Sean A. Landrum v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) ( 2017 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
this Memorandum Decision shall not be FILED
regarded as precedent or cited before any Sep 28 2017, 8:35 am
court except for the purpose of establishing
CLERK
the defense of res judicata, collateral Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
estoppel, or the law of the case. and Tax Court
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Donald E.C. Leicht Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Kokomo, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
George P. Sherman
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Sean A. Landrum, September 28, 2017
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
34A04-1705-CR-1132
v. Appeal from the Howard Superior
Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable William C.
Appellee-Plaintiff. Menges, Jr., Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
34D01-0706-FA-457
Najam, Judge.
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Statement of the Case
[1] Sean A. Landrum appeals the trial court’s sentencing order on a petition to
revoke his suspended sentence. Landrum raises one issue for our review, which
we restate as the following two issues:
1. Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it
sentenced Landrum to a sentence that included supervised
probation instead of unsupervised probation.
2. Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it
declined to apply credit time to Landrum’s sentence.
[2] We affirm.
Facts and Procedural History
[3] On June 26, 2007, the State charged Landrum with four counts of dealing in
cocaine, as Class A felonies (Counts I, III, IV, and V) and also alleged that he
was a habitual offender (Count II) in cause number 34D01-076-FA-457 (“FA-
457”). On February 17, 2009, the parties filed a recommendation of plea
bargain, and, on March 18, the parties filed an amended recommendation of
plea agreement. During the hearing, Landrum pleaded guilty to Count V,
dealing in cocaine, as a Class A felony. The trial court accepted Landrum’s
plea and entered judgment of conviction accordingly. Pursuant to the plea
agreement, the trial court sentenced Landrum to twenty-five years with the
Indiana Department of Correction, with twenty years executed and five years
suspended to unsupervised probation.
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[4] On November 30, 2010, Landrum filed a petition for post-conviction relief. On
May 16, 2012, the post-conviction court granted Landrum’s petition for post-
conviction relief and held a hearing. After the hearing, the court found
Landrum guilty of Count V, dealing in cocaine, as a Class B felony, and entered
judgment of conviction accordingly. The court then sentenced Landrum to
twenty years in the Indiana Department of Correction, with fifteen years
executed and five years suspended to supervised probation. As a specific
condition of probation, Landrum was required to attend and complete the
Howard County drug re-entry program.
[5] On October 6, 2014, the Indiana Department of Correction filed a notice of
eligibility into the community transition program. On November 6, the trial
court approved Landrum’s participation in the program and Landrum was
placed on probation. On June 3, 2015, Landrum signed the re-entry program
participation agreement in which he agreed to participate in the program and to
abide by all rules and conditions of the program. Landrum further agreed “to
waive his right to earn credit time for any time spent in jail or otherwise
confined to which he would otherwise be entitle[d] pursuant to Indiana law
during participation in the Reentry Program.” Appellant’s App. Vol. IV at 36.
[6] On June 10, 2015, the State filed a notice of violation, and Landrum appeared
in person before the trial court. The court found that he had violated the terms
of the re-entry program, found him to be in indirect contempt of court, and
ordered that he be taken into custody. On August 12, the court held a hearing
on the notice of violation. Landrum appeared in person, and the trial court
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reiterated the same conclusions and again ordered that he be taken into
custody. On August 19, Landrum failed to appear before the court as ordered,
and the court issued a warrant for his arrest. On August 23, 2016, Landrum
was arrested under cause number FA-457. On the same day, he was also
arrested under cause number 34D01-1508-F4-777 (“F4-777) and charged with
possession of a narcotic, as a Level 6 felony.
[7] On August 31, 2016, the Howard County re-entry court case manager filed a
notice that the program planned to terminate Landrum’s participation because
he had absconded. Landrum denied the allegations in the notice of termination
and entered a plea of false. At a hearing on September 28, Landrum withdrew
that plea of false and entered a plea of true. The trial court then found that
Landrum had violated the terms of the re-entry court program and terminated
his participation. On October 3, the State filed a petition to revoke his
suspended sentence, and, on October 12, Landrum entered plea of false to the
allegations contained in the petition to revoke his suspended sentence.
