MEMORANDUM DECISION
Apr 02 2015, 8:31 am
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), this
Memorandum Decision shall not be regarded as
precedent or cited before any court except for the
purpose of establishing the defense of res judicata,
collateral estoppel, or the law of the case.
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Donald R. Shuler Gregory F. Zoeller
Barkes, Kolbus, Rife & Shuler, LLP Attorney General of Indiana
Goshen, Indiana
Eric P. Babbs
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Nicholas A. Rushlow, April 2, 2015
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
20A03-1408-CR-310
v. Appeal from the Elkhart Circuit
Court.
The Honorable Terry C. Shewmaker,
State of Indiana, Judge.
Appellee-Plaintiff. Cause No. 20C01-1306-FA-28
Barteau, Senior Judge
Statement of the Case
[1] The State accused Nicholas A. Rushlow of going to a house in the middle of
the night and shooting at its occupants. Rushlow appeals his convictions and
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1
aggregate sentence for attempted murder, a Class A felony, and criminal
2
recklessness, a Class C felony. We affirm.
Issues
[2] Rushlow raises three issues, which we restate as:
I. Whether the trial court abused its discretion in denying
Rushlow’s motion to hire an expert witness.
II. Whether the evidence is sufficient to sustain Rushlow’s
convictions.
III. Whether Rushlow’s sentence is inappropriate in light of the
nature of the offense and the character of the offender.
Facts and Procedural History
[3] In June 2010, James Curtis complained to the police that Rushlow had
physically attacked him. The State filed criminal charges against Rushlow, and
James testified against him. Later, during the first week of October 2010,
James’ wife, Ashley Curtis, was walking in her neighborhood when she saw
Rushlow sitting on the steps of a house. Rushlow told her, “It’s not over with.”
Tr. p. 338.
[4] In the very early morning hours of October 11, 2010, James and Ashley were
asleep in their house in Elkhart. The house had an enclosed front porch with a
1
Ind. Code §§ 35-42-1-1 (2007), 35-41-5-1 (1977).
2
Ind. Code § 35-42-2-2 (2006).
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door, and inside the porch one could enter the house through a glass front door
with an attached storm door. Ashley’s nine-year-old son, James’ cousin
Johnny, Johnny’s girlfriend Tina, Tina’s son, and James’ mother were also in
the house. James’ mother slept on the ground floor of the house on a couch not
far from the front door.
[5] James and Ashley were awakened by someone pounding on their front door.
Ashley came downstairs with one of her dogs. As she came down the steps, she
heard a person on the porch yell, “Elkhart City Police, open up. We have [a]
warrant for Jimmy.” Id. at 348. Ashley loudly said, “Give me a moment,”
because she needed to take her dog back upstairs. Id. at 349.
[6] At that point, James turned on the lights for the stairway and the front room
and began walking down the stairs. He heard a person on the porch claiming to
be the police and claiming to have a warrant for his arrest.
[7] Ashley started back up the stairs. As she did so, she turned around to order her
dog, who was at the front door, to follow her. She looked out the front door
and saw Rushlow. James, who was still on the stairs, also saw Rushlow,
carrying a handgun. James saw Rushlow point the gun at him, heard a shot,
and felt the bullet hit his head.
[8] Next, James pushed Ashley onto the stairs and shielded her body with his.
Ashley heard five gunshots. James urged her to go upstairs. She did so and
called 911 after checking on her son. The 911 operator asked Ashley who shot
her, and she identified Rushlow.
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[9] Meanwhile, James and Ashley’s neighbor, Laura Smith, heard the gunshots,
followed by the sound of “shoes pounding the pavement,” as if a person was
running very quickly. Id. at 421. Another neighbor, Charles Landis, was
awakened by the gunshots. He looked out a window and saw a person running
away from where Landis believed the shots had been fired. The person was
wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt.
3
[10] Police were dispatched to James and Ashley’s house. Sergeant Nathan Lanzen
arrived at 1:37 a.m. He saw that the porch door’s latch was broken. Inside the
porch, he saw that the top half of the front door’s glass had been shattered.
