Translate
Text Highlighter

Bookmark

PDF

Share

Report a problem
AMICUS AI
Citation Codes
Equivalent Citations
citation codes
Docket Number
Attorney(S)
Judges
Are you a practicing lawyer?
Enhance your digital presence and reach by creating a Casemine profile.
Upload pleading to use the new AI search
Cites
Cited by
Citation Codes
Equivalent Citations
citation codes
Docket Number
Attorney(S)
Judges
Smart Summary

Summary of Opinion: Theodore W.E. Hammer v. State of Indiana, No. 975S228 (Sep. 15, 1976)

Factual and Procedural Background

Appellant Theodore W.E. Hammer was charged in Vanderburgh Superior Court with armed robbery, Ind. Code § 35-13-4-6 (Burns 1975), and kidnapping, Ind. Code § 35-1-55-1 (Burns 1975). Following a jury trial, he was found guilty of both offenses and sentenced to ten years for armed robbery and to life imprisonment for kidnapping. His motion to correct errors was overruled, and he filed a timely appeal.

The evidence at trial showed that appellant, whom the victim had seen and spoken to on three prior occasions, robbed a service station attendant using a shotgun and a knife and threatened the attendant. After the robbery, appellant kept the shotgun on the attendant, told him to close up and drive appellant where he wanted to go. During a roughly twenty-minute ride, appellant poked the attendant in the ribs with the barrel of the gun. The attendant released appellant in a remote area, waited thirty minutes, then drove home, and was able to identify a photograph of appellant about a week after the crime.

Prior to trial, appellant petitioned to be treated as a drug abuser under Ind. Code § 16-13-6.1-16 (Burns 1976 Supp.), asserting he met all statutory qualifications except that the charged offenses were treated as "crimes of violence" under the statute; the petition asserted that the statute's violent-crime exception violated equal protection.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether Ind. Code § 16-13-6.1-16's exception denying election of treatment to persons charged with violent crimes violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Art. 1, § 23 of the Indiana Constitution.
  2. Whether the trial court erred in giving, sua sponte, an instruction that included the sentence suggesting non-enforcement "breeds contempt for the law" and which referred to "classes," such that the instruction was unconstitutional or reversible error.
  3. Whether it was error to submit to the jury a verdict form for armed robbery that allowed the jury to assess punishment within the statutory range (ten to thirty years) without the benefit of a pre-sentence report.
  4. Whether the trial court erred in refusing appellant's proposed instructions that doubts raised by conflicting evidence or evidence susceptible to two reasonable interpretations should be resolved in favor of the defendant.
  5. Whether the trial court erred in refusing to give instructions that certain offenses (assault, assault and battery, and assault and battery with intent to commit a felony) are lesser included offenses of kidnapping.

Arguments of the Parties

Appellant's Arguments

  • The violent-crime exception in Ind. Code § 16-13-6.1-16 denies equal protection because drug addiction is an illness and those committing violent crimes while under the influence are likely more addicted and thus especially in need of treatment; excluding them is irrational.
  • The court's instruction referencing "class" (and implying those charged are a class to be restrained) is repugnant to constitutional principles and was reversible error.
  • The jury should not have been permitted to assess sentence within the statutory range for armed robbery without first considering a pre-sentence report.
  • The trial court should have given instructions directing the jury to resolve conflicting evidence or alternative reasonable interpretations in favor of the defendant.
  • The trial court should have instructed on lesser included offenses of kidnapping: assault; assault and battery; and assault and battery with intent to commit a felony.
  • Pretrial, appellant specifically petitioned to be treated as a drug abuser and argued he met statutory qualifications except for the "crime of violence" exclusion and that equal protection required eligibility.