[8] On March 16, 2017, the parties filed a recommendation of plea agreement. In
the recommended plea agreement, Landrum agreed to plead guilty in cause
number F4-777 and to enter a plea of true to the allegations contained in the
petition to revoke suspended sentence in cause number FA-457. The agreement
further recommended as follows:
[F4-777]: Defendant shall be sentenced to the Indiana
Department of Correction for a period of one (1) year, all of
which shall be executed. Overlapping credit time, up to one (1)
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year, shall be first applied to this cause to satisfy the executed
sentence with any excess applied to cause number [FA-457]. The
sentence imposed in this cause shall be served concurrently [sic]
with any sentence imposed in the Defendant’s Illinois case and
consecutively [sic] to the sentence in [cause number FA-457].
* * *
[FA-457]: Sentencing shall be left to the Court after the parties
have the opportunity to present evidence and argument.
Appellant’s App. Vol. IV at 57.
[9] At a hearing on April 27, pursuant to the plea agreement, Landrum withdrew
his plea of false and entered a plea of true to the allegations contained in the
petition to revoke suspended sentence in cause number FA-457, and he pleaded
guilty in cause number F4-777. The trial court found him guilty in cause
number F4-777 and entered judgment of conviction accordingly. During the
hearing, the trial court stated that Landrum would serve his sentence for cause
number F4-777 “concurrently [sic] with the sentence being served in Illinois
that was committed for a weapons charge apparently while he was a fugitive in
connection with these two cases . . . .” Tr. at 8.
[10] The following conversation then occurred between the trial court and
Landrum’s counsel to determine the amount of credit time from cause number
F4-777, if any, that would be applied to Landrum’s sentence in cause number
FA-457:
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THE COURT: Ok. Now let’s just make sure I’m understanding
this. As I read it, it says he’s entitled to credit from the time he
arrives in Indiana.
[Landrum’s counsel]: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: Which was August 23, 2016?
[Landrum’s counsel]: (Inaudible) there should be a carry over to
the [petition to revoke] case.
THE COURT: Well, there would be a little bit, yes.
[Landrum’s counsel]: It has to be consecutive[] so there
shouldn’t be any carry over because he’s still (inaudible) the
Illinois stuff through—
THE COURT: Hang on a minute. Let me figure this. August
23rd through today is 247 actual days, 494 days credit, so there’s
129 extra days there that would apply to the Petition to Revoke.
[Landrum’s counsel]: No.
THE COURT: No, it wouldn’t because he’s running into
consecutive.
[Landrum’s counsel]: Correct.
THE COURT: So the bottom line is that 129 is just gone,—
[Landrum’s counsel]: Yes.
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THE COURT: —days is gone other than he’s getting credit for it
in [Illinois1].
[Landrum’s counsel]: Correct.
Id. at 9-10.
[11] The court found that Landrum had violated the terms of his probation and
entered judgment accordingly. The trial court sentenced Landrum to one year
with the Indiana Department of Correction in cause number F4-777, which the
court found had been satisfied. For cause number FA-457, the trial court issued
a sentencing order on the petition to revoke the suspended sentence. In that
order, the trial court ordered Landrum to serve the balance of his previously
suspended sentence, which the court determined to be 1,825 days, as an
executed term in the Department of Correction. The trial court also ordered
that Landrum “shall receive no jail time credit while awaiting disposition in this
matter.” Appellant’s App. Vol. IV at 59. This appeal ensued.
Discussion and Decision
[12] Landrum contends that the trial court abused its discretion when it sentenced
him. Specifically, Landrum asserts that the trial court abused its discretion
when it subjected him to supervised probation with a condition that he
complete a drug re-entry program instead of unsupervised probation. Landrum
1
The trial court references a sentence in Michigan, but it is clear from the record that the trial court is
referring to a sentence Landrum served in Illinois.
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further argues that the trial court failed to apply credit time to his sentence after
it revoked his probation. We address each argument in turn.
