back into my vagina for a couple of times [attempted rape], and
then he went out.
(R. 175) (emphasis added).
Additional state's evidence was presented by Suzanne Young, a nurse practitioner, who treated
Pounders shortly after the attack and testified to the following:
Question: Okay. And did she give you details of the actual
sexual assault?
Young: She stated that there was vaginal penetration and that there was
anal penetration.
Question: Okay. And did she say whether or not either of
those caused her any pain or any discomfort?
Young: Well, the vaginal, as I recall, was brief. She didn't
think that there was ejaculation in the vagina. The anal penetration was
painful.
Question: And after she gave you the details of the assault, then
did you actually move her into the examining room to actually perform the
examination?
Young: Yes.
(R. 364).
Question: And the results of your examination as far as the pelvic
examination, what were those?
Young: The pelvic examination, abdominally she was normal. She was a
little tender, but it didn't appear that there was any internal damage.
Externally, she had about an eight millimeter hematoma, which is a little blood-filled
soft tissue area, by the anus, which I don't know if I'm
supposed to say that which would be consistent with blunt force trauma
to that area.
Question: Okay. And any other injuries that you noted in her
pelvic examination?
Young: The only other interesting finding was that there was fecal debris
not only around the anus, but up into the lower area of the
vagina.
(R. 366-67).
I believe that the actual evidence test as outlined in Richardson v. State,
717 N.E.2d 32 (Ind. 1999) provides us with all the guidance needed to
resolve this case. When considering a double jeopardy claim under the "actual
evidence test," "the actual evidence presented at trial is examined to determine whether
each challenged offense was established by separate and distinct facts." Id. at
52. The two challenged offense are the "same offense" when the defendant
shows "a reasonable possibility that the evidentiary facts used by the fact-finder to
establish the essential elements of one offense may also have been used to
establish the essential elements of a second challenged offense." Id. at 53.
On the other hand, Curry's convictions for attempted rape, as a class A
felony, and criminal deviate conduct, as a class A felony, do not violate
Indiana's double jeopardy clause. The actual evidence presented at trial establishes each
offense by separate and distinct facts. For example, the essential elements of
attempted rape as charged are as follows: (1) Curry; (2) knowingly or intentionally;
(3) while using deadly force;
See footnote (4) took a substantial step toward having sexual
intercourse with Pounders; (5) when Pounders was compelled to submit by force or
imminent threat of force.
Ind. Code § 35-41-5-1; 35-35-42-4-1. The essential
elements of criminal deviate conduct as charged are: (1) Curry; (2) knowingly or
intentionally; (3) while using deadly force; (4) caused Pounders to perform or submit
to deviate sexual conduct; (5) when Pounders was compelled by such force or
imminent threat of such force. Ind. Code § 35-42-4-2.
These offenses are distinguished by the elements requiring "sexual intercourse" and "deviate sexual
conduct." "'Sexual intercourse' means an act that includes any penetration of the
female sex organ by the male sex organ." Ind. Code § 35-41-1-26.
"'Deviate sexual conduct' means an act involving: (1) a sex organ of
one person and the mouth or anus of another person; . . .
." Ind. Code § 35-41-1-9. The statutes show that attempted rape
cannot occur without taking a substantial step towards penetration of the female sex
organ by the male sex organ, and criminal deviate conduct cannot occur without
the performance of an act involving a sex organ and another's mouth or
anus. See Riggs v. State, 508 N.E.2d 1271 (Ind. 1987) ("A defendant
may be charged with multiple acts of rape and deviate sexual conduct committed
upon the same victim when each act requires proof of a specific fact
which the others do not.") Pounders testified that Curry attempted both anal
and vaginal penetration. However, anal penetration is not "sexual intercourse" under Indiana's
rape statute, and vaginal penetration is not "deviate sexual conduct" under the criminal
deviate conduct statute. Therefore, other than the use of deadly force, no
reasonable possibility exists that the same evidentiary facts used by the jury to
establish the essential elements of attempted rape could also have been used to
establish the essential elements of criminal deviate conduct. Therefore, Curry's conviction for
attempted rape as a class A felony should be affirmed and a conviction
for criminal deviate sexual conduct as a class B felony should be imposed.
There is no evidence or serious dispute that the objective of Curry breaking
and entering was to commit the sexual attack on Pounders. In Count
III of the information, the state charged Curry with committing burglary as a
class A felony due to Pounders sustaining bodily injury.
See footnote I recognize that
the basis for the enhancement of the burglary charge to a class A
felony was based on Curry's infliction of bodily injury and that the enhancements
for attempted rape and criminal deviate conduct were based upon Curry's use of
deadly force. However, the actual evidence in this case shows that all
the enhancements are based upon the same injurious consequence: the choking of Pounders
causing bruising and momentary unconsciousness during the tussle.
I am further puzzled that Curry could commit such a brutal attack upon
Pounders by the use of deadly force, which created a substantial risk of
serious bodily injury, without also having committed bodily injury. All the injuries
sustained by Pounders occurred during the struggle on the bed There
is no evidence of a separate and distinct battery resulting in injury.
In essence, and pursuant to
Richardson and the application of the "actual evidence
test," I believe that the "bodily injury" sustained by Pounders was subsumed into
or is a lesser included injury resulting from the same injury inflicted by
Curry's use of "deadly force." Russell v. State, 711 N.E.2d 545 (Ind.
Ct. App. 1999). Because the enhancement of the crime of burglary to
a class A felony was based upon the same injurious consequences that caused
the enhancement of the crimes of attempted rape as a class A felony
and criminal deviate sexual conduct as a class A felony, I would vacate
Curry's conviction for burglary. There is a reasonable possibility that the same
evidentiary facts used by the fact finder to establish the essential elements of
the crimes of attempted rape and criminal deviate sexual conduct, both enhanced to
class A felonies, may also have been used to establish the essential elements
of another challenged offense, i.e., burglary, as a class A felony. Curry
was subject to multiple convictions based upon the same injurious behavior as outlined
and charged in Counts I, II and III of the information. See
also, Campbell v. State, 622 N.E.2d 495 (Ind. 1993).
Finally, based upon the facts in this case, I further believe that Curry's
conviction for battery as a class C felony as charged in Count IV
of the information should be vacated. To convict Curry of battery as
a class C felony, the state was required to prove the following:
(1) Curry; (2) knowingly or intentionally; (3) touched Pounders in a rude, insolvent
or angry manner; (4) which resulted in serious bodily injury
See footnote to Pounders.
Ind. Code § 35-42-2-1.
It is undisputed that Pounders received, by the use of deadly force, multiple
injuries to her neck, knees, eyes, ears, and sustained bruising during the attack.
Smith v. State, 455 N.E.2d 606 (Ind. 1983). However, I am
unable to ascertain where in the record the evidence supports more than a
single episode of brutality to accomplish the sexual assault upon Pounders. After
Pounders was choked and passed out momentarily, she was pinned to the floor
and sexually assaulted. There is no evidence of a separate and distinct
battery after Pounders regained consciousness. It is obvious to me that the
same evidence used in support of the battery causing serious bodily injury is
the same deadly force evidence that was used to enhance the charges of
burglary, attempted rape, and criminal deviate conduct, all to class A felonies.
The actual evidence in this case also demonstrated that there was a reasonable
possibility that the evidentiary facts used by the jury to establish the essential
elements of battery were also used to establish the essential elements of the
enhanced charges for burglary, attempted rape, and criminal deviate conduct, all as class
A felonies. Therefore, the battery conviction should be vacated.