FILED
MEMORANDUM DECISION Aug 26 2016, 9:38 am
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), CLERK
Indiana Supreme Court
this Memorandum Decision shall not be Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
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
Douglas M. Grimes Gregory F. Zoeller
Douglas M. Grimes, P.C. Attorney General of Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Ellen H. Meilaender
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Freddie Rhodes, August 26, 2016
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Cause No.
20A03-1508-CR-1181
v. Appeal from the Elkhart Circuit
Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable Terry C.
Appellee-Plaintiff. Shewmaker, Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
20C01-1409-MR-5
Barnes, Judge.
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Case Summary
[1] Freddie Rhodes appeals his conviction for felony murder. We affirm.
Issues
[2] Rhodes raises several issues, which we revise and restate as:
I. whether the trial court properly denied his
request for a trial separate from his co-
defendant;
II. whether the trial court properly denied his
request to compel discovery;
III. whether the trial court properly required
Rhodes and his co-defendant to share
peremptory challenges;
IV. whether the trial court properly ordered
individualized voir dire with respect to one of
the jurors; and
V. whether the evidence is sufficient to sustain his
conviction for felony murder.
Facts1
[3] Brenda Marsh and her husband lived in Goshen with Brenda’s children,
Daosha, Laqwela, ZaCarra, Zameishia, and Dramar, Laqwela’s boyfriend,
Norman Gray, and their baby, Daosha’s child, and Brenda’s brother, Joe. The
1
Rhodes’s statement of the facts is merely a detailed recitation of the statement of the case. Rhodes fails to
discuss any of the actual facts of the case, despite his challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence. We remind
Rhodes that Indiana Appellate Rule 46(A)(6) provides the statement of facts “shall describe the facts relevant
to the issues presented for review but need not repeat what is in the statement of the case.”
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family knew Rhodes, Deante Dalton, and Dretarrius Rodgers. On the night of
September 14, 2015, Brenda left the house at approximately 10:30 p.m. to take
her mother home. While she was gone, Rhodes, Dalton, and Rodgers arrived
and entered the house. Each had his face covered with a ski mask or bandana,
and each was armed with a handgun.
[4] Rhodes and Rodgers went downstairs to the basement, and Dalton stayed on
the main level of the house. Rhodes and Rodgers pointed their guns at Norman
and Laqwela, who was holding their baby, and demanded, “Where is the
stuff.” Tr. p. 1329. Laqwela recognized the men as Rhodes and Rodgers.
Norman directed the men to the laundry room. In the laundry room, Norman
began fighting with Rodgers and trying to take the gun from him, and Laqwela
ran upstairs with the baby. Rodgers started shooting, and Norman was injured
on his hip, chest, hand, and shoulder. Rodgers was also shot in the neck, wrist,
hip, and buttock, and died from his wounds in the basement.
[5] During the scuffle downstairs, Brenda returned from dropping off her mother.
She recognized Rhodes’s vehicle, which was parked in front of the house.
Brenda walked into the house and encountered a man wearing a ski mask and
carrying a handgun. Brenda recognized the man as Dalton. Dalton aimed his
gun at her and told her to “sit the F-down,” and Brenda responded, “little boy,
this is not Halloween . . . stop playing.” Id. at 655. Dalton then told Brenda to
sit down again, and she realized that he was serious. Dalton was holding her
laptop under his arm. Brenda could hear a “scuffle downstairs” and then heard
four or five quick gunshots. Id. at 660. Brenda then heard footsteps coming up
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the stairs and a second set of two or three gunshots, which were softer than the
others. Immediately after the second set of gunshots, Rhodes came up the
stairs, tapped Dalton on the shoulder, and said, “let’s go.” Id. at 665. The two
men walked outside, and Brenda called 911. Brenda looked out the front door,
and she saw Dalton get in the front passenger seat of Rhodes’s vehicle. As they
drove away, Dalton was hanging out of the window and shooting at the house.
[6] A bullet recovered from Rodgers’s body was a large caliber bullet, possibly a
0.40 or 0.45 caliber. A .380 semi-automatic handgun was found near Rodgers’s
body. No other guns were found in the house. Bullets found on the main level
of the house were all fired by a .38 Special revolver or a .357 Magnum revolver.
[7] The police later located Rhodes’s vehicle, and the Marsh family’s laptop was
inside of it. Dalton admitted to the police that he had gone to the Marsh
residence with Rhodes and Rodgers to rob them. The State charged Rhodes
and Dalton with felony murder. Rhodes filed a motion for a trial separate from
Dalton, which the trial court denied. Rhodes also repeatedly filed motions to
compel the State to produce police reports in discovery, which the trial court
also denied. A jury found Rhodes and Dalton guilty as charged. Rhodes now
appeals.2
2
We affirmed Dalton’s conviction in his direct appeal. See Dalton v. State, No. 20A05-1508-CR-1098, 2016
WL 3556433 (Ind. Ct. App. June 29, 2016).
