ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT
Patricia Caress McMath
Indianapolis, Indiana
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Jeffrey A. Modisett
Attorney General of Indiana
Arthur Thaddeus Perry
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
__________________________________________________________________
IN THE
SUPREME COURT OF INDIANA
__________________________________________________________________
MARK LEWIS, )
)
Appellant (Defendant Below), )
)
v. ) Indiana Supreme Court
) Cause No. 49S00-9904-CR-241
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellee (Plaintiff Below). )
__________________________________________________________________
APPEAL FROM THE MARION SUPERIOR COURT
The Honorable Mark Renner, Magistrate
Cause No. 49G04-9802-CF-22396
__________________________________________________________________
ON DIRECT APPEAL
__________________________________________________________________
June 28, 2000
BOEHM, Justice.
Mark Lewis was convicted of murder, felony murder, and three counts
of attempted robbery. In this direct appeal Lewis contends that (1) he was
deprived of his right to counsel of his choice when the trial court denied
his motion for continuance to hire private counsel on the morning of trial;
and (2) the trial court erred in admitting an x-ray that was not properly
authenticated. We affirm the trial court.
Factual and Procedural Background
In the early morning hours of February 6, 1998, Demiris Kerr, Shawn
Tyler, and James Phillips were sleeping in the living room of a home in
Indianapolis when two men with bandanas over their faces broke into the
house. The intruders were carrying guns and one announced a robbery. Kerr
identified one of the intruders as Lewis. While the two intruders were in
the house, a shotgun blast came through a window and more shots were fired
from outside as the shooter moved to other windows. Lewis was struck in
the arm and leg by the shotgun. As Lewis and the other intruder fled the
house, Lewis fired two shots. One of these struck Tyler, killing him.
Lewis and two other men were charged with several counts and tried
separately. A jury convicted Lewis of murder, felony murder, and three
counts of attempted robbery. The trial court merged the murder and felony
murder counts and sentenced Lewis to fifty-five years for murder to be
served concurrently with ten years on each attempted robbery count.
I. Denial of Continuance to Retain Private Counsel
Lewis contends that the trial court violated his right to counsel of
his choice by denying a motion for continuance to hire private counsel on
the morning of trial. Lewis was arrested on May 10, 1998, and at his May
12 initial hearing stated that he intended to hire private counsel. A
public defender was appointed three weeks later, and despite three
continuances, Lewis never retained private counsel in the ensuing eight
months. On the morning of trial, the trial court stated that Lewis’ case
was the oldest case with an individual in custody set for trial on that day
and asked whether the parties were ready for trial. The deputy prosecutor
stated that she was ready for trial, and Lewis’ public defender also stated
she was ready but requested a continuance “on behalf of Mr. Lewis.” She
explained that Lewis was “under the belief that he will be able to retain
different counsel” and that as of the preceding Friday afternoon she and
Lewis “were not communicating very well.” Lewis then expressed
dissatisfaction with his public defender, but after a brief colloquy the
trial court stated that Lewis’ public defender
has been a defense counsel for quite sometime. I’ve had cases with
her where she’s presented jury trials in front of me, and I find that
she has performed very competently and professionally. Therefore, her
telling me she’s ready for trial, I’m going to trust her as an officer
of this court and we’re going to go to trial today.
The trial court then went off the record in Lewis’ case to continue the
other cases set for trial on that day. Upon reconvening Lewis’ case the
trial court engaged in a brief exchange with a private attorney who had
appeared on Lewis’ behalf. The attorney stated that he would not enter an
appearance unless a continuance was granted. Because he had been informed
that a continuance had already been denied, he stated that he was going to
leave. The trial court observed that Lewis had been in custody for more
than eight months and could have hired private counsel during that time;
there had been two previous continuances of the case at Lewis’ request; and
defense counsel stated she was prepared to go to trial that morning. The
trial court reaffirmed its denial of Lewis’ motion for continuance.
