Com. v. Harris, M., Jr.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided September 21, 2022·No. 105 MDA 2022·Unpublished

Opinion

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA

:

v. :

:

:

MICHAEL GEORGE HARRIS, JR. :

:

Appellant : No. 105 MDA 2022

Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered September 14, 2021 In the Court of Common Pleas of Lycoming County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-41-CR-0001125-2019

BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., McLAUGHLIN, J., and McCAFFERY, J. MEMORANDUM BY McLAUGHLIN, J.: FILED: SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 Michael George Harris, Jr. appeals the judgment of sentence entered after a jury convicted him of numerous sex crimes: rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, criminal attempt, aggravated indecent assault of child, aggravated indecent assault - victim less than 16 years old, indecent assault, indecent assault – victim less than 13 years old, indecent assault – victim less than 16 years old, endangering welfare of children, corruption of minors, and indecent exposure.1 He challenges the admission of evidence at trial and the discretionary aspects of his sentence. We affirm.

1 18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 3121(c), 3122.1(b), 3123(a)(7), 901(a), 3125(b), 3125(a)(8), 3126(a)(1), 3126(a)(7), 3126(a)(8), 4304(a)(1), 6301(a)(1)(ii), and 3127(a), respectively.

Police received information in May 2019 from Facebook, Inc., that Harris was messaging two separate Facebook accounts about sex acts with his 10- year-old stepdaughter, P.C. Following an interview with P.C. and her eventual relay of information regarding Harris’s abuse, police arrested and charged Harris.

Before trial, the Commonwealth filed a notice of intent to introduce bad acts evidence pursuant to Rule 404(b) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence. It stated that it wished to introduce the Facebook messages between Harris and a 14-year-old white female, A.W. See Notice of Intent to Introduce Evidence Pursuant to Rule 404(b) (“Notice”), at 2 (unpaginated). It also stated that it wished to introduce Facebook messages between Harris and an adult female, R.W.2 In his conversation with A.W., Harris told her that another victim with a first name beginning with “P” did not get pregnant despite “years of not pulling out.” Id. In his conversation with R.W, Harris told the woman that he began having sex with his stepdaughter when she was 10 years old. He suggested to R.W. that they should have a child together and then engage in a threesome with the child.

Upon being interviewed, A.W. explained that Harris began having sexual intercourse with her when she was in the eighth grade. She also stated that Harris was her father’s friend and lived next door. She detailed that his

2 The messages were not included in the certified record.

assaults began with him touching her vaginal area and escalated to intercourse. She stated that he never used a condom and that he told her not to tell anyone about their interactions and to keep it a secret.

The Commonwealth’s Rule 404(b) notice stated that P.C., the victim in the instant case, is a white female, who at the time of the filing of the complaint was 14 years of age. It stated that Harris began his sexual assault of P.C. when she was 11 or 12 years old. Harris was married to P.C.’s mother at the time and lived in the home. Harris’s assault of P.C. began with touching her breasts, progressed to digital penetration of her vagina, and eventually escalated to sexual intercourse. Harris told P.C. that her mother knew about what he was doing and that she should not tell her because she did not care.

The Commonwealth also noted that Harris had been found guilty of statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors in Bradford County for his acts against N.W., a 14-year-old victim. N.W. is also a white female. N.W. stated that Harris never used a condom when he had sexual intercourse with her and that he was living with her mother during the time of the assaults. He also told N.W. not to tell anyone what was happening.

The Commonwealth contended that the sexual relationships between Harris and N.W and A.W were admissible in the instant case. It argued that the crimes against each victim including P.C. were similar. It noted that all the victims were white females under the age of 15, they all lived on the same property as Harris, Harris gained access to each of the victims through their parent or guardian, he engaged in sexual and deviate sexual intercourse with

the victims and did not use a condom. It also noted that in each case, Harris told the victims not to tell anyone.

The Commonwealth maintained that the conversations between A.W.

and Harris were admissible because they “are part of a chain or sequence of events that form the history of this case and are part of its natural development.” See Notice, at 4 (unpaginated). It noted that charges were only filed in the instant case because of the discovered conversation between A.W. and Harris that made references to his sexual contact with P.C. It argued that Harris tried to convince A.W. that it was safe to continue to have sex with him without a condom because he did the same with P.C. and he never impregnated her. It also argued that the messages were admissible as proof of consciousness of guilt. It stated that Harris had sent A.W. messages on five separate occasions, telling her to delete their messages. The Commonwealth also maintained that the evidence was necessary to rebut Harris’s claim that his conversations with A.W. about sex with her and with P.C was just “talk.”

Before trial, Harris moved to suppress statements he made when police interviewed him. See Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion, filed 6/22/20.3 Harris stated that he made statements to Trooper Jamesan Keeler but that they should be suppressed because they were involuntary. He argued that he made an unambiguous request for counsel, but Trooper Keeler continued speaking with

3 Harris also asked the court to sever charges relating to his alleged sexual interactions with a dog and sexual assault of P.C.’s mother.

him. Harris also argued that any prior bad acts involving minors should be excluded.

At a hearing on the motion, Trooper Keeler testified that when he interviewed Harris, he read Harris his Miranda warnings and that Harris signed a waiver form. See N.T., Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion, 9/24/20, at 6, 8, 10.4 The Commonwealth introduced a video of the interview as well as a transcript of the interview. Id. at 8. The Commonwealth played the entirety of the video for the court. Id. at 10. Trooper Keeler testified that when Harris referenced counsel, he continued questioning him because “I wanted him to be specific on what he meant by that remark.” Id. at 18. The Commonwealth also admitted Harris’s criminal history rap sheet to show his familiarity with the criminal justice system. Id. at 20. Harris testified that he signed an application for a public defender before being interviewed by Trooper Keeler. Id. at 24-25.

Following the hearing, the court ordered both parties to submit briefs for their respective arguments. In his brief, Harris argued that in the following exchange between him and Trooper Keeler, he invoked his right to counsel.

Harris: And before we get started with anything, I’m not planning to be mean or nothing, but I probably will lawyer up.

Trooper Keeler: Okay. And that’s - that’s

Harris: I’m not being a dick or nothing, but with the charges and everything, I think it would be the best bet to –

4 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966).

Trooper Keeler: Okay. Because once you – once you lawyer up, basically I’m probably never – you’ll never talk to me.

Harris: Okay.

Trooper Keeler: But that’s your – that’s your right as, you know, you have, so if that’s

Harris: Well, let’s keep going to see – Trooper Keeler: Okay Harris: Because I want to know everything that is going on.

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