Christopher L. Norfolk v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) ( 2019 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
this Memorandum Decision shall not be FILED
regarded as precedent or cited before any Nov 06 2019, 10:49 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
Michael C. Borschel Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Indianapolis, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
Megan M. Smith
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Christopher L. Norfolk, November 6, 2019
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
19A-CR-1387
v. Appeal from the Marion Superior
Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable Helen W. Marchal,
Appellee-Plaintiff Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
49G15-1804-F6-13997
Altice, Judge.
Case Summary
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-1387 | November 6, 2019 Page 1 of 7
[1] Christopher Norfolk appeals his conviction for Level 6 felony battery against a
public safety official. His sole challenge is to the sufficiency of the evidence.
[2] We affirm.
Facts & Procedural History
[3] In the early morning hours of April 12, 2018, IMPD Detective Michael Rogers
was working outside security at the Lava Lounge located in the Broad Ripple
area of Indianapolis. Although he was working as an off-duty officer at the
time, Detective Rogers retained the same police powers as on-duty officers, and
he was dressed in his full IMPD bike uniform.
[4] Around 2:30 a.m., Detective Rogers became aware of an incident inside the
Lava Lounge, so he stepped in to monitor the situation. Two bouncers were
trying to get Norfolk to leave and were standing on either side of Norfolk as he
leaned forward against the bar. Ronald Bell, the bouncer on his right, placed
his hand on Norfolk’s shoulder and explained to him that he needed to leave.
Norfolk refused, and Detective Rogers observed “some back and forth banter
that was being said as far as why he would not leave[.]” Transcript at 69.
[5] After a short time, Detective Rogers approached from behind Norfolk’s left
shoulder, placed his right hand on Norfolk’s lower back to indicate his
presence, and loudly told him, “hey it’s time to go.” Id. at 55. Norfolk
responded, “get Ramon[,]” who was the manager of the Lava Lounge. Id. at
102. Norfolk then turned and “look[ed] directly at” Detective Rogers, who still
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had his hand on Norfolk’s back trying to escort him out. Id. at 69. Norfolk
then shoved Detective Rogers in the chest with an open hand. This caused
Detective Rogers to stumble back a few feet into a grouping of chairs, which
kept him from falling to the ground. The bouncers grabbed Norfolk and forced
him out of the Lava Lounge.
[6] Once outside, Bell held Norfolk to the ground as he struggled, and Detective
Rogers attempted to handcuff Norfolk. Detective Rogers was only able to get
one handcuff on Norfolk before he fought and got loose. A struggle ensued in
the street between the two, and Detective Rogers was able to radio for backup
before his radio came off and the men fell into the side of Detective Rogers’s
police car, causing a large dent. The second officer arrived and helped control
and handcuff Norfolk.
[7] On April 30, 2018, the State charged Norfolk with Level 6 felony battery
against a public safety official (Count I), Class A misdemeanor resisting law
enforcement (Count II), Class B misdemeanor criminal mischief (Count III),
and Class B misdemeanor disorderly conduct (Count IV). On motion by the
State, Counts III and IV were dismissed before trial. A jury trial was held on
March 27, 2019, and Norfolk was found guilty of the remaining charges. The
trial court, however, entered judgment of conviction only on Count I, citing
double jeopardy concerns. On May 16, 2019, the trial court sentenced Norfolk
to 365 days with 363 days (all but time already served) suspended to probation.
Norfolk now appeals, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-1387 | November 6, 2019 Page 3 of 7
Discussion & Decision
[8] “Convictions should be affirmed unless no reasonable fact-finder could find the
elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” T.H. v. State, 92
N.E.3d 624, 626 (Ind. 2018). Thus, when reviewing the sufficiency of the
evidence on appeal, we must consider only the probative evidence and
reasonable inferences supporting the conviction, and we should not assess
witness credibility or weigh the evidence. See Moore v. State, 27 N.E.3d 749, 754
(Ind. 2015). The trier of fact is entitled to determine which version of the
incident to credit by resolving conflicts in the evidence and deciding which
witnesses to believe or disbelieve. See Murray v. State, 761 N.E.2d 406, 409 (Ind.
2002); Scott v. State, 867 N.E.2d 690, 695 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007), trans. denied.