Issue One: Supervised Probation
[13] Landrum first claims that the trial court abused its discretion when it subjected
him to supervised probation with a condition that he participate in the Howard
County drug re-entry program. Landrum was first sentenced in 2009, pursuant
to a plea agreement, to twenty-five years with the Department of Correction,
with twenty years executed and five years suspended to unsupervised probation.
On May 16, 2012, the post-conviction court granted Landrum’s petition for
post-conviction relief and set aside the original judgment. Instead, the post-
conviction court found Landrum guilty of dealing in cocaine, as a Class B
felony, and sentenced him to twenty years, with fifteen years executed and five
years suspended to supervised probation. As a specific condition of probation,
the court ordered Landrum to attend and successfully complete the Howard
County drug re-entry program. Landrum now asserts that the court erred when
it entered that sentencing order because the amended plea agreement filed on
March 18, 2009, and the original sentencing order issued on May 25, 2009,
called for unsupervised probation.
[14] Pursuant to Indiana Appellate Rule 9, “[a] party initiates an appeal by
conventionally filing a Notice of Appeal with the Clerk . . . within thirty (30)
days after the entry of a Final Judgment is noted in the Chronological Case
Summary.” Further, Indiana Appellate Rule 9(A)(5) provides that the right to
appeal is “forfeited” unless an appeal is initiated within thirty days of final
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judgment, or a criminal appellant obtains permission to file a belated appeal
under Post–Conviction Rule 2. A sentencing order is a final judgment from
which a defendant only has thirty days to appeal. See e.g. Dillman v. State, 16
N.E.3d 445, 447 (Ind. Ct. App. 2014).
[15] Here, the trial court issued its order sentencing Landrum to twenty years with
the Indiana Department of Correction, with five years suspended to supervised
probation on May 16, 2012. On May 24, 2017, Landrum filed his Notice of
Appeal challenging, among other things, the trial court’s order sentencing him
to supervised probation. Landrum waited five years after the trial court issued
the May 16, 2012, sentencing order before he disputed it. Further, there is
nothing in the record to indicate that Landrum obtained permission to file a
belated appeal under Post-Conviction Rule 2.
[16] Because Landrum failed to file his notice of appeal within thirty days after the
trial court’s May 16, 2012, order was noted in the Chronological Case
Summary, Landrum has forfeited his right to appeal that sentencing order.
Issue Two: Credit Time
[17] Landrum also asserts that the trial court erred when it failed to apply seventy-
four days of credit time to his sentence in cause number FA-457 and when it
failed to apply excess credit time from cause number F4-777 to his sentence in
cause number FA-457.
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Credit for Seventy-Four Days
[18] Landrum contends that the trial court erred when it failed to credit him with
seventy-four jail days between his June 10, 2015, arrest in cause number FA-
457 and his August 23, 2016,2 arrest in cause number F4-777. We do not reach
the merits of Landrum’s claim. We find, instead, that Landrum has waived this
issue by his failure to present a record showing any abuse of discretion by the
trial court. “It is the appellant’s burden to present the reviewing court with a
record complete enough to sustain his argument.” McGuire v. State, 617 N.E.2d
548, 550 (Ind. Ct. App. 1993). “Where he fails to do so, the issue is deemed
waived.” Thompson v. State, 761 N.E.2d 467, 471 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002) (quoting
Jackson v. State, 496 N.E.2d 32, 33 (Ind. 1986)). In particular, this court has
previously held that “a defendant may waive a claim of entitlement to credit
time served by failing to present us with sufficient information to determine the
issue.” Brattain v. State, 777 N.E.2d 774, 776 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002).
[19] On June 10, Landrum appeared in person before the trial court. The court
found that he had violated the terms of the re-entry program, found him to be in
indirect contempt of court, and ordered that he be taken into custody. On
August 12, Landrum appeared in person before the trial court and the trial court
again ordered that he be taken into custody. On August 19, Landrum failed to
2
In his brief, Landrum cites August 23, 2015, as his arrest date for cause number F4-777 and calculates the
time owed to him between June 10, 2015, and August 23, 2015, as seventy-four days. The Chronological
Case Summary for cause F4-777 was not included in the record before the court, but the record indicates that
Landrum was arrested for that cause on August 23, 2016.
