Frye v. State

185 So. 3d 1156, 2015 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 37, 2015 WL 3448793
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedMay 29, 2015
DocketCR-13-1787
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 185 So. 3d 1156 (Frye v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Frye v. State, 185 So. 3d 1156, 2015 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 37, 2015 WL 3448793 (Ala. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

JOINER, Judge.

Darrius Javon Frye was convicted of first-degree rape, see § 13A-6-61,' Ala. Code 1975, and first-degree sodomy, see, § 13A-6-63, Ala.Code 1975. The trial court sentenced Frye to life imprisonment for' each conviction pursuant tb the Habitual Felony Offender Act, see § 13A-5-9, Ala.Code 1975.1' Frye was ordered to pay a $50 crime victims’ compensation assessment, court costs, and restitution;

Facts cmd Procedural History

The State’s evidence at trial tended to show that, on. August 10, 2013, Frye forced A.A.2 to engage in vaginal and anal intercourse with him. A,A. testified that Frye is her ex-husband3 and the father of her son, L.F. A.A. stated that she and .Frye did not live together after 2011 and.that, on the morning of August 10, ,2013, she and Frye had an argument during a telephone call after she requested that he pay child support. A.A. testified:

- “He was making statements -like: I shouldn’t put him on child support. He’s going to show my ass— [He said,] - ‘You’re stupid. You ain’t going to get no money from me. Fm not going to work to make, sure .you don’t get no money.’ •• -
[[Image here]]
“In the middle of his ranting, he was — I guess I wasn’t responding the way he ivanted me to because J was saying I’m not worried about it. [I said,] ‘I’m just going to - let the court system in Brewton handle it, take care of it. You don’t do anything for him anyway.’ And -he was like, Well, I’m [1158]*1158going to show you. I’m going to show your ass.’ And at that, point I hung up on him.”

(R. 180). A.A. testified that, sometime after the argument, Frye appeared at. her home and that L.F., who was three years old at the time, let him inside without her knowledge. A.A. testified that she told Frye to leave but that he closed and locked the front door instead. A.A. testified that she attempted to call emergency 911, but that Frye “snatched [her cell phone] out of [her] hand and slung it down on the couch.” (R. 182.) A.A. testified that Frye then put her in a headlock and forced her into her bedroom and onto her bed. A.A. testified:

“A. So at this point, I’m resisting him and he choked me again. Choked me back down to the bed. I’m steady trying to get him off me. Choke me back down to the bed. 'Every attempt it seemed like I made, he choked me harder, you know, to the point where I said to myself, ‘Well, he’s going to make a mistake and kill you.’
“So I kept trying to get him off me, but at that point he: kind of pinned my arms down. And was still choking me at the same time. Pinned me down with his elbows.
“And then that’s when he started trying to pull off my clothes and stuff. And I made every attempt to get him off me, but it just didn’t work. At that—
“Q. Were you telling him to stop?
“A. Uh-huh, I was telling him to stop.
“Q. Telling-him no?
“A. Telling him no. [I said,] ‘I’m going to call the police on you. You’re going to go to prison. This time you’re going to go. You’re going to go to jail. I want you to stop. Do you see what you’re doing? Think about what you’re doing.’
“Q. Was he — was he saying anything during that attack?
“A. Yeah. [He said,] ‘I’m going to show you.’ ..."[I]t was basically, ‘I’m going to show you that this is mine.’ And really, like,' ‘Ain’t nobody going to believe you, you married to me,’ type 'thing. ' And, ‘I’m going to do you dirt.’ That’s what he said.
[[Image here]]
“... So he was, like, the last time he said, ‘I’m going to do you dirt,’ he kind of had me angled at a certain way where it was like if I moved, I. knew — it just hurt too bad. He had me. Pretty much he overpowered me.
“And at that point, that’s when he was attempting — he was pulling his pants down and stuff. And he was still choking me with one hand. The other hand, every time he’d get one loose, he would pull his pants down and try to get himself ready, I guess. And then that’s when he penetrated me.
“Q. Was that penetrate you vaginally?
“A. Vaginally at first.
“Q. Okay. So he- put his penis into your vagina?
[[Image here]]
“A.-’ Uh-huh:And then he did that for a few times. And then I kept — I guess he got aggravated because I just kept fighting him. And then he was like, ‘I’m going to do you dirt. I’m going to do you dirt. I’m going to show you.’ And at..that point, that’s when; he removed himself from my vagina and penetrated into my anus

(R. 185-87.)

Officer Mary McNew and Officer Steve Morris of the City of Atmore Police Department testified that they responded to A.A.’s home after she called 911. to report that she had been sexually assaulted. Of[1159]*1159ficer McNew testified that A.A. was “visibly upset” and.that, in.AA’s bedroom, “it appeared that there was a small type struggle, or just the appearance of something happened on top of the covers of the bedroom.” (R. 62, 64.) Officer Morris testified that A.A. “was crying, real upset. And had her arms crossed to herself. And just real upset.” (R. 75.) Officer Morris testified that he questioned A.A. and that she informed him that Frye was the person who had raped her.

. Dr. William Harris testified that, on August 10, 2013, he was working in the emergency room at Atmore Community Hospital. Dr. Harris testified that he performed a sexual-assault examination of A.A. and prepared a rápe kit with evidence collected from that examination. Dr. Harris testified that A. A. “was upset and crying when she first arrived” and that “[h]er heart rate was ábout 101.” (R. 107, 108.)' Dr. Harris testified 'that, during the examination, he found blood “right outside of the vagina” and that his observation was normal because A.A. had disclosed to him that she was experiencing her menstrual period at that time. (R. 108.) .Dr. Harris also testified, however, that he “found blood on the anus itself, which is a bit unusual.” (R. 109.)

Frye testified that he was at :A.A.’s house on the morning of August 13, 2013, and that he had sexual intercourse with A.A. while he was there. Frye testified, however, that A.A. had consented .to the intercourse.and that he -had not forced her to participate.

Discussion

On appeal, Frye contends, among other issues, that the trial court abused its discretion and violated Rule 404(b), Ala. R. Evid., because, he says, it erroneously admitted collateral-bad-act evidence to prove his character and to prove that he acted in conformity therewith on the date of the alleged offense. Specifically, he claims that A.A.’s testimony with respect to an incident that occurred on July- - 8, 2012, wherein he physically assaulted A.A;, was not admissible under the exceptions to the general exclusionary rule to prove his motive, intent, or pattern of violence against A.A. Because we reverse Frye’s conviction on-this basis, we do not address the-remaining issues he raises on appeal.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
185 So. 3d 1156, 2015 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 37, 2015 WL 3448793, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frye-v-state-alacrimapp-2015.