D.B. v. State

842 N.E.2d 399, 2006 Ind. App. LEXIS 219
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 13, 2006
DocketNo. 49A02-0506-JV-514
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 842 N.E.2d 399 (D.B. v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
D.B. v. State, 842 N.E.2d 399, 2006 Ind. App. LEXIS 219 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

MAY, Judge.

Sixteen-year-old D.B. appeals his adjudications of rape and child molesting. D.B. raises four restated issues:

1. Whether the evidence is sufficient to support true findings of rape and child molesting;

[401]*4012. Whether his adjudications of rape and child molesting subjected him to double jeopardy;

3. Whether the juvenile court abused its discretion by committing D.B. to the Department of Correction instead of a less restrictive alternative; and,

4. Whether the juvenile court abused its discretion in not crediting D.B. for time he spent in detention prior to his adjudication and dispositional hearing.

We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand with instructions.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In March of 2004, twelve-year-old A.B. and her younger sister S.B. spent the night at their grandmother's house trailer. Their mother's half brother D.B., who was fifteen at the time, also lived in the trailer.

That night A.B. slept on the couch in the living room. During the night, A.B. woke to find D.B. on top of her. D.B. kissed her. AB. told D.B. "no" and tried to "nudge" D.B. off her by pushing with her arm. (Tr. at 10.) D.B. pulled A.B.'s underwear down, inserted his penis into her vagina and had sexual intercourse with her. D.B. then returned to his room while A.B. cried herself to sleep. A.B. did not tell anyone about the incident at that time.

A.B. became pregnant as a result. At her annual check-up, A.B. told her mother she was five months pregnant. A.B. initially told her mother someone else was the father, but eventually told her mother D.B. had raped her.

In December 2004, D.B. was taken into custody and detained after a hearing. He was charged with rape 1 and child molesting,2 both Class B felonies when committed by an adult. In March 2005, the juvenile court entered a true finding on both counts. In April 2005, after a dispositional hearing, the juvenile court ordered D.B. placed in the Department of Correction until his eighteenth 3 birthday, undergo individual counseling, participate in a sexual offender program, and continue his education.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

1. Sufficiency of the Evidence

D.B. argues the evidence was insufficient for the juvenile court to enter true findings for rape and child molesting.

When the State seeks to have a juvenile adjudicated a delinquent, it must prove every element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. C.T.S. v. State, 781 N.E.2d 1193, 1200-01 (Ind.Ct.App.2003), trans. denied 792 N.E.2d 45 (Ind.2003). On review, we will not reweigh the evidence or judge the credibility of the witnesses. Id. at 1201. Rather, we look to the evidence and the reasonable inferences therefrom that support the true finding. Id. We will affirm the adjudication if evidence of probative value exists from which the factfinder could find the juvenile guilty [402]*402beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. In other words, we will affirm the finding of delinquency unless it may be concluded that no reasonable factfinder could find the elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Id.

A. Child molesting

With respect to the child molesting 1charge, D.B. argues A.B. lacks credibility because she admitted lying to her mother about the incident, she admitted she sometimes has a problem telling the truth, she lacked signs of distress after the incident, and she did not confide in anyone about the incident. He notes A.B. stated in her deposition that her sister was also sleeping in the living room, but at the hearing she testified S.B. was sleeping in her grandmother's bedroom.

D.B.'s argument is an invitation for this court to reweigh the evidence, which we decline. We remind D.B. that "it is the function of the trier of fact to resolve conflicts in testimony and to determine the weight of the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses." Id. (quoting K.D. v. State, 754 N.E.2d 36, 38 (Ind.Ct.App.2001)).

The charging information for child molesting alleges D.B. "did perform or submit to sexual intercourse with [A.B.], a child who was then under the age of fourteen (14) years, that is: 12 (twelve) years old." (App. at 16.)

A.B. testified she was born on March 16, 1991 and the incident occurred in March 2004 when she was staying overnight at her grandmother's home.4 She testified she was asleep on the couch but woke up when "[D.B.] came on top of me." (Tr. at 9.) She explained D.B. "had his leg over me, like almost sitting on me but not really." (Id. at 10.) She recognized D.B., who was her uncle D.B. kissed her. D.B. then removed A.B.'s underwear, stuck his penis into her vagina, and "was pushing." (Id. at 12.) This evidence is sufficient to sustain a true finding for child molesting.

B. Rape

With respect to the rape charge, D.B. argues "there was no evidence of force or imminent threat of force." (Br. of Appellant at 8.) He notes: "As uncomfortable as it may be to think in terms of consensual sexual encounters between children, ... consent is a defense and the evidence strongly suggests the sexual encounter was consensual." (Id.)

The charging information for rape alleges D.B. "did knowingly or intentionally have sexual intercourse with [A.B.], a member of the opposite sex, when [A.B.] was compelled by foree or the imminent threat of force." (App. at 16.)

In considering the rape statute, our Indiana Supreme Court has stated:

[IJt is the victim's perspective, not the assailant's, from which the presence or absence of forceful compulsion is to be determined. This is a subjective test that looks to the victim's perception of the cireumstances surrounding the incident in question. The issue is thus whether the victim perceived the aggressor's force or imminent threat of force as compelling her compliance.

Tobias v. State, 666 N.E.2d 68, 72 (Ind.1996).

[403]*403A.B. testified she was asleep on the couch and woke up when D.B. sat on her. After D.B. kissed her, she said no and tried to "nudge" him off her. (Tr. at 10.) When asked if she was "able to move at all" because D.B. was sitting on her, A.B. replied, "No the couch was [sic] really that big." (Id. at 11.) She agreed D.B. is "much bigger" than she is and that "part of or the reason that [she] couldn't move or stop him from doing this is because his weight was on top of [her]." (Id. at 73.)

She testified D.B. did not say anything to her during the encounter or put his hand on her mouth to prevent her from calling out to her grandmother in the next room. However, she also testified:

Q. Now as this event was occurring, what if any attempts did you make to say anything to anyone?
A. I didn't.
Q. And why didn't you say anything at that time?
A. Iwas to[o] seared.
Q. What were you afraid of?
A.

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Bluebook (online)
842 N.E.2d 399, 2006 Ind. App. LEXIS 219, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/db-v-state-indctapp-2006.