The Sixth Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant’s right “to have
the assistance of counsel for his defense.”[1] A corollary of this right
is the right to choose counsel when a defendant is financially able to do
so. See Powell v. Alabama, 287 U.S. 45, 53 (1932) (“It is hardly necessary
to say that the right to counsel being conceded, a defendant should be
afforded a fair opportunity to secure counsel of his own choice.”); cf.
Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered v. United States, 491 U.S. 617, 624 (1989)
(“The [Sixth] Amendment guarantees defendants in criminal cases the right
to adequate representation, but those who do not have the means to hire
their own lawyers have no cognizable complaint so long as they are
adequately represented by attorneys appointed by the courts.”). However,
the right to counsel of choice is not absolute. United States v.
Richardson, 894 F.2d 492, 496 (1st Cir. 1990). It is well settled that the
right to counsel of choice must be exercised “at the appropriate stage of
the proceeding.” Parr v. State, 504 N.E.2d 1014, 1016 (Ind. 1987) (quoting
Morgan v. State, 397 N.E.2d 299, 300 (Ind. Ct. App. 1979)); Collins v.
State, 274 Ind. 619, 623, 413 N.E.2d 264, 267 (1980) (quoting Atkins v.
State, 175 Ind. App. 230, 235, 370 N.E.2d 985, 989 (1977)). As this Court
observed in Perry v. State, 638 N.E.2d 1236, 1241 (Ind. 1994),
“[c]ontinuances sought shortly before trial to hire a new attorney are
disfavored because they cause substantial loss of time for jurors, lawyers,
and the court.” Indeed, this Court has held a number of times that it is
within a trial court’s discretion to deny a last-minute continuance to hire
new counsel. See id. (one day before trial); Beadin v. State, 533 N.E.2d
144, 145-46 (Ind. 1989) (two days before trial); Dickson v. State, 520
N.E.2d 101, 105 (Ind. 1988) (one day before trial); Vacendak v. State, 431
N.E.2d 100, 104-05 (Ind. 1982) (morning of trial); Collins, 274 Ind. at 622-
23, 413 N.E.2d at 267 (morning of trial).[2]
The State points to Dickson and contends that the same result should
obtain here. In Dickson, a motion for continuance was renewed the day
before trial when the defendant moved to replace his public defender with
private counsel who would accept the case only if a continuance was
granted. 520 N.E.2d at 105. The motion for continuance was denied, and
this Court found no abuse of discretion on appeal. Id. Although Lewis
agrees in his reply brief that the facts of that case are “very similar,”
he asserts that it should not control because Dickson merely asserted trial
court error in denying his motion for continuance and did not allege a
violation of his constitutional right to counsel of choice. If this is a
distinction, it is plainly not one of any consequence, as the same result
obtains in either circumstance. In Parr, when reviewing an allegation of
error in denying a continuance coupled with a contention that the defendant
had “a right to counsel of his choosing,” we observed that a “trial court,
in the exercise of its discretion, may refuse to allow an accused to
replace counsel during or immediately before trial because such a
substitution would require the court to grant a continuance.” 504 N.E.2d
at 1016 (quoting Morgan, 397 N.E.2d at 300). The denial of a continuance
is reviewed for an abuse of discretion, see Perry, 638 N.E.2d at 1241, and
the denial of the right to counsel of choice, even under Lewis’
formulation, is reviewed to determine whether the trial court acted
unreasonably and arbitrarily, see Barham v. State, 641 N.E.2d 79, 82
(quoting United States v. Collins, 920 F.2d 619, 625 (10th Cir. 1990)).
Evaluated under either standard, Lewis is not entitled to a new trial.
As a final point Lewis asserts that after private counsel appeared in
court the trial court should have “at a minimum” determined how long a
continuance was needed. He contends that “[t]he need for a short
continuance should not stand in the way of the defendant’s constitutional
right to counsel of his own choosing.” We have never held that a trial
court must inquire as to the length of a desired continuance under these
circumstances and see no reason why we should now impose this burden on
trial courts. If newly retained counsel appear prepared to proceed in a
specified time, they can do so, and tell that to the court. In the absence
of such an offer, there is no obligation on the trial court to inquire.