[11] Sergeant Lanzen spoke with James and Ashley. James had a “graze wound”
on top of his head. Id. at 301. Sergeant Lanzen also saw five bullet holes in a
wall along the stairwell. James told Sergeant Lanzen that Rushlow was the
shooter. Sergeant Lanzen notified other officers, who found Rushlow at home.
[12] Later on October 11, Smith took her dog for a walk, going in the same direction
as the running noises she had heard during the night. After walking for a few
blocks, she saw a row of bushes. Someone had discarded a black hooded
sweatshirt and a black glove under a bush. Next, she looked under a different
bush and found a handgun. Smith called the police. Officer Chris Bella arrived
3
Sergeant Lanzen was a patrolman at the time of the incident and was promoted prior to the trial. We refer
to him as Sergeant.
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and collected the items. The police found another, matching black glove in the
same area the next day.
[13] After collecting the items that Smith had pointed out, Officer Bella went to
James and Ashley’s house to look for spent bullets. James tore open the
stairway wall where the bullets had struck, and Officer Bella found several
bullet fragments.
[14] The State tested the handgun, a .38 special, in comparison with the bullet
fragments. The State determined, and Rushlow stipulated at trial, that one of
the bullet fragments that was found in the wall of James and Ashley’s house
could have been fired from the .38 special. The other fragments were
“unsuitable for microscopic examination.” Id. at 492.
[15] The State collected a DNA sample from Rushlow and compared it to DNA
found on the sweatshirt. The sweatshirt had DNA from three different persons,
two females and one male. Rushlow’s DNA sample matched the male
contributor “to a degree of scientific certainty.” Id. at 575. In addition, one of
the unknown females was genetically related to Rushlow and the other
unknown female. During this time period, Rushlow lived with his girlfriend,
and they had a young daughter together. Finally, testing revealed that Rushlow
could not be ruled out as a contributor to a mixture of DNA found on one of
the gloves.
[16] On June 6, 2013, the State charged Rushlow with attempted murder as to
James and criminal recklessness as to Ashley. Rushlow was indigent, but his
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family hired an attorney to represent him. On May 30, 2014, almost a year
after the State filed the charges, and almost a month before trial, Rushlow filed
a motion to allocate public funds for him to hire a DNA expert. After a
hearing, the trial court denied Rushlow’s motion.
[17] The case was tried to a jury. During trial, Rushlow objected to the admission of
any and all DNA evidence, noting that the court had denied his request to hire
a DNA expert using public funds. The court reaffirmed its decision to deny
Rushlow’s request for funds to hire an expert and overruled Rushlow’s
objection. Later during the trial, Rushlow conceded that the hooded sweatshirt
belonged to him.
[18] The jury determined that Rushlow was guilty as charged. The court sentenced
Rushlow to the maximum aggregate sentence of fifty-eight years, to be served
consecutively to his sentence in a federal case that preceded the current charges.
This appeal followed.
Discussion and Decision
I. Appointment of Expert Witness
[19] Rushlow claims the trial court erred by denying his request to hire a DNA
expert at public expense because it unduly hampered his defense, and the
subsequent admission of the DNA evidence at trial violated his right to due
process of law. Decisions about expert services for indigent defendants are
committed to the trial court’s sound discretion, and such decisions are not
overturned absent an abuse of that discretion. Jackson v. State, 758 N.E.2d 1030,
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1034 (Ind. Ct. App. 2001). A defendant who requests funds for an expert
witness has the burden of demonstrating the need for that expert. Tidwell v.
State, 644 N.E.2d 557, 560 (Ind. 1994). The decision must be made on a case-
by-case basis. Id.