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Analysis
I. Severance
[8] Rhodes argues that the trial court abused its discretion by denying his motion to
sever his trial from that of his co-defendant, Dalton. Although Rhodes sets
forth the standard for severance of a trial, he fails to apply that standard to this
case and conduct any analysis of the issue. The issue is waived for failure to
make a cogent argument. See Ind. Appellate Rule 46(A)(8)(a) (requiring
argument be supported by coherent reasoning with citations to authority);
Cooper v. State, 854 N.E.2d 831, 834 n.1 (Ind. 2006) (holding that the failure to
present a cogent argument or citation to authority constitutes waiver of issue for
appellate review).
[9] Waiver notwithstanding, our supreme court has held that several defendants
may be joined in a single prosecution. Lee v. State, 684 N.E.2d 1143, 1147 (Ind.
1997) (citing Ind. Code § 35-34-1-9). However, upon the filing of a motion by a
defendant, the trial court may order a separate trial “whenever the court
determines that a separate trial is necessary to protect a defendant’s right to a
speedy trial or is appropriate to promote a fair determination of the guilt or
innocence of a defendant.” Id. (quoting Ind. Code § 35-34-1-11(b)). The trial
court has discretion to grant or deny a motion for separate trials. Id. However,
a trial court must grant severance if there are mutually antagonistic defenses
and the acceptance of one defense precludes the acquittal of the other
defendant. Id. On appellate review, the trial court’s decision is measured by
what actually occurred at trial rather than what is alleged in the motion. Id.
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[10] In denying Rhodes’s motion for a separate trial, the trial court noted that
“Defendant, by counsel, presented no argument, and offered no reason,
authority or case law in support of his request for separate trials.” App. p. 85.
On appeal, his sole argument is: “Counsel for co-defendant in closing argument
pointed to Rhodes and argued to the jury that Rhodes committed Robbery and
Felony Murder, not his client.” Appellant’s Br. p. 17.
[11] Rhodes and Dalton were charged with the same offense, they were
accomplices, and the same evidence applied to each. Rhodes did not
demonstrate that a separate trial was necessary to protect his right to a speedy
trial or was appropriate to promote a fair determination of his guilt or
innocence. Rhodes also failed to demonstrate that he and Dalton had mutually
antagonistic defenses or that the acceptance of Dalton’s defense precluded his
acquittal. Although Dalton may have argued during closing that Rhodes fired
the fatal shots, given the felony murder charge and accomplice liability
principles, it was irrelevant whether Rhodes or Dalton actually fired the shots.
Consequently, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion when
it denied Rhodes’s request for a trial separate from Dalton.
II. Discovery
[12] Next, Rhodes seems to argue that the trial court abused its discretion when it
denied his motions to compel discovery. Rhodes’s argument lacks a standard
of review or analysis of the issue. He fails to make a cogent argument, and the
issue is waived. See Ind. Appellate Rule 46(A)(8)(a); Cooper, 854 N.E.2d at 834
n.1.
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[13] Waiver notwithstanding, “[d]ecisions relating to discovery requests are
committed to the discretion of the trial court and will not be reversed absent
clear error in the exercise of that discretion.” Goudy v. State, 689 N.E.2d 686,
695 (Ind. 1997). Rhodes’s argument seems to concern police reports that
summarized witnesses’ statements. “In general, police reports constitute work
product of the prosecutor, and a trial court is powerless to order production of
such reports.” Robinson v. State, 693 N.E.2d 548, 552 (Ind. 1998); see also
Goudy, 689 N.E.2d at 695 (“Unless the privilege has been waived, investigative
police reports are not discoverable and are considered protected as the work
product of the prosecutor.”). Substantially-verbatim witness statements,
however, are subject to discovery. Robinson, 693 N.E.2d at 552. “When a
police report allegedly contains a verbatim witness statement interspersed with
the officer’s work product, ‘in-camera inspection by the trial court should
permit the court to determine whether a document is essentially a verbatim
statement and therefore discoverable or essentially a police report containing
occasional quotations and thus privileged.’” Id. (quoting Crawford v. Superior
Court of Lake County, 549 N.E.2d 374, 376 (Ind. 1990)).
[14] Further, Elkhart County Local Rule 20-CR00-CRDD-14(A) provides, in part:
In any criminal case, each party shall routinely disclose:
1) The names, dates of birth, Social Security Account Numbers,
and last-known addresses of all persons whom that party may
call as witnesses, together with any written or recorded
statements the person may have made, any memoranda containing
substantially-verbatim reports of any oral statements the person may
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have made and summaries of the anticipated testimony of each
potential witness . . . .
