Sparks v. State
| Decision Date | 24 August 1979 |
| Docket Number | No. 179S18,179S18 |
| Citation | 393 N.E.2d 151,271 Ind. 419 |
| Parties | Paul SPARKS, Appellant, v. STATE of Indiana, Appellee. |
| Court | Indiana Supreme Court |
Kenneth T. Roberts, Indianapolis, for appellant.
Theo. L. Sendak, Atty. Gen., Richard C. Webster, Deputy Atty. Gen., Indianapolis, for appellee.
Appellant was convicted of murder and was sentenced to a term of 45 years in the Indiana State Prison.
The record shows that on the evening of March 29, 1978, appellant and seven other persons were gathered at a house trailer belonging to David Sparks. Shortly after 11:00 p. m., an argument ensued between David Sparks and the decedent Junior Grays. David Sparks and appellant then went to the back bedroom of the trailer. After a brief absence, they returned to the group, at which time David Sparks shot Grays in the midsection with a pistol. Appellant then argued with Grays, calling him a "snitch" for allegedly causing appellant to be convicted and imprisoned for bank robbery. Appellant then shot Grays in the head. Grays died later in a hospital. Appellant had been heard to state on prior occasions that he was planning to kill Grays and that "Junior's time was coming." There was testimony that in the weeks following the death of Grays, appellant twice stated that he had shot Grays between the eyes and killed him.
Appellant contends the trial court erred in permitting the testimony of State's witness James Burke. Appellant had filed a motion to produce statements and lists of witnesses. On August 4, 1978, the State responded with an extensive list of witnesses, production of statements and assurances that appellant would be provided with additional reports as soon as they became available to the State. On Wednesday, September 6, the State became aware of an eyewitness to the crime. A statement was taped and subsequently signed by the witness, James Burke, on Friday. At the commencement of the trial the following Monday, the prosecutor gave defense counsel a copy of the statement.
We note that appellant's reliance on U.S. v. Agurs (1976) 427 U.S. 97, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 49 L.Ed.2d 342, to bolster his argument for reversal is misplaced. The Agurs Court held that under the due process clause a prosecutor cannot withhold from the defense any exculpatory matter which may raise a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused. The statement in the case at bar, however, was not exculpatory but rather was an accusation that appellant had in fact participated in the murder of Junior Grays. Hence, the Agurs rule has no application.
A criminal defendant may seek exclusion of evidence proffered by the State if the State's violation of a discovery order is in bad faith or is grossly misleading. Reid v. State (1978) Ind., 372 N.E.2d 1149. The normal remedy, however, is for the defendant to move for a continuance. Gregory v. State (1972) 259 Ind. 295, 286 N.E.2d 666. In the case at bar, the State cooperated fully with defense counsel. An extensive witness list and copies of available statements were provided. This was supplemented at various times prior to trial. The State received a copy of Burke's statement only one working day prior to trial and immediately tendered a copy thereof to defense counsel at the commencement of the trial. Under these circumstances, it cannot be said that the State acted in bad faith or misled the defense. Appellant should therefore have moved for a continuance if he felt more time was needed to examine the statement. Since he did not do so and since he had a full and fair opportunity to cross-examine the witness at trial, we hold the trial court committed no error in allowing Burke to testify. Gregory v. State, supra.
Appellant next claims the conviction must be set aside since the State allegedly solicited false testimony from James Burke. The Fourteenth Amendment, of course,...
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Averhart v. State
...384 N.E.2d 1035. The usual remedy is to allow the defense a continuance in order to examine and meet the new evidence. Sparks v. State, (1979) 271 Ind. 419, 393 N.E.2d 151. Failure to seek a continuance waives any error resulting from any noncompliance with the discovery order. Upshaw v. St......
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...Indiana State Police Laboratory until July 20, 1983 is evidence of bad faith that requires exclusion of the evidence. Sparks v. State (1979), 271 Ind. 419, 393 N.E.2d 151. Further, the defendant asserts that the trial court's failure to exclude the evidence denied her right to a fair trial ......
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Murray v. State
...the trial court finds that the State has blatantly and deliberately refused to comply with the court's discovery order. Sparks v. State, (1979) Ind., 393 N.E.2d 151, 153; Reid, supra; Johnson v. State, (1979) Ind.App., 384 N.E.2d 1035, 1038. The imposition of sanctions for failure to comply......
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...would have given Belken the same opportunities. Id. A continuance, however, was never requested by Belken. See Sparks v. State, 271 Ind. 419, 420, 393 N.E.2d 151, 153 (1979) (normal remedy is to move for continuance). Moreover, the court had provided Belken with an opportunity to interview ......