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appear before the trial court and the trial court issued a warrant for his arrest.
On August 23, 2016, Landrum was arrested on both cause number FA-457 and
cause number F4-777.
[20] In his brief, Landrum states that “[b]etween June 10, 2015, and his August 23,
2015[,] [sic] arrest on the companion case, there are 74 jail days that apply to
this case only. It is error to deny him (at least) these 74 jail days.” Appellant’s
Br. at 14. The trial court ordered that Landrum be taken into custody on June
10, 2015. The trial court then again ordered that he be taken into custody on
August 12. However, Landrum does not present any documentation of the
actual time he served with the Department of Correction between those dates.
As such, we have no indication in the record of his actual time served, if any.
[21] Further, it is clear from the record that Landrum was not in custody between
August 19, 2015, when a warrant was issued for his arrest, and August 23,
2016, when he was arrested. During the April 27, 2017, hearing, the trial court
stated that Landrum, while in Illinois, was serving a sentence in connection
with a charge committed “apparently while he was a fugitive in connection with
these two cases . . . .” Tr. at 8 (emphasis added). Landrum was clearly not in the
custody of the Department of Correction while he was a fugitive between
August 19, 2015, when he failed to appear before the trial court, and August 23,
2016, when he was returned to Indiana and arrested.
[22] Because Landrum failed to present us with sufficient information to determine
the actual time, if any, that he was in the custody of the Department of
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Correction between June 10, 2015, and August 23, 2016, Landrum has waived
this issue. See e.g. Brattain, 777 N.E.2d at 776.
Excess Credit Time
[23] Landrum further contends that the trial court should have applied the excess
credit time he earned while he waited to be sentenced in cause number F4-777
to his sentence in cause number FA-457. Landrum was arrested in cause
number F4-777 on August 23, 2016, and he was sentenced on April 23, 2017.
This amounts to 247 actual days that Landrum spent with the Department of
Correction, which equates to 494 credit days. Landrum was sentenced to one
year, or 365 days, under cause F4-777, so he earned an excess of 129 days.
Landrum argues that, pursuant to his May 16, 2017, plea agreement, those 129
days should have been applied to Landrum’s sentence in cause number FA-457.
[24] We cannot agree. At the sentencing hearing on April 27, the trial court
expressly asked Landrum’s counsel how to apply the 129 days. Landrum’s
counsel then informed the court that Landrum was not entitled to that credit
time in light of the Illinois offenses. The court relied on that representation
when it sentenced Landrum. Thus, we agree with the State that Landrum has
invited any error in the court’s assessment of those 129 days. The invited error
doctrine forbids a party from taking advantage of an error that he “commits,
invites, or which is the natural consequence of [his] own neglect or
misconduct.” Brewington v. State, 7 N.E.3d 946, 975 (Ind. 2014) (quoting Wright
v. State, 828 N.E.2d 904, 907 (Ind. 2005)).
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[25] Landrum’s counsel agreed that the excess credit time from cause number F4-
777 was gone and would not be applied to the petition to revoke the suspended
sentence in cause number FA-457. As such, any error that may exist in the trial
court’s failure to apply the excess days was invited error, which Landrum may
not take advantage of on appeal. See e.g. Wright, 828 N.E.2d at 907. Therefore,
we decline to reverse on this basis.
[26] In sum, we hold as follows: Landrum has forfeited his right to appeal the trial
court’s order of supervised probation issued on May 16, 2012; Landrum has
waived the issue of credit time for his claimed seventy-four days of actual credit;
and Landrum invited any error in the court’s decision to not award the 129
excess credit days. As such, we affirm the trial court’s April 27, 2017,
sentencing order on the petition to revoke the suspended sentence.
[27] Affirmed.
Kirsch, J., and Brown, J., concur.
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