Lead Opinion
OPINION
Case Summary and Issues
Following a jury trial, David Calvert was convicted of attempted robbery with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm as a serious violent felon, both Class B felonies, and possession of a sawed-off shotgun, a Class D felony. The trial court entered judgment and imposed sentence
Facts and Procedwral History
In the evening of July 26, 2007, Calvert was driving a Jeep in which his wife Tina Jewell, Joseph Cole, and seventeen-year-old J.F. were passengers. Earlier in the evening Calvert and Jewell had picked up Cole and J.F. before driving to North Vernon. Calvert was acquainted with Colie and J.F., and J.F. had previously told Calvert about one or more robberies he had attempted or completed. According to Cole's statement to police officers, after Calvert picked up Cole and J.F., J.F. said he was going to rob a liquor store by running in, demanding money, and running back out.
Calvert was driving the Jeep southbound along State Road 7 in North Vernon when he turned the Jeep into the south side parking lot of the House of Spirits liquor store. Officer Staples of the North Vernon Police Department took notice of the Jeep because he had been assigned to specially patrol the city's liquor stores, the police department having been informed by another law enforcement agency that there were heightened grounds to suspect liquor store robberies. Officer Staples observed the Jeep circle the liquor store by turning into an alley behind the store, driving back to the north side parking lot, and finally turning north on State Road 7. Officer Staples then drove his police car out of the parking lot of American Rental, a business closed at the time and on the opposite side of the road from the liquor store, and turned to follow the Jeep.
Calvert turned the Jeep into the parking lot of American Rental and stopped it near where Officer Staples had initially been parked. Officer Staples parked his car behind the Jeep, stepped out, and spoke briefly with Calvert, who was still sitting in the Jeep's driver's seat and told Officer Staples he was "just hanging out." Transcript at 153. When other officers arrived to assist, they removed Calvert and his three passengers from the Jeep. Calvert was cooperative while one of the officers frisked his person for weapons and found none. With all the doors of the Jeep open, Officer Keith Messer saw a sawed-off shotgun lying on the floor, partially under the front passenger seat but protruding enough toward the rear seat that its handle and trigger guard were plainly visible. Officer Messer also observed what looked like a handgun, but was actually a BB pistol, lying in "plain view" on the back seat. Id. at 177. An orange ski mask was also visible in the Jeep. Subsequent searches of the Jeep uncovered another BB pistol, three pairs of sunglasses, and two more orange ski masks.
Calvert, Cole, and J.F. were arrested and interviewed at the police station. Calvert claimed that at the time Officer Staples stopped behind the Jeep, he was getting ready to drop J.F. and Cole off at
[Calvert]: [J.F.]. He stole two of them pistols from Wal-Mart and the other one he bought.
[Detective]: Which one did he buy?
[Calvert]: The 12-gauge.1
Id. J.F., when interviewed separately, told the detective that the sawed-off shotgun belonged to Calvert.
The State charged Calvert with Count I, attempted robbery as a Class B felony; Count II, possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon as a Class B felony; and Count III, possession of a sawed-off shotgun as a Class D felony. The case was tried to a jury, which found Calvert guilty as charged. The trial court held a sentencing hearing and in its sentencing order found:
the following aggravating factors: [Calvert] has no high school diploma or GED certificate; [Calvert] has had two (2) formal delinquency adjudications, three (3) prior felony convictions and one (1) successful probation revocation. The Court finds the following mitigating factors: [Calvert]'s young age; incarceration would be a hardship on his dependents; the crime (in part) was caused by chronic substance abuse by [Calvert] since the age of twelve (12); and [Calvert] himself had been the victim of a sex crime at age eleven (11). The Court in weighing the aggravating factors and the mitigating factors, finds the aggravating factors slightly outweigh the mitigating factors and justify the imposition of a sentence in excess of the advisory sentencel.]
Appellant's Appendix at 220. The trial court imposed the following concurrent sentences: fifteen years on Count I, with twelve years executed and three years suspended to probation; fifteen years on Count II, with twelve years executed and three years suspended to probation; and two years, suspended, on Count III. Calvert now appeals.
