Government of the Virgin Islands v. Williams

44 V.I. 181, 2002 WL 531835, 2002 V.I. LEXIS 17
CourtSupreme Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedFebruary 14, 2002
DocketCriminal No. 39/2001
StatusPublished

This text of 44 V.I. 181 (Government of the Virgin Islands v. Williams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Government of the Virgin Islands v. Williams, 44 V.I. 181, 2002 WL 531835, 2002 V.I. LEXIS 17 (virginislands 2002).

Opinion

ROSS, Judge

MEMORANDUM OPINION

THIS MATTER is before the Court on Defendant’s Motion for Judgment of Acquittal and/or New Trial pursuant to Rules 29 and 33 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure respectively, applicable to trials in the Territorial Court pursuant to TERR. CT. R. 7, to which the Government has responded. The Defendant Eugene Williams files this motion after having. been tried and convicted by a jury on charges of Unlawful Sexual Contact, First Degree along with two counts of Child Abuse. Because the same jury acquitted him of the more serious crimes of Aggravated Rape and Rape in the First Degree, the defendant asserts that the verdict is inconsistent and contrary to the weight of the evidence. Secondly, the defendant contends that the Court admitted impermissible hearsay evidence, which he surmises violated the defendant’s 6th Amendment Rights to confront his accusers, amounting to prejudicial error. In response, the Government argues that under the circumstances of this case the Court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the relevant out of court statements, nor were the defendant’s rights under the confrontation clause violated because the defendant had ample opportunity to cross-examine the victims who testified at trial. For the following reasons, Defendant’s motions shall be denied.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The procedural obstacles that arose in the presentation of the evidence in this trial, although seemingly atypical when compared to the average case, has been demonstrated to be the norm for cases where the perpetrator of sexual abuse against minor victim has been an adult [183]*183member of the household. In these types of cases the victims are generally reluctant to testify for fear of the inevitable and often stigmatizing consequences that the testimony will impart on them and their loved ones. The difficulty usually heightens with the lack of physical traces to corroborate the abuse.1

The case sub judice involves two minor girls — M, age 13, and K, age 10. Although the girls had initially made statements to several adults regarding the sexual abuse, prior to trial they began recanting the statements by refusing to speak of the allegations and the prosecutor was obliged to call them to the stand as adverse witnesses. Despite their apparent refusal to cooperate, the clear weight of the evidence adduced at trial overwhelmingly supports the conclusion that their mother’s husband sexually abused them and that they justifiably feared under the circumstances that testifying against him would create dire consequences for their mother and family. To begin, the record is replete with evidence demonstrating that while the girls were on the witness stand their recollection of eveiything that had transpired was remarkably sharp — but that fear of the outcome marred their ability to freely relate the facts surrounding the sexual abuse.

As regards M’s testimony, while she says she doesn’t remember any of the things that she told Dr. Matthew on September 27, she instantly belies the veracity of such failure to recollect. When visibly troubled by the prosecutor’s characterization of the sequence of events at Dr. Matthew’s office, she replies with absolute conviction that Dr. Matthew’s physical examination came first and only then did she speak to Dr. Matthew. M’s reaction strongly bespeaks of her acute memory regarding all that had transpired that day, including (very likely) the details of her conversation with Dr. Matthew. She displays similar arrogance on her ability to perfectly recall the events of that day, when intimating that she recalled that her mother, father, sister, Hope, the police officer and Cierna Lewis were present at the doctor’s office — and that it was Hope and the police officer that questioned her regarding the sexual abuse. She also was aware that her answers were being recorded by hand. She admitted to having signed her name in the presence of her mother, [184]*184originally as Yaskella and then crossing it out to replace it by MH. Then when asked whether she recalls having responding “yes” to the question, “Did someone give you a bad touch?” she replies, “Yes.” It was not until she was asked whether the statement reflected who that person was and whether it stated that the person was “Eugene Williams, her stepfather,” that she begins to avoid the direct line of questioning by saying she doesn’t remember. And when asked how she responded to the question how her stepfather touched her, and whether she had replied, “He used to play with me by tickling me, biting me on my breast. He would touch me all over my body to include my vagina.” she alleges that that was not her statement. She then denies that the question was posed in that manner— and adds further that she only stated that her stepfather tickles her. It is clear by this exchange that her categorical objective while testifying was not to admit to any portion of her statement that would directly incriminate her stepfather. When she is then drilled concerning her understanding of telling the truth and lying, and specifically, when asked: “M, if I told you that telling the truth is a good thing and not telling the complete truth or telling a lie is a bad thing, would you agree with me if I said that? She sharply responds, “Depends on what your definition for a bad thing and a good thing is.” The prosecutor then explains, “Let us consider for example that telling the truth is the right thing to do. Just for example. Whereas, not telling the complete truth, or telling a lie, is the wrong thing to do. If I phrased it that way, would you agree with me if I said that? She quickly lashes out, “I have been telling the truth. And every time I tell the truth I get — it just makes life hard.” She had already explained some of her reservations about being open and answering questions concerning the sexual abuse in the beginning of direct examination. When asked whether anyone had ever given her a bad touch, she quickly verbally refuses to answer the question. The Court implores of her to answer the question, in response she confides, “Every time I answer a question I get reprimanded for doing it.” The Court inquires, “Who is reprimanding you?” She replies, “Nobody, but I know it is already there.” The Court continues to prod M: “Somebody is going to reprimand you if you answer truthfully?” She explains, “No. I know because, because of, because I see an outcome of my questions, the questions that I have to answer.” The Court then asks what is the outcome. That is when she explains that her little sister can’t sleep at [185]*185night, and that every time she looks at her baby brother she feels sad, and that her mother doesn’t get any cases anymore.

Further, in response to questioning about the difference between a truth and a lie, she describes truth as telling something the way it happens and not covering it up, and that a lie is covering up the truth. After denying her statements for some time, she is then asked, “Did you ever tell your mother about your stepfather touching you?” She replies, “Yes.” In court, she also admits that she told Hope and the officer, in response to the question whether she told anyone about what her stepfather did to her, that she had told her mother about it a year ago.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
44 V.I. 181, 2002 WL 531835, 2002 V.I. LEXIS 17, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/government-of-the-virgin-islands-v-williams-virginislands-2002.