[20] The central inquiries for a trial court in deciding whether to allocate expert
witness funds to a defendant are whether the expert witness’s services are
necessary to assure an adequate defense, and whether the defendant specifies
precisely how he or she would benefit from the requested expert services. Scott
v. State, 593 N.E.2d 198, 200 (Ind. 1992). The following considerations, among
others, are relevant to those inquiries: (1) whether the expert’s services bear on
an issue which is generally regarded to be within the common experience of the
average person, or on an issue for which expert opinion would be necessary; (2)
whether the requested services could be performed by counsel; (3) whether it is
improbable that the proposed expert could demonstrate that which the
defendant desires; (4) whether the purpose of the expert appears to be
exploratory only; (5) whether the expert services will go toward answering a
substantial question or simply an ancillary one; (6) the seriousness of the
charge(s) at issue and the severity of the possible penalty; (7) the complexity of
the case; (8) the proposed cost of the expert services; (8) the timeliness of the
defendant’s request; (9) whether the defendant is making the request in good
faith; (10) whether the expert’s testimony would be admissible at trial; and (11)
whether the evidence for which the expert’s services are requested is cumulative
of other evidence. Id. at 200-01.
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[21] Rushlow argues that the trial court erred because the topic for which he
requested expert assistance, DNA testing, is beyond the common experience of
the average person and cannot be performed by counsel. He notes that he was
facing serious charges and potentially severe penalties. Finally, he asserts that
he explained to the trial court that he needed an expert witness to determine
whether the State’s expert’s testing was performed accurately and without bias.
[22] Rushlow’s points are counterbalanced, and outweighed, by the following
factors. The State filed charges against Rushlow in June 2013, but Rushlow did
not file his motion for public funds to hire an expert witness until June 2014, a
year later. The trial court deemed his motion untimely, as it was filed only a
month before the scheduled trial date. Rushlow did not identify a proposed
expert witness or provide any estimate of how much the expert’s services would
cost. Further, Rushlow’s purpose appears to have been merely exploratory,
because he failed to specify any precise benefit to be gained by hiring his own
expert. Finally, the DNA evidence—which was intended to connect Rushlow
to the hooded sweatshirt and a glove, and thereby tie him to the scene of the
crimes—was merely cumulative of James and Ashley’s identifications of
Rushlow and of Rushlow’s own testimony that the sweatshirt was his. The trial
court did not abuse its discretion in denying Rushlow’s request to hire an expert
witness at public expense. See Kocielko v. State, 938 N.E.2d 243, 255 (Ind. Ct.
App. 2010) (no abuse of discretion in denying defendant’s motion to hire DNA
expert at public expense where the DNA evidence was cumulative and the
defendant “failed to provide specifics as to identity, cost, and the precise benefit
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to be gained”), rev’d in part on other grounds on rehearing, 943 N.E.2d 1282 (2011),
trans. denied.
II. Sufficiency of the Evidence
[23] Rushlow claims the State failed to prove that he committed the crimes at issue.
When we review the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction, we
consider only the probative evidence and reasonable inferences supporting the
verdict. Buelna v. State, 20 N.E.3d 137, 141 (Ind. 2014). We neither reweigh
the evidence nor resolve questions of credibility when determining whether
identification evidence is sufficient. Rutherford v. State, 866 N.E.2d 867, 871
(Ind. Ct. App. 2007). We will affirm if the probative evidence and reasonable
inferences drawn from the evidence could have allowed the trier of fact to find
the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. McHenry v. State, 820 N.E.2d
124, 126 (Ind. 2005).
[24] There is ample evidence from which a reasonable jury could have determined
beyond a reasonable doubt that Rushlow committed the crimes. He had a
grudge against James for complaining about him to the police and for testifying
against him in court. Rushlow threatened Ashley a week before the crimes
occurred.
[25] In addition, Ashley told the 911 operator that Rushlow was the shooter, James
told Sergeant Lanzen that Rushlow was the shooter, and both Ashley and
James identified Rushlow in court as the shooter. Rushlow claims that the
validity of their identifications is questionable, but “the reliability of particular
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evidence must be gauged by the fact-finder.” Gorman v. State, 968 N.E.2d 845,
850 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012), trans. denied. Any potential errors in eyewitness
identification must be resolved during trial, not on appeal. Id.
[26] Furthermore, an eyewitness, Landis, saw a person in a dark hooded sweatshirt
run away from the site of the shooting. The following morning, a black
sweatshirt and a .38 special were found several blocks from James and Ashley’s
house. Testing revealed that the .38 special could have fired one of the shots
into the house, and Rushlow’s DNA was found on the sweatshirt. Rushlow
admitted at trial that the sweatshirt was his. He testified that someone stole the
sweatshirt out of his car three weeks prior to the shooting, but that is a matter of
witness credibility for the finder of fact to weigh. The State presented sufficient
evidence of identity to sustain Rushlow’s convictions.
