Commonwealth v. Gonzalez

28 Mass. L. Rptr. 33
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedFebruary 14, 2011
DocketNo. 200900639
StatusPublished

This text of 28 Mass. L. Rptr. 33 (Commonwealth v. Gonzalez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Gonzalez, 28 Mass. L. Rptr. 33 (Mass. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

Agnes, Peter W., J.

I.INTRODUCTION

1. The defendant is charged by indictment with four counts of Rape of a Child (G.L.c. 265, §22A), Assault with Intent to Commit Rape (G.L.c. 265, §13B), and Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under the Age ofFourteen (G.L.c. 265, §13B). The defendanthas filed a pretrial motion to dismiss based on the claim that the Commonwealth presented the grand jury with a distorted picture of the evidence in violation of Commonwealth v. O’Dell, 392 Mass. 445 (1984). The defendant also filed a pretrial motion to suppress statements he made to the police on grounds that they were not voluntary.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

2. The essential facts are not in dispute. The record contains a report by the mother of the alleged victims, six-and nine-year-old females, that indicates that her children told her that they had a sleep over in late February with their friend Santiago, the young nephew of the defendant, who lives across the street. The children said they were in bed with Santiago and his uncle, the defendant, when the defendant engaged in anal intercourse with one child and put his penis in the mouth of the other child. On March 12, 2009, the defendant was transported by the Worcester Police Department from his place of employment at Webster Square Golden Pizza to the Worcester Police station. The initial conversation with the defendant was in English. At the police station, the defendant was led into an interrogation room, a windowless area approximately ten feet by ten feet containing a table, four chairs and one doorway. Worcester Police Officer Angel Rivera, who is Spanish speaking, served as the interpreter. Officer Detective Mark Jolin was the principal interrogator.

3. The parties agree that the transcript prepared by the defendant and received as an exhibit is a fair and accurate rendering of the interview of the defendant on March 12,2009. There is also an audio video record of the interview and a DVD containing that data is an exhibit in this case.

4. The defendant informed the police at the outset of the interview that he understood that the interview would be recorded. He also stated that he did not speak English veiy well, but he did understand it. Transcript of Defendant’s March 12, 2009 Interview at 1 (hereafter, “T.’j.

5. The defendant was informed of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 366 (1966), and indicated that he understood them. The defendant expressed a willingness to answer the questions of the police. A written Miranda waiver form in Spanish was signed. The time was 7:30 p.m. T. 2-3. The defendant was asked about his living arrangements and explained that he lived with his sister and brother-in-law, a nephew, a niece, and a third adult. The three men worked together at the pizza shop. T. 4-5, 7. The defendant indicated he had come to the United States from Mexico about 18 months earlier and that this was the second time he had come to this country. T. 5. The defendant told the police his niece Emily was going to be three years old and his nephew Santiago is eight years old. The defendant acknowledged a prior arrest for soliciting an undercover police officer posing as a prostitute. T. 8-9. The defendant indicated he drank beer, used marijuana, but did not use other drugs. T. 10. .

[34]*346. The defendant told the police that about two weeks earlier, one of his cousins invited him to come to another pizza store to play cards. A group of friends were there and they played cards. The defendant was then invited to go down to the basement where he was attacked by four of them, and was beaten by these men as well as by his cousin. The defendant said when he asked them why they were beating him, they simply said again and again “y°u know.” T. 11-12. The defendant said he asked the group whether they were upset over an incident involving his cousin’s girlfriend, but he was told instead it was about things he had done to his cousin’s daughters. T. 12-13. The defendant identified the two girls and acknowledged that they had slept over his house on more than one occasion. The defendant added that his cousin was accusing him of having done something to the girls on an occasion about fifteen days ago, but the defendant denied that he was at home that evening. The defendant indicated that there were at least two occasions in the last year when the girls slept over at his house, but indicated that he was not at home on any such night during 2010. T. 17-19.

7. As the interview progressed, the police suggested that the defendant did not seem like someone who would harm children when he was not drunk, that because the children were so upset about what they say happened to them that the allegation must be true, and that the police could get help for the defendant’s drinking problem. T. 22-23. The defendant also told the police that his sister spoke to the mother of the alleged victims, supported the defendant’s story that he had not done anything to the girls, and asked their mother to have them “checked out.” T. 24-25. In response, Detective Jolin told the defendant that the girls had been “checked out” and one in particular had “tears in her anus.” T. 25.

8. The defendant also stated that the father of the alleged victims beats them. T. 26-27. The police, in turn, told the defendant that they were not concerned with bruises: “I am worried about a little girl who was raped! OK.” T. 26. Further, the police remarked, “there’s no doubt that it happened, because there is medical evidence to prove it. OK?” T. 26. The police also stated that the two little girls identified the defendant as the perpetrator and were afraid of him because he did bad things to them. T. 26. The defendant denied any wrongdoing and denied being drunk around the children. T. 26.

9. The police pressed the defendant to admit that he had been at home recently while the young girls were present and had come into contact with them. The defendant did admit playing with the girls for some time while his sister was doing house cleaning. T. 26. “I played a little bit with them, because they were always asking me to play with them.” T. 28. He also explained that he was referring to his cousin’s children who he regarded as his nieces. T. 29. The defendant said that he played video games until he lost and then took a shower and went to bed. He denied drinking alcohol, using drugs, or any further interaction with the children. T. 30.

10. The police told the defendant they did not believe him and suggested that because the children had made these accusations and were so upset the defendant should admit that he did bad things to them. T. 33. When the police suggested that because the children were making the accusation it must be true the defendant agreed. The police said that the defendant should “be a man” and tell them what had happened, indicated that they could get “help” for him, and suggested that maybe he had not done anything intentionally. The defendant replied “maybe, the only thing I remember from that night was when I was in my right mind, because, drunk, maybe yes . . . Maybe I did do the girl drunk but, I don’t think so.” T. 35. The defendant maintained that if anything had happened he was drunk and the police responded. The police pressed the defendant to admit his involvement and to spare the children from the pain of having to continue to tell the story.

11. Later in the interview, the defendant admitted he was drinking and stayed up playing with one of the girls after his nephew went to bed.

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Bluebook (online)
28 Mass. L. Rptr. 33, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-gonzalez-masssuperct-2011.