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163 Ind. App. 633

325 N.E.2d 497

Pinkston v. State

Indiana Court of Appeals

Decided April 16, 1975

Indiana Court of Appeals · decided 1975-04-16

Cited by 26 later decisions — most recently October 1989 · most notably 165 Ind. App. 369 - Winston v. State (1975), Murphy v. State (1976)

26 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

““(B) Involuntary dismissal: Effect thereof. After the plaintiff or party with the burden of proof upon an issue, in an action tried by the court without a jury, has completed the presentation of his evidence thereon, the opposing party, without waiving his right to offer evidence in the event the motion is not granted, may move for a dismissal on the ground that considering all the evidence and reasonable inferences therefrom in favor of the party to whom the motion is directed, to be true, there is no substantial evidence of probative value to sustain the material allegations of the party against whom the motion is directed. The court as trier of the facts may then determine them and render judgment against the plaintiff or may decline to render any judgment until the close of all the evidence. If the court renders judgment on the merits against the plaintiff dr party with the burden of proof, the court, when requested at the time of the motion by either party shall make findings if, and as required by Rule 52(A). Unless the court in its order for dismissal otherwise specifies, a dismissal under this subdivision or subdivison (E) of this rule and any dismissal not provided for in this rule, other than a dismissal for lack of jurisdiction, operates as an adjudication upon the merits.” (Emphasis added).”

quoted by 1 later decision, including 177 Ind. App. 341 - State v. Seymour

“"A motion for judgment on the evidence made at one stage of the proceedings is not a waiver of the right of the court or of any party to make such motion on the same or different issues or reasons at a later stage as permitted above, except that error of the court in denying the motion shall be deemed corrected by evidence thereafter offered or admitted."”

quoted by 1 later decision, including State v. Haines

Relies on 150 Ind. App. 590 - Hoosier Insurance Company v. Ogle · 148 Ind. App. 429 - Ohio Casualty Insurance v. Verzele · 116 Ind. App. 322 - McDaniels v. McDaniels

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1975-04-16

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Garrard, J.-

¶1The appellant, Pinkston, was convicted of the unlawful sale of narcotics (heroin) in a trial to the court. The sole error assigned is that the court erred in denying a motion *634for a directed finding made at the conclusion of the state’s case in chief.

¶2The trial court denied the motion and Pinkston elected to proceed with the presentation of her evidence. At the conclusion of all the evidence no effort was made to renew the motion. The motion to correct errors and Pinkston’s argument on appeal do not assert that the decision was not sustained by the evidence or was contrary to law.

¶3We are thus presented with the question of whether any error has been preserved for appeal. We conclude that it has not.

¶4IC 1971, 35-4.1-2-2, Ind. Ann. Stat. § 9-1102 (Burns 1974 Supp.) and Indiana Rules of Procedure, Criminal Rule 21, provide for application of the rules of civil procedure to criminal trials when those rules do not conflict with express rules of criminal procedure. Rule Tr. 41(B) is applicable to a criminal trial. It provides the mechanism for a “directed finding” in a trial to the court by permitting a motion for involuntary dismissal based upon failure of proof.

¶5Other decisions have already noted that TR. 41(B) and TR. 50 (providing for judgment on the evidence in jury trials) are to be construed as companion rules and do not materially modify the practice formerly followed in Indiana. See, Hoosier Ins. Co. v. Ogle (1971), 150 Ind. App. 590, 276 N.E.2d 876; Ohio Cas. Ins. Co. v. Verzele (1971), 148 Ind. App. 429, 267 N.E.2d 193.

¶6Traditionally, where such a motion was denied, the movant was put to an election. She could stand on the record and seek reversal on appeal, or she could proceed to present her own evidence.1 If she elected to proceed, the introduction of evidence constituted a waiver of any error in the ruling on the *635motion.2Delphos Hoop Co. v. Smith (1911), 176 Ind. 29, 95 N.E. 309; Berry v. State Bank of Otterbein (1935), 99 Ind. App. 655, 193 N.E. 922; see, also, cases collected in 26 West’s Indiana Digest, Trial, § 420.

¶7While some of the reasons for this waiver doctrine are to be found in the code pleading theories of another day, a more enduring reason lies in the recognition of substance over form and the desire that cases be adjudicated upon their factual merits. Thus, if the defect is cured as a result of the subsequent evidence, justice requires that the court consider such evidence in reaching its decision. This was recognized by the framers of Rule TR. 41(B) in providing that when the motion is made, the court may decline to render any judgment until the close of all the evidence. The necessary implication of that provision is that the court may consider all the evidence. Thus, the court in Hoosier Ins. Co. v. Ogle, supra,held that under TR. 41(B) a defendant waives any error in the denial of his motion if he proceeds with the presentation of evidence.3

¶8Accordingly, since no error but the overruling of the motion was assigned, and since any error in that ruling was waived by Pinkston’s election to proceed with the introduction of evidence, no error was preserved for appeal.

¶9Affirmed.

Hoffman, J., concurs.Staton, P.J., concurs with opinion.

¶10. It is unnecessary to consider the evolution of the reservation of the right to proceed. Early problems appear to have arisen from the concept that the motion was in actuality or effect a demurrer to the evidence.

¶11. The cases clearly establish the election to proceed and the introduction of evidence as the operative event. Some of the decisions further analogize to jury trial practice and additionally mention the failure to renew the motion at the close of all the evidence. See, e.g. Dowell v. Jolly (1959), 130 Ind. App. 280, 159 N.E.2d 590; McDaniels v. McDaniels (1945), 116 Ind. App. 322, 62 N.E.2d 876. Renewal of the motion in a trial to the court would appear to be superfluous to the preservation of error since the defect, if still present, can be reached by the assignment that the decision is not sustained by the evidence and is contrary to law. Accord: Farm & Home Ins. Co. v. Templeton (1967), 142 Ind. App. 110, 232 N.E.2d 367.

¶12. TR. 50(A) (6) expressly provides that error in the denial of a motion shall be deemed corrected by evidence thereafter offered or admitted.

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