The trial court observed on the morning of trial that Lewis’ case was
the oldest case on the docket with an incarcerated defendant and
accordingly continued the other cases also set for that date. Not until
after these cases had been continued did private counsel appear in the
courtroom. Granting Lewis a continuance at this juncture, regardless of
the length of the continuance, would have meant that no case would have
been tried on that day. The courtroom would have sat vacant, and the time
of dozens of prospective jurors summoned for the trial would have been
wasted. There was no error.
II. Authentication of X-Ray
In September of 1998, the State filed a Motion for Leave to X-Ray
Defendant. The motion alleged that a witness in a co-defendant’s trial had
testified that Lewis said he had been shot with a shotgun. The witness
also observed blood on one or both of Lewis’ arms. The State sought x-rays
to determine whether pellets from the shell remained in Lewis’ torso. The
trial court granted the motion. On October 27, x-rays of Lewis were taken
at Wishard Hospital. The State sought admission of one of these x-rays,
State’s exhibit fifty-eight, at trial through firearms examiner Mickey
French. When asked at trial how he recognized the exhibit, French
responded that he had placed the name, case number, his initials, and the
date on the envelope containing the x-ray. He agreed that the x-ray was in
the same or substantially the same condition as when he placed it in the
envelope. The x-ray bears the name Mark Lewis, the date of the x-ray
(October 27, 1998), and the location of the x-ray (Wishard Hospital).
French testified that he was present along with defense counsel, the deputy
prosecutor, and a detective at Wishard Hospital when the x-ray was taken on
October 27. French also testified that he produced a laboratory standard
consisting of six different “size shots” and placed this standard in the x-
ray at roughly the same level as the pellet in Lewis’ leg.[3] The trial
court admitted the x-ray over Lewis’ objection, observing that French had
testified he was present at the taking of the x-ray, had placed a standard
in the x-ray, and had identified that standard in the exhibit.
Pre-Rules of Evidence cases held that an x-ray is admissible in
Indiana if (1) it is properly authenticated and (2) the x-ray photographer
is shown to be competent. LaBelle v. State, 550 N.E.2d 752, 754 (Ind.
1990); accord 13A Robert Lowell Miller, Jr., Indiana Practice § 901.209, at
62-63 (2d ed. 1995). Lewis does not challenge the competency of the x-ray
photographer but rather challenges only its authentication. Evidence Rule
901(a) provides that “[t]he requirement of authentication or identification
as a condition precedent to admissibility is satisfied by evidence
sufficient to support a finding that the matter in question is what its
proponent claims.” The adoption of the Rules of Evidence does not alter
the requirement that the sponsoring witness must establish that the x-ray
is a “true and accurate representation of the evidence portrayed.”
Labelle, 550 N.E.2d at 754. We review a trial court’s ruling on
authentication for an abuse of discretion. Id.
In Labelle, this Court observed that most x-rays are authenticated
through a physician or x-ray technician who testifies that the exhibit
accurately depicts the internal structure of the person. Id. In that
case, the State sought admission of an x-ray through the victim who
testified about the date and location of the x-ray, the location of the
bullet, and the presence of a gold orb and neck brace that appeared in the
x-ray. He also testified that the x-ray exhibit at trial looked like the
one he was shown shortly after the x-ray was taken. We found no abuse of
discretion in allowing the victim to authenticate the x-ray. Id. We reach
the same conclusion in Lewis’ case, where there is as much, if not more,
evidence that the exhibit was what French claimed it to be. The x-ray
bears the name Mark Lewis, Wishard Hospital, and the date on which it was
taken. Each of these items is corroborated by the testimony of French.