State's Position

  • The opinion states that the State had no opportunity at trial to present evidence defending the constitutionality of the statute; no detailed affirmative arguments by the State appear in the opinion.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
Hardin v. State, (1970) 254 Ind. 56, 257 N.E.2d 671 Where an issue cannot be resolved without a factual hearing, a decision may not be made absent such a hearing. The court applied Hardin to conclude that appellant's equal protection challenge to Ind. Code § 16-13-6.1-16 required presentation of evidence and a factual hearing; because none occurred, the Court declined to decide the constitutional question on direct appeal.
Pulliam v. State, (1976) 264 Ind. 381, 345 N.E.2d 229, 241-243 Consideration of whether a jury's assessment of sentence without a pre-sentence report raises constitutional concerns. The court noted Pulliam recently considered this constitutional issue; because appellant received the statutory minimum ten-year sentence for armed robbery here, the court treated the issue as moot on appeal.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

(1) Equal Protection Challenge to Ind. Code § 16-13-6.1-16:

The Court observed that appellant raised the constitutional challenge but presented no evidence to support the implicit assertion that there is no rational basis for the statute's violent-crime exception. The Court noted possible rational bases the Legislature might have considered (for example, concern for the safety of other drug abusers in treatment or differences in types of treatment and facilities), but emphasized that the record does not disclose whether such bases existed. Relying on Hardin v. State, the Court held that because the issue could not be resolved without a factual hearing and none occurred, the State had no opportunity to defend the statute at trial, and the Court could not decide the constitutional question on this record without evidence presented by both parties and cross-examination.

(2) Instruction Referencing "Class":

The Court acknowledged that the phrase in the trial court's instruction about non-enforcement "breeding contempt for the law 'among the very class that it is intended to restrain'" was an unfortunate choice of words and could suggest the defendant belonged to a class to be restrained. Nonetheless, the Court held that mere reference to "class" in an instruction is not unconstitutional. The Court explained that classifications are permissible unless they grant privileges to one class and deny them to another without a rational basis; appellant did not contend such unequal treatment. The Court therefore found the instruction distasteful but not reversible error.

(3) Jury Assessment of Sentence Without Pre-Sentence Report:

The Court acknowledged Pulliam v. State had recently addressed the constitutional issue appellant raised. Here, because appellant was sentenced to the statutory minimum of ten years for armed robbery, the Court concluded the sentencing/form report issue was moot on appeal.

(4) Refusal to Give "Benefit of Doubt" Instructions:

The Court found no material conflict in the evidence; only two State witnesses testified (the gas station attendant and a police officer), and there was no conflicting evidence on any material issue or element of the crimes. Therefore, instructions advising the jury to resolve conflicting evidence or dual reasonable interpretations in the defendant's favor would have been meaningless, and refusal to give them was not error.

(5) Requested Instructions on Lesser Included Offenses of Kidnapping:

The Court compared the statutory definitions of assault, assault and battery, and assault and battery with intent to commit a felony with the offense of kidnapping charged in the information ("did then and there unlawfully kidnap and forcibly carry off [the victim]"). The Court held that one can "forcibly" kidnap or carry off another without attempting a violent injury or unlawfully touching the victim in a rude, insolent, or angry manner (for example, by threats or brandishing weapons). Thus, the elements of assault and assault and battery are not necessarily included in kidnapping under Ind. Code § 35-1-39-2, and the trial court properly refused appellant's tendered instructions on those offenses as lesser included offenses.

Conclusion of analysis: The Court found no reversible error in the trial proceedings after addressing each of appellant's contentions and affirmed the trial court's judgment.

Holding and Implications

Holding: The judgment of the trial court is Affirmed.

Implications: The direct effect is that appellant's convictions for armed robbery and kidnapping and the sentences imposed (ten years for armed robbery; life imprisonment for kidnapping) are upheld. The Court did not decide the Equal Protection challenge to Ind. Code § 16-13-6.1-16 on the merits because the record lacked a factual hearing; accordingly, no new constitutional precedent on that statute was established in this opinion.

THEODORE W.E. HAMMER v. STATE OF INDIANA.

1. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW — Determination of a Constitutional Question. — Appellant alleges that under Ind. Code § 16-13-6.1-16 the violent crime exception to electable treatment as a drug abuser is a denial of equal protection of the law and therefore unconstitutional. A decision by the Court on a constitutional issue may not be made without the presentation of evidence by both parties which the appellant has failed to do. p. 313.

2. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW — Classes. — Only if a person is granted privileges denied to another class, without a rational basis, is a classification system improper. p. 314.