(emphasis added).
[15] On appeal, Rhodes argues that he was entitled to receive the reports pursuant to
the local rule.3 Rhodes seems to be confusing the police reports with witness
summaries, which are also required by the local rule and were provided to
Rhodes by the State. The State noted that the police reports were merely
summaries of audio and video interviews, which had already been provided to
Rhodes in discovery. According to the State, the police reports were not
verbatim reports of oral statements or even substantially-verbatim. The State
argued that the police reports were work product that was not required to be
produced in discovery, and the trial court repeatedly denied Rhodes’s requests
for production of those police reports.
[16] Rhodes presents no argument or evidence that the police reports qualified as
substantially-verbatim reports of oral statements, and he cites nothing to
indicate that he requested an in camera inspection by the trial court. Given the
lack of any evidence that the police reports contained substantially-verbatim
witness statements, we cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion by
denying Rhodes’s motions to compel.
3
Rhodes also complains that Dalton’s counsel received the police reports. The State notes that Dalton’s
counsel signed a confidentiality agreement and was provided with the police reports. Rhodes’s counsel, on
the other hand, did not sign a confidentiality agreement.
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III. Peremptory Challenges
[17] Rhodes seems to argue that the trial court erred by ordering that he share
peremptory challenges with his co-defendant Dalton. However, Rhodes’s one-
sentence argument is neither supported by cogent reasoning, citations to the
record, or citation to relevant authority. Consequently, the argument is waived.
See Ind. Appellate Rule 46(A)(8)(a); Cooper, 854 N.E.2d at 834 n.1.
[18] Waiver notwithstanding, we note that Indiana Code Section 35-37-1-3 provides,
in part:
(b) In prosecutions for murder, where the death penalty is not
sought, and Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5
felonies, the defendant may challenge, peremptorily, ten (10)
jurors.
*****
(d) When several defendants are tried together, they must join in
their challenges.
[19] Similarly, Indiana Jury Rule 18(a) provides:
In criminal cases the defendant and prosecution each may
challenge peremptorily:
*****
(2) ten (10) jurors when neither the death penalty nor life without
parole is sought in prosecutions for murder, and Class A, B, or C
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felonies, including enhancements, and Level 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5
felonies, including any enhancement(s);
*****
When several defendants are tried together, they must join their
challenges.
[20] Although Rhodes and Dalton objected to sharing peremptory challenges, the
trial court overruled their objections and indicated that it would follow Jury
Rule 18(a). Our supreme court has held that the sharing of peremptory
challenges does not constitute reversible error absent a showing of actual
prejudice. Peck v. State, 563 N.E.2d 554, 557 (Ind. 1990). Given the statutory
authority, the jury rule on the subject, and the lack of any showing of actual
prejudice, the trial court did not err by requiring Rhodes and his co-defendant
to share the peremptory challenges.
IV. Voir Dire
[21] Next, Rhodes argues that the trial court abused its discretion and “deprived
Rhodes of a fair trial by treating [a] prospective juror, Juror #5580, different
than other jurors by excusing other prospective jurors from the courtroom to
prevent them from hearing what Juror #5580 said on voir dire.” Appellant’s
Br. p. 17. Again, Rhodes has failed to make a cogent argument, and the
argument is waived. See Ind. Appellate Rule 46(A)(8)(a); Cooper, 854 N.E.2d at
834 n.1.
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[22] Waiver notwithstanding, we note that trial courts have broad discretionary
power in regulating the form and substance of voir dire. Logan v. State, 729
N.E.2d 125, 133 (Ind. 2000). “The decision of the trial court will be reversed
only if there is a showing of a manifest abuse of discretion and a denial of a fair
trial.” Id. “This will usually require a showing by the defendant that he was in
some way prejudiced by the voir dire.” Id. “Individualized voir dire of
prospective jurors may be required where the circumstances are highly unusual
or potentially damaging to the defendant.” Hadley v. State, 496 N.E.2d 67, 72
(Ind. 1986). The use of individual voir dire is a matter that falls within the trial
court’s broad discretionary power in regulating the form and substance of voir
dire examination. Carr v. State, 728 N.E.2d 125, 129 (Ind. 2000).
[23] Here, the prospective juror was questioned about holding one accountable for
his or her actions, and the prospective juror started to raise a different criminal
case as an example. The trial court stopped the questioning and said, “We’re
not going to talk about other cases.” Tr. p. 434. The trial court later allowed
the prospective juror to be questioned outside the presence of the other jurors.
The trial court was concerned that the prospective juror was referring to a
recent felony murder case that had been tried in that court and that a discussion
of the other case would “poison the well.” Id. at 479. Rhodes objected and
requested a mistrial. The trial court overruled the objection and denied the
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motion for a mistrial.4 The trial court was well within its discretion to have the
prospective juror questioned individually given the unusual circumstances, and
Rhodes has not identified how he was prejudiced by the procedure.