[9] On appeal, Norfolk directs us to his own testimony that contradicted Detective
Rogers’s testimony in certain respects. Norfolk testified that when he was
touched from behind by Detective Rogers, Norfolk reacted by “nudging his arm
back[,]” which he alleges was a “natural reaction” under the circumstances.
Appellant’s Brief at 11. Norfolk also claims that he was unaware that Detective
Rogers was a police officer “since he could not see him over his shoulder and
because Det. Rogers – by his own admission – failed to identify himself to Mr.
Norfolk.” Id. at 12.
[10] We reject Norfolk’s invitation to reweigh the evidence. The evidence favorable
to the conviction reveals that Detective Rogers approached Norfolk in full
police uniform and asked him to leave the establishment, which a bouncer had
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already requested of Norfolk to no avail. According to Detective Rogers,
Norfolk demanded to speak with the manager and then turned toward
Detective Rogers, looking directly at him, and shoved Detective Rogers in the
chest, pushing him back several feet. This evidence amply establishes that
Norfolk committed the offense of battery against a public safety official. That
is, Norfolk knowingly or intentionally touched Detective Rogers in a rude,
insolent, or angry manner while Detective Rogers, a public safety official, was
engaged in his official duty. See Ind. Code § 35-42-2-1(c), (e)(2). 1
[11] Moreover, while the jury could reasonably infer that Norfolk knew that
Detective Rogers was a police officer when he looked at him in full uniform
before shoving him, this was not a required finding. In Owens v. State, 742
N.E.2d 538 (Ind. Ct. App. 2001), trans. denied, the defendant had been
convicted of battering an undercover police officer and, on appeal, challenged
the sufficiency of the evidence on the basis that the State failed to prove beyond
a reasonable doubt that he knew his victim was a law enforcement officer.
Looking to Ind. Code § 35-41-2-2(d) 2 in conjunction with the battery statute, we
concluded: “The conduct prohibited in a battery is the rude, insolent, or angry
touching, and this is the conduct that must be done knowingly or intentionally
1
Pursuant to subsection (e)(2) of the battery statute, a battery offense is elevated from a Class B misdemeanor
to a Level 6 felony if it is “committed against a public safety official while the official is engaged in the
official’s official duty.”
2
“Unless the statue defining the offense provides otherwise, if a kind of culpability is required for
commission of an offense, it is required with respect to every material element of the prohibited conduct.” Id.(emphasis added).
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by the actor.” Owens, 742 N.E.2d at 543; see also Markley v. State, 421 N.E.2d
20, 21 (Ind. Ct. App. 1981) (“‘[P]rohibited conduct’ and ‘element’ within IC 35-
41-2-2(d) are not synonymous. If the legislature had intended culpability to
apply to every material element, the phrase ‘of the prohibited conduct’ would
be superfluous.”); cf. Leonard v. State, 73 N.E.3d 155, 162 (Ind. 2017) (“Though
the victims’ identities were material elements of the offense, the identities are
not part of the prohibited conduct.”). Thus, we concluded that although
“bodily injury to a law enforcement officer” was a material element of the
charged offense, serving as an aggravating circumstance increasing the penalty
for the battery, the element could be proven “without proof of any culpability
separate from the culpability required for the conduct elements of the offense.”
Owens, 742 N.E.2d at 543.
[12] We reach the same conclusion in this case. That is, the State was not required
to prove Norfolk knew that Detective Rogers was a public safety official when
Norfolk pushed him. To establish this aggravating circumstance, it was enough
for the State to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Detective Rogers was a
public safety official engaged in his official duty when Norfolk committed the
battery, facts which Norfolk does not dispute. 3
3
The vast majority of the aggravating circumstances listed in the battery statute do not include a mens rea,
but there are exceptions. For example, a battery offense may be elevated to a Level 6 felony if it “results in
bodily injury to a pregnant woman if the [defendant] knew of the pregnancy. I.C. § 35-42-2-1(g)(3) (emphasis
added); see also I.C. § 35-42-1(f) (offense elevated if the defendant “knew or recklessly failed to know that the
bodily fluid or waste placed on another person was infected with hepatitis, tuberculosis, or human
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[13] Judgment affirmed.
Brown, J. and Tavitas, J, concur.
immunodeficiency virus”). Thus, the Legislature can and does include a mens rea within an element
establishing an aggravating circumstance where one is intended.
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