3. JURIES — Instructions — Lesser Offenses Included Within Offense of Kidnapping. — Appellant alleges error in the trial court not giving appellant's instructions that the lesser offenses of assault and battery are included within greater offense of kidnapping. Under Ind. Code § 35-1-39-2 the elements of the offenses of assault, and assault and battery are not necessarily included in kidnapping so that the court could properly refuse to give instructions on the offenses of assault, and assault and battery as lesser included offenses of kidnapping. p. 315.

DeBRULER, J.

Appellant, Theodore W.E. Hammer, was charged with armed robbery, Ind. Code § 35-13-4-6 (Burns 1975), and kidnapping, Ind. Code § 35-1-55-1 (Burns 1975). After a trial by jury, he was found guilty of both charges. He was sentenced to ten years for armed robbery and to life imprisonment for kidnapping. He filed a timely motion to correct errors which was overruled.

On appeal, he raises five issues for review: (1) whether appellant was denied equal protection of the law when the court denied his Petition of Election to be treated as a drug abuser, pursuant to Ind. Code § 16-13-6.1-16 (Burns 1976 Supp.), because he had committed a crime of violence which is a statutory exception; (2) that the court erred in giving, on its own motion, an instruction which included the sentence "[By] the non-enforcement of the law and its penalties in all criminal cases where it is shown by the evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, to have been violated, contempt for the law is bred among the very class that it is intended to restrain," when the idea of classes is repugnant to the Constitution; (3) that the court erred in giving the jury a verdict form for armed robbery which provided for the jury's assessing the punishment within the range of ten to thirty years, without the benefit of a pre-sentence report; (4) that the court erred in refusing to give two instructions that the jury should give the benefit of the doubt to the defendant when the evidence was conflicting and when either of two interpretations was reasonable; (5) that the court erred in refusing to give three instructions on offenses which appellant argues are lesser included offenses of kidnapping, namely: assault, assault and battery, and assault and battery with intent to commit a felony.

The evidence was that appellant, whom the victim had seen and talked to briefly on three occasions, robbed a service station attendant using a shotgun and a knife and threatening the attendant. After robbing him, he kept the shotgun on the attendant, told him to close up and drive appellant where he wanted to go. In the car, during the twenty minute ride, appellant kept poking the attendant in the ribs with the barrel of the gun. As directed, the attendant let appellant out in a remote area, waited thirty minutes, and then drove home. He was able to identify a photograph of appellant a week after the crime.

(1) Appellant argues that Ind. Code § 16-13-6.1-16 is unconstitutional. That statute reads:

"A drug abuser charged with or convicted of a crime is eligible to elect treatment under the supervision of the department instead of prosecution or imprisonment, as the case may be, unless (a) the crime is a crime of violence, (b) the crime is that of selling a narcotic or dangerous drug, (c) the drug abuser has a record of two or more prior convictions of a crime of violence, (d) other criminal proceedings, not arising out of the same incident, alleging commission of a felony are pending against the drug abuser, or (e) the drug abuser is on probation or parole and the appropriate parole or probation authority does not consent to that election, or (f) the drug abuser elected and was admitted to a treatment program on two prior occasions within any consecutive two-year period. An eligible drug abuser may not be admitted to a treatment program, however, unless the authorities concerned consent as hereinafter set forth. [IC 1971, 16-13-6.1-16, as added by Acts 1974, P.L. 59, § 1, p. 242]."

Appellant argues that the exception for those charged with violent crimes denies him the equal protection of the law guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment and Art. 1, § 23 of the Constitution of Indiana.

Before trial, appellant petitioned to be treated as a drug abuser. He stated that he met all the qualifications except for the nature of the crimes charged, and that, despite that exception, the equal protection provisions of the two Constitutions dictated that he be eligible for treatment as a drug abuser.

On appeal, he notes that the statute recognized that people may commit crimes because their will is bent by drugs. The statute also implicitly recognizes drug addiction as an illness. Therefore, he argues, if someone commits a violent crime [while a drug user] he is more likely to be strongly addicted and more in need of treatment. Consequently, it is not reasonable to exclude those most addicted.