III. Appropriateness of Sentence
[27] Rushlow asserts that his sentence is too high and asks this Court to revise it.
Article 7, section 4 of the Indiana Constitution authorizes independent
appellate review of a sentence even if the trial court acted within its discretion
in imposing a sentence. Rice v. State, 6 N.E.3d 940, 946 (Ind. 2014). This
review is implemented through Appellate Rule 7(B), which states that we may
revise a sentence, even if authorized by statute, if “after due consideration of the
trial court’s decision,” the sentence is inappropriate “in light of the nature of the
offense or the character of the offender.”
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[28] The principal role of such review is to attempt to leaven the outliers. Knapp v.
State, 9 N.E.3d 1274, 1292 (Ind. 2014), cert. denied, 135 S. Ct. 978 (2015).
“Sentence review under Appellate Rule 7(B) is very deferential to the trial
court.” Conley v. State, 972 N.E.2d 864, 876 (Ind. 2012). In fact, Appellate Rule
7(B) preserves for the trial court the central role in sentencing. Kucholick v. State,
977 N.E.2d 351, 351 (Ind. 2012). The burden is on the defendant to persuade
the appellate court that his or her sentence is inappropriate. Conley, 972 N.E.2d
at 864.
[29] We first note Rushlow’s sentence. At the time he committed his crimes, a Class
A felony was punishable by imprisonment for a fixed term of between twenty
and fifty years, with the advisory sentence being thirty years. Ind. Code § 35-
50-2-4 (2005). In addition, a Class C felony was punishable by imprisonment
for a fixed term of between two and eight years, with the advisory sentence
being four years. Ind. Code § 35-50-2-6 (2005). The trial court sentenced
Rushlow to the maximum sentences of fifty and eight years, to be served
consecutively. Further, the court directed that Rushlow would serve his
aggregate sentence consecutively to his sentence in a federal case that preceded
the current charges.
[30] Turning to the nature of the offense, Rushlow argues that James’ injury was
“minimal” and that the evidence was not more unfavorable to him than what is
“generally necessary to establish the offenses of attempted murder and criminal
recklessness.” Appellant’s Br. p. 17. We do not agree. Rushlow’s acts placed
several persons in danger. He approached a home in the middle of the night
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and repeatedly fired a handgun into it. In so doing, he endangered not only
James and Ashley, but also their guests, including James’ mother, who was
sleeping in a room near the front door. Rushlow clearly planned his attack
because he pretended to be a police officer in order to lure people to the door.
In addition, we share the trial court’s concern that Rushlow attacked James and
Ashley in retaliation for James’ prior testimony in court, which is also an attack
on the judicial system. Finally, Rushlow abandoned the handgun in a bush
along a street, where it could have been found by anyone, including children.
[31] As for the character of the offender, Rushlow has an extensive criminal record.
As a juvenile, he accrued adjudications for acts that would have constituted
criminal recklessness and burglary if they had been committed by an adult. As
an adult, Rushlow was convicted of possession of a bomb, a Class C felony,
false informing, a Class B misdemeanor, and nonsupport of a dependent child,
a Class C felony, in Indiana state courts. In addition, he was convicted in
federal court of use of a firearm during a crime of violence and of possession of
a firearm while being an unlawful user of a narcotic. He has accrued his
convictions on a frequent basis, demonstrating an inability to avoid
incarceration for more than one or two years at a time. In addition, he has been
placed on probation twice as an adult and failed to successfully complete either
term. He was on federal probation when he committed the current crimes, and
that probation was revoked.
[32] Rushlow argues that positive factors include his employment history and his
involvement with his son’s little league team. However, his incarcerations have
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kept him from being employed for any significant amount of time and have
limited his involvement in his children’s lives.
[33] Rushlow has failed to carry his burden of demonstrating that his sentence is
inappropriate.
Conclusion
[34] For the reasons stated above, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
[35] Affirmed.
Baker, J., and Riley, J., concur.
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