V. Sufficiency of the Evidence
[24] Rhodes also argues that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction for
felony murder. When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence needed to
support a criminal conviction, we neither reweigh evidence nor judge witness
credibility. Bailey v. State, 907 N.E.2d 1003, 1005 (Ind. 2009). “We consider
only the evidence supporting the judgment and any reasonable inferences that
can be drawn from such evidence.” Id. We will affirm if there is substantial
evidence of probative value such that a reasonable trier of fact could have
concluded the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Id.
[25] Rhodes was convicted of felony murder. Under the felony murder statute, the
State was required to prove that Rhodes killed Rodgers while committing or
attempting to commit robbery. Ind. Code § 35-42-1-1(2). The fact that the
robbery resulted in the death of a co-perpetrator does not save Rhodes from
criminal liability for murder. Forney v. State, 742 N.E.2d 934, 938 (Ind. 2001).
Our supreme court has held that the felony murder rule applies “‘when, in
committing any of the designated felonies, the felon contributes to the death of
any person.’” Id. (quoting Palmer v. State, 704 N.E.2d 124, 126 (Ind. 1999)). It
4
Rhodes does not appeal the denial of the motion for a mistrial.
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does not matter “whether the death caused is that of the intended victim, a
passerby or even a co-perpetrator.” Id. at 938-39. Further, our supreme court
has explained:
Where the accused reasonably should have . . . foreseen that the
commission of or attempt to commit the contemplated felony
would likely create a situation which would expose another to
the danger of death at the hands of a nonparticipant in the felony,
and where death in fact occurs as was foreseeable, the creation of
such a dangerous situation is an intermediary, secondary, or
medium in effecting or bringing about the death of the victim.
There, the situation is a mediate contribution to the victim’s
killing.
Palmer, 704 N.E.2d at 126.
[26] Rhodes argues that there was no evidence that he “or others in the house stole
or robbed any person of any property” and that Rodgers’s death was not
reasonably foreseeable. Appellant’s Br. p. 13. Rhodes also summarizes some
of Norman Gary’s testimony and seems to argue that he did not shoot Rodgers.
[27] The State presented evidence that Rhodes, Dalton, and Rodgers entered the
Marsh residence armed with handguns to rob the family. They in fact left the
house with the family’s laptop. Based on the ballistics evidence, the State
points out that “by far the most reasonable inference from the evidence is that it
was [Rhodes] himself who fired the shots that killed Rodgers during this
attempted robbery gone wrong.” Appellee’s Br. p. 18. Moreover, it was
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reasonably foreseeable that engaging in a violent home invasion armed with
handguns would result in someone’s death.5
[28] We addressed the same argument in Dalton’s appeal. There, we concluded that
the evidence was sufficient to sustain Dalton’s conviction for felony murder.
We noted that “the State presented sufficient evidence to prove that Dalton’s
actions, both as a principal and as an accomplice, were a mediate or immediate
cause of Rodgers’s death.” Dalton v. State, No. 20A05-1508-CR-1098, 2016 WL
3556433, at *7 (Ind. Ct. App. June 29, 2016). Similarly, here, Rhodes’s actions,
both as a principal and as an accomplice, were a mediate or immediate cause of
Rodgers’s death. The evidence is sufficient to sustain Rhodes’s conviction.
Conclusion
[29] The trial court properly denied Rhodes’s motion for a separate trial and his
motions to compel discovery. The trial court also properly conducted voir dire
and ordered the sharing of peremptory challenges. Finally, the evidence is
sufficient to sustain Rhodes’s conviction for felony murder. We affirm.
5
Our supreme court recently reversed a felony murder conviction in Layman v. State, 42 N.E.3d 972, 979-80
(Ind. 2015), where a group of young men broke into and entered the residence of a homeowner intending to
commit a burglary and one of the men was killed by the homeowner. Our supreme court pointed out that the
men were unarmed and that they were not engaged in any “dangerously violent and threatening conduct.”
Layman, 42 N.E.3d at 979. “There was simply nothing about the Appellants’ conduct or the conduct of their
cohorts that was ‘clearly the mediate or immediate cause’ of their friend’s death.” Id. at 979-80 (quoting
Palmer, 704 N.E.2d at 126). The court held that, while the evidence was sufficient to sustain a conviction for
the underlying burglary, it was not sufficient to sustain a conviction for felony murder in the perpetration of a
burglary. This case is distinguishable because Rhodes, Dalton, and Rodgers entered the home armed with
handguns and engaged in a violent confrontation with residents of the home.
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[30] Affirmed.
Vaidik, C.J., and Mathias, J., concur.
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Freddie Rhodes v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
Combined Opinion