French removed the x-ray from an envelope bearing his markings. In
addition, French identified the six-shot standard that he included in the x-
ray.[4] Under these circumstances, the trial court did not abuse its
discretion in finding that French had sufficiently authenticated the x-
ray.[5]
Conclusion
The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
SHEPARD, C.J., and DICKSON, SULLIVAN and RUCKER, JJ., concur.
-----------------------
[1] Lewis also notes that Article I, Section 13 of the Indiana Constitution
guarantees a criminal defendant's right "to be heard by himself and
counsel." Although he observes that the state constitutional right
attaches earlier than under the Sixth Amendment, see Taylor v. State, 689
N.E.2d 699, 703-04 (Ind. 1997), he does not suggest that the standard under
the state constitution is any higher than under the federal constitution.
Indeed, he urges that the same standard should apply. Accordingly, we
address the claim under the Sixth Amendment.
[2] Lewis points to Barham v. State, in which the Court of Appeals reversed
a conviction because the trial court "interfered unreasonably and
arbitrarily with Barham's right to retain counsel of his choice by denying
his private counsel's appearance." 641 N.E.2d 79, 84-85 (Ind. Ct. App.
1994) (emphasis added). In Barham, the defendant was represented by a
public defender but stated at a pretrial conference held six days before
the scheduled jury trial that he had retained private counsel. Id. at 81.
The judge pro tempore observed that if private counsel entered her
appearance she "needs to be ready to try this matter on Monday." The next
day, five days before the scheduled trial, private counsel entered her
appearance and simultaneously filed a motion for continuance. The
presiding judge, without conducting a hearing, refused to allow the
appearance to be entered. The Court of Appeals observed that, although
private counsel had filed a motion for continuance, there was no showing
that she could not have been prepared for trial by the scheduled date. Id.
at 83-84. Indeed, she offered to act as co-counsel at the trial,
"indicating that she could have been prepared for trial on the scheduled
date." Id. In addition, the Court of Appeals observed that Barham had
caused no prior delays in his case, was in jail and would not benefit from
a continuance, and had previously expressed dissatisfaction with his
attorney. Here, unlike in Barham, at the time the trial court denied the
continuance, counsel had not yet entered an appearance. In addition, when
private counsel did appear in court, he expressly conditioned the entry of
his appearance on the granting of a continuance. Unlike Barham, the trial
court in this case did not refuse to accept private counsel's appearance.
[3] French explained:
When we look at a fired projectile in the body, an x-ray may magnify
it. It doesn't tell you how deep in the body, whether it's close to
the skin, in the middle -- so when I place my standard in it, I'm
placing it at roughly the same level so that my standard will magnify
the same as the projectile that may be in the body so that I can come
close to doing a one-on-one comparison.
[4] Lewis contends that "French's own testimony is that he did not put any
objects in the x-ray. He testified that when Mark Lewis was x-rayed, his
assistant put the comparison shots in the appropriate places." Lewis does
not provide a record citation for this contention but it appears he is
referring to French's testimony, "What I -- what I do and my assistance in
this particular x-ray . . . ." Lewis quotes this passage earlier in his
brief with "[sic]" following the word "assistance." However, it appears
that French was merely referring to his role in the process, not the
involvement of an "assistant." Indeed, a few lines later French stated
"when I place my standard in it . . . ." Moreover, when listing the people
present for the x-ray, French did not mention any assistant. Although it
appears that French placed the standard in the x-ray himself, our
conclusion would be the same had an assistant done so at the direction of
French.
[5] Lewis also suggests that "no one even testified that the x-ray of the
leg contained shot from a firearm, a necessary fact for Mr. French's
testimony to be relevant. The objects in the x-ray of the leg itself could
have been anything." To the extent this is an objection on relevancy
grounds, it should have been made in the trial court. Because it was not
lodged there, we will not entertain it here. See Malone v. State, 700
N.E.2d 780, 784 (Ind. 1998) ("A party may not object on one ground at trial
and seek reversal on appeal using a different ground.").