Appellant's petition raised the constitutional issue, but he presented no evidence to support his implicit argument that there is no rational basis for the exception. It is possible [1] that concern for the safety of other drug abusers undergoing treatment at the drug abuse centers was the basis for this exception. However, we do not know whether the physical facilities are such that possibly dangerous drug abusers may be treated separately. More important, we do not know if the Legislature had in mind other rational bases relating to the type of treatment received and the type of physical facilities available, consistent with the constitutional mandate that the Indiana Penal Code be founded on the principle of reformation. Indiana Constitution, Art. 1, § 18.

When any issue is raised which cannot be resolved without a factual hearing, and no such hearing took place at the trial court level, we have no basis for a decision. Hardin v. State, (1970) 254 Ind. 56, 257 N.E.2d 671. The State had no opportunity to defend the constitutionality of the statute. A decision at this level on this issue without the presentation of evidence by both parties and cross-examination cannot be made.

(2) We agree with appellant that the court's instruction, that non-enforcement of the law would breed contempt for the law "among the very class that it is intended to restrain," is [2] an unfortunate choice of words. It may imply, as appellant asserts, that he is in the class who must be restrained, since he has been charged with a crime. However, this instruction does not offend the Fourteenth Amendment merely by its mention of "class." As appellant notes in his brief, we recognize many classes: the middle class, the working class, the wealthy class. Only if one is granted privileges denied to another class, without a rational basis, is a classification system improper. Appellant has no such argument to make here. He argues only that "talk of class is anathema to the American ideal" and that appellant is in the class referred to in the instruction, those charged with crime. As distasteful as we find this instruction, we do not find that its use was reversible error.

(3) Appellant argues that it was error to permit the jury to determine the number of years appellant should be sentenced for armed robbery, without first considering a pre-sentence report. We have recently considered this issue in the constitutional context appellant suggests. Pulliam v. State, (1976) 264 Ind. 381, 345 N.E.2d 229, 241-243. In this case, appellant was sentenced to the minimum ten years which the armed robbery statute provides, so that the issue is moot on appeal.

(4) Appellant charges court error in not giving two instructions to the effect that doubts raised by conflicting evidence or evidence susceptible to two interpretations should be resolved in favor of the defendant. Since there were only two witnesses for the State, the gas station attendant and a police officer, and there was no conflicting evidence on any material issue or any element of the crime, such an instruction would have been meaningless.

(5) Appellant argues that his instructions on lesser included offenses of kidnapping should have been given. Indiana [3] Code § 35-1-39-2 (Burns 1975) provides:

"[In all cases where the offense charged does not consist of different degrees,] the defendant may be found guilty of any offense, the commission of which is necessarily included in that with which he is charged in the indictment or information."

Appellant was charged by information:

"[Appellant, on November 5, 1971,] did then and there unlawfully kidnap and forcibly carry off [the victim] from a place within this state. . . ."

Appellant requested instructions on assault, assault and battery, and assault and battery with intent to commit a felony. Assault is defined as an attempt "to commit a violent injury upon the person of another." Ind. Code § 35-13-4-7 (Burns 1975). Assault and battery is committed when one "in a rude, insolent or angry manner, unlawfully touches another." Ind. Code § 35-1-54-4 (Burns 1975). Assault and battery with intent to commit a felony other than a felonious homicide is so defined. Ind. Code § 35-1-54-3 (Burns 1975).

Comparing these statutory definitions with the offense charged, we cannot agree with appellant that one could not "forcibly" act without committing either an assault or an assault and battery. One can kidnap or carry off another forcibly, without attempting a violent injury or unlawfully touching the victim in a rude, insolent, or angry manner. The kidnapper could use threats only or could threaten the victim with a gun or knife. Therefore, the elements of the offenses of assault and assault and battery are not necessarily included in kidnapping. The court correctly refused appellant's tendered instructions.

We find no error and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Hunter and Prentice, JJ., concur; Givan, C.J., and Arterburn, J., concur in result.

NOTE. — Reported at 354 N.E.2d 170.

Use AI to get other relevant cases.

Comments

HAMMER v. STATE
(Sep 15, 1976)