Discussion and Decision
I. Sufficiency of the Evidence
A. Standard of Review
When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction, we consider only the probative evidence and reasonable inferences supporting the verdict. Drane v. State,
B. Attempted Robbery
Calvert argues the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction of attempted robbery. To convict Calvert of attempted robbery as a Class B felony, the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Calvert, either directly or as an accomplice, engaged in conduct that consti
"The substantial step element of attempt requires proof of any overt act beyond mere preparation and in furtherance of the intent to commit the crime." Jackson v. State,
In Collier, this court held the defendant's actions did not constitute a substantial step toward the murder of his estranged wife. Three times on the day of the incident, Collier told a neighbor that he was going to kill his wife and himself. Later that night, he drove to his wife's workplace while she was there, had in his car an ice pick and a box cutter, and parked in a lot with a view of the building's only after-hours exit. However, when police officers later found Collier inside his car, he was asleep or passed out. This court reasoned that despite Collier's lying in wait, reconnoitering, and possessing materials to be used in the crime, his conduct as a whole was not "strongly corroborative of his stated intent," id. at 348 (emphasis original), because he thereafter ceased to be awake or alert and never came close enough to his wife to place her in imminent physical danger, id. at 349-50. In Hampton v. State,
Applying Collier and Hampton to the facts of this case, we conclude Calvert's actions, including as an accomplice through J.F., were at most mere preparation to rob the liquor store. The facts favorable to the judgment indicate J.F.
In Hampton, this court cited additional cireumstances corroborating the defendant's continuing intent to commit a robbery: the defendant approached on foot to just outside the building, he actively sought to conceal himself, and he was apprehended immediately outside the building while wearing a ski mask and holding a pistol. Hampton,
We are mindful that the question of what actions constitute a substantial step is generally one for the trier of fact and that Indiana courts eschew laying down general rules in the matter. Yet it is also well settled a substantial step must go beyond mere preparation or planning to commit an offense; "[wlere we to conclude otherwise, there would be no limit on the reach of attempt' crimes." Kemp,
C. Possession of Firearm as Serious Violent Felon
Calvert next argues the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction of possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. Because Calvert stipulated to his status as a serious violent felon, this issue turns solely on the question of possession, which the State must prove was knowing or intentional. See Ind.Code § 85-47-4-5(c) ("A serious violent felon who knowingly or intentionally possesses a firearm commits unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Class B felony."). The State alleges Calvert knowing ly or intentionally possessed a "Trooper Model 158 sawed-off shotgun." Appellant's App. at 42
A conviction for possession of a firearm may rest upon either actual or constructive possession. Henderson v. State,
Here, the evidence supports a reasonable inference Calvert constructively possessed the shotgun. Because Calvert was the Jeep's driver and the shotgun was found inside the passenger compartment, Calvert had the capability to reduce the shotgun to his personal possession. Although Calvert did not have exelusive possession of the Jeep due to there being three passengers, two other circumstances support an inference he knew of the shotgun's presence. First, part of the shotgun was sticking out from underneath the front passenger seat and was plainly visible to Officer Messer when he looked inside the Jeep through the rear passenger door. The jury therefore could have inferred that if Calvert, as the driver, did no more than look behind the front passenger seat, he would have seen the shotgun was there. Second, Calvert made an incriminating statement about the shotgun when interviewed following his arrest. When asked about the guns in the Jeep and who they belonged to, Calvert stated the "12-gauge" belonged to J.F. Tr. at 370. The jury could reasonably have understood this statement to imply Calvert knew the shotgun was in the Jeep, otherwise he would not have attempted to explain its presence by stating J.F. was its owner. Further, the jury could have believed J.F.'s statement to police that Calvert owned the shotgun.
Calvert points to contrary evidence, specifically, trial testimony by Cole and J.F. that Calvert did not own the shotgun and they were trying to hide it from him. Calvert's argument in this regard is an invitation to reweigh the evidence, which we may not do. Drane,
II. Double Jeopardy
Next, Calvert argues his dual convictions of possessing a firearm as a serious violent felon and possessing a sawed-off shotgun violate principles of double jeopardy. Conviction of two or more offenses violates the double jeopardy clause of the Indiana Constitution "if, with respect to either the statutory elements of the challenged crimes or the actual evidence used to convict, the essential elements of one challenged offense also establish the essential elements of another challenged offense." Richardson v. State,
In Alexander v. State,
Here, as the State acknowledges, Calvert's convictions for possessing a firearm as a serious violent felon and possessing a sawed-off shotgun were established by proof of one and the same act: his constructive possession of the sawed-off shotgun in the vehicle he was driving. As the dissent points out, the former convietion required an additional fact, Calvert's status as a serious violent felon, which was of no moment to the latter. That may mean that under a strict reading of Spivey v. State,
Calvert and the State are both correct that a double jeopardy violation occurred and, therefore, Calvert's conviction of pos
III. Inappropriate Sentence
Because the trial court imposed identical, concurrent sentences on both of Calvert's Class B felony convictions, and his conviction of possessing a firearm as a serious violent felon is affirmed, our reversal of Calvert's attempted robbery conviection does not require remand for resen-tencing. We therefore address Calvert's argument that his sentence of fifteen years with three of those years suspended to probation is inappropriate. Calvert requests that we revise his sentence to the advisory sentence of ten years.
