v.
State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
MEMORANDUM DECISION
FILED
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), this Dec 30 2016, 6:52 am Memorandum Decision shall not be regarded as precedent or cited before any court except for the CLERK Indiana Supreme Court purpose of establishing the defense of res judicata, Court of Appeals and Tax Court collateral estoppel, or the law of the case.
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE Ruth A. Johnson Gregory F. Zoeller Suzy D. St. John Attorney General of Indiana Marion County Public Defender Larry D. Allen Indianapolis, Indiana Deputy Attorney General Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Michael Reid, December 30, 2016 Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No. 49A02-1603-CR-429 v. Appeal from Marion Superior Court. The Honorable Stanley Kroh, Magistrate.
State of Indiana, Cause No. 49G15-1503-F6-8251 Appellee-Plaintiff.
Garrard, Senior Judge [1] Following a jury trial, Michael Reid was convicted of one count of 1 2 intimidation as a Class A misdemeanor, and one count of harassment as a Class B misdemeanor. Judgment of conviction and sentencing was entered on only the conviction for misdemeanor intimidation. Reid appeals, contending that there is insufficient evidence to support his intimidation conviction, that the trial court abused its discretion by instructing the jury on harassment as a lesser-included offense, and that the trial court abused its discretion in the manner in which it ordered Reid to pay costs and fees. We affirm in part, and reverse and remand in part with instructions.
[2] Reid, a veteran, worked as the secretary for Michael Rilenge at the Veterans
Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis from 2007 to 2010. Rilenge described Reid as a good employee to whom other workers turned in order to accomplish goals and whose behavior was very pleasant, initially. However, Rilenge observed that Reid’s demeanor changed a couple of months prior to Reid’s voluntary resignation from that position in the spring of 2010, after a routine audit of employee transactions revealed that Reid had inappropriately used his government travel credit card for purchases at Walmart and Walgreens. As Reid’s supervisor, Rilenge was required to sign off on Reid’s suspension for this conduct, even though Rilenge had not discovered or reported the conduct.
think I’ve Faded away.” Id. The signature block read, “Thank You and Have A Great Day! ‘A person’s Character is measured by how they react to Pressured Situations.’ Mike Reid.” Id.; State’s Ex. [1]. Rilenge did not respond to the email, but forwarded it to the director, and it was subsequently reviewed by Veterans Affairs Medical Center Police.
[6] The next contact initiated by Reid was an email to Rilenge’s work-issued email address from the same IRS email address on October 23, 2014, over a year after the last email. Tr. pp. 56-58; State’s Ex. [2]. The email, which was initially sent to United States Senator Dan Coats and various others at the Department of Veterans Affairs, read in pertinent part as follows about an EEOC claim Reid had filed:
[T]he lack of candor, morals, and principles among leadership caused me to look for employment elsewhere. The retaliatory adverse actions initiated by Michael Rilenge[ . . .], have ruined my life[.]
I initially had an interagency transfer to USDA, I had a start date of May 24, 2010. [ ]My Veterans Administration First Line supervisor sabotaged that position by calling the Manager I would’ve began working for at USDA. The position was rescinded the day I cleared Veterans Administration May 19th 2010. This made my interagency transfer become Null & Void.
Reid. On that date, Reid sent an email from his personal account to Rilenge’s work-related email address, bearing the subject line, “YOU are still spineless.”
State’s Ex. [3]. The body of the email read as follows:
I am still coming for YOU. It doesn’t matter how many times you contact my agencies [sic] inspector [sic] General. It doesn’t matter, it’ll be well worth losing this job to get to you. AND Thomas Mattice It’s far from over Contact the police again while you’re at it. Neither one of you hold ANY credibility Id.
[8] Later that same day, Reid left a voicemail message for Rilenge at Rilenge’s work number claiming that he was still coming to get Rilenge, but this time