Hatcher v. State

SHEPARD, Chief Justice.

A jury found that appellant Charles Michael Hatcher murdered his former girlfriend, Marilyn Patton. In this direct appeal, he contends that the State did not give him reasonable notice of its intent to offer evidence of prior bad acts under Indiana Rule of Evidence 404(b). This case illustrates how courts can analyze the adequacy of such notice.

Facts and Procedural History

Hatcher and Marilyn Patton were living together as a couple for about ten years. They had three children. Patton and the children moved away from Hatcher and into the home of Patton’s mother in early…