A. Standard of Review
This court has authority to revise a sentence "if, after due consideration of the trial court's decision, the Court finds that the sentence is inappropriate in light of the nature of the offense and the character of the offender." Ind. Appellate Rule 7(B). In making this determination, we may look to any factors appearing in the record. Roney v. State,
B. Nature of the Offense
None of the aggravating and mitigating circumstances found by the trial court relate to the nature of Calvert's offense, which likewise strikes us as a typical instance of unlawful possession of a firearm. Calvert's actions of driving a vehicle in which a shotgun and BB guns were present, and doing so with others who were contemplating committing a robbery, posed a real danger to community safety. However, such harms are contemplated by the statutory definition making Calvert's offense a Class B felony.
C. Calvert's Character
Calvert was twenty years old when he committed the present offense
Calvert is married and has been involved in the lives of his wife's children from a prior relationship. However, he has been unemployed since 2007 due to his incarceration. During the pre-sentence investigation for the present case, Calvert admitted to being a gang member, although he did not identify the name of the gang. He further admitted to extensive alcohol and drug abuse, including recent use of ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, vicodin, and oxycontin, and told the trial court at sentencing that his pattern of criminal activity is related to his substance abuse. In order to address Calvert's substance abuse, the trial court's sentencing order provides that upon his release from the Department of Correction, Calvert shall be admitted to Richmond State Hospital, and upon successful completion of the treatment program, "his probationary period will be reduced by eighteen (18) months." Appellant's App. at 228.
In light of Calvert's significant criminal history and pattern of unlawful substance abuse, we cannot say the sentence imposed by the trial court is inappropriate. The weight given to a defendant's criminal history varies "by the number of prior convie-tions and their gravity, by their proximity or distance from the present offense, and by any similarity or dissimilarity to the present offense that might reflect on a defendant's culpability." Bryant v. State,
Conclusion
The evidence is insufficient to support Calvert's conviction of attempted robbery because the State failed to prove a substantial step toward the robbery of the liquor store. Sufficient evidence supports Calvert's conviction of possessing a firearm as a serious violent felon, but his additional conviction of possessing a sawed-off shotgun violates double jeopardy. Therefore, Calvert's conviction of possessing a firearm as a serious violent felon is affirmed, the convictions of attempted robbery and possession of a sawed-off shotgun are reversed, and the case is remanded with instructions to vacate those convictions. Calvert's sentence for possessing a firearm as a serious violent felon is not inappropriate, and because that sentence is the same as the aggregate sentence imposed by the trial court, the sentence is therefore affirmed.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.
Notes
. The transcript spells this word "guage," tr. at 370, but we infer the misspelling is a typographical error.
. See Appellant's App. at 41 (alleging Calvert "knowingly or intentionally aided [J.F.] in attempting to take property from ... House of Spirits").
. The BB guns found in the Jeep could not support a charge of unlawful firearm possession, because BB guns, although they may be deadly weapons, are not firearms. See Merriweather v. State,
. We note that Calvert's counsel, by including the pre-sentence investigation report as part of the Appellant's Appendix on white paper, failed to comply with applicable rules governing the filing of documents excluded from public access. See Ind. Appellate Rule 9(J) ("Documents and information excluded from public access pursuant to Administrative Rule 9(G) shall be filed in accordance with Trial Rule 5(G)...."); Ind. Administrative Rule
. A serious violent felon is defined as a person who has been convicted of committing, attempting to commit, or conspiring to commit a serious violent felony. Ind.Code § 35-47-4-5(a). The term "serious violent felony" includes, among other crimes, robbery and burglary as a Class A or Class B felony. Ind. Code § 35-47-4-5(b)(12), (15).
Concurrence Opinion
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I fully concur in the decisions of my colleagues reversing Calvert's conviction for attempted robbery, affirming his conviction for possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and affirming his sentences. As to their conclusion that Calvert's convictions for possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and possession of a sawed-off shotgun violate double jeopardy provisions, however, I respectfully dissent.
Although the State agrees with Calvert that a double jeopardy violation occurred, I think in doing so, it misconstrues the actual evidence test set forth by our Supreme Court in Richardson v. State,
Then, the Court in Spivey v. State,
In Ho v. State,
Similarly, in Mickens v. State,
Here, Calvert, a conceded serious violent felon, was convicted of possession of a firearm; the fact that the firearm was a sawed-off shotgun was of no moment to this conviction. He was also convicted of the separate offense of possession of a sawed-off shotgun; the fact that he was a serious violent felon was of no moment to this conviction. When Calvert, a serious violent felon, possessed a gun, he committed one crime; when he possessed a gun that was illegal for anyone to possess, he committed a second erime.
I would affirm the Calvert's convictions for possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and possession of a sawed-off shotgun.
