In the Interest of J.C., Minor Child J.C., Minor Child

877 N.W.2d 447, 2016 WL 1273049, 2016 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 41
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedApril 1, 2016
Docket14–0357
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 877 N.W.2d 447 (In the Interest of J.C., Minor Child J.C., Minor Child) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In the Interest of J.C., Minor Child J.C., Minor Child, 877 N.W.2d 447, 2016 WL 1273049, 2016 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 41 (iowa 2016).

Opinions

MANSFIELD, Justice.

This appeal from an adjudication of delinquency requires us to determine whether a violation of the Confrontation Clause occurred when the juvenile court admitted out-of-court statements of a four-year-old child victim. The child made some of the statements during a medical assessment performed by a physician; others were made in the course of a recorded interview conducted by a forensic interviewer. Both the physician and the interviewer testified at the hearing.

. Applying recent authority,of the United States Supreme Court, we find that admission of the physician’s testimony and report did not violate the Confrontation Clause. We also conclude that any error in admission of the forensic interviewer’s testimony was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt in light of other overwhelming evidence that the respondent committed the charged conduct. For these reasons, we affirm the judgment of the juvenile court and the decision of the court of appeals.

I. Facts and Procedural Background. ■

On July 2, 2013, twelve-year-old J.C. visited the home of his friend K.W. An extended family lived in the home, including • K.W.’s sister E.W., K.W,’s brother I.W., and their four-year-old niece A.W.

That afternoon a number of the children were playing outside. J.C. tried to take pictures with a cellphone of E.W.’s chest and tried to touch her. J.C. also attempted to show photos of his penis to E.W. On a previous occasion, J.C.' had written a note to E.W. asking to have sex.

After dinner, I.W. walked into an upstairs bedroom unannounced. He saw J.C. pulling down A.W.’s underwear and saying, “It’s time to go to sleep.” A.W. was [450]*450lying on her back; J.C. was on his knees over her. The underwear was halfway pulled down when I.W. arrived. I.W. yelled at J.C. and pulled him off.of A.W. J.C. denied that anything was going on, turned red, and ran out of the house.

Meanwhile, E.W. and her friend M.M. had been downstairs. M.M. heard A.W. scream. She and E.W. ran upstairs and entered the bedroom. I.W. was already in the room. According to M.M., J.C. had A.W. pinned on the bed and was on top of her. J.C. was taking off AW.’s, clothing, and AW.’s shirt was already on the floor. J.C. soon left the house.

E.W. also recalled hearing commotion and going upstairs with M.M. She arrived to see J.C. on the bed with A.W. and his arm on her. To E.W.’s recollection, A.W. was still dressed.

The two older girls — E.W. and M.M.— grabbed A.W. and brought her downstairs to her mother who was doing chores at the time. The mother called the police and filed a report. The police later directed AW.’s parents to the Child Protection Response Center for interviewing.

The police also obtained KW.’s cellphone, which J.C. had been using that day. The cellphone was found tp contain photos of J.C.’s penis, a video of J.C. masturbating, and a video taken by J.C. of K.W. with J.C.’s voiceover stating that K.W. was going to suck his penis that evening. ,

A.W. does not speak very clearly. A.W. is in speech therapy and, according to AW.’s mother, talking to her is like talking to a two-year-old.

On July 10, A.W. was brought to the Child Protection Response Center by her parents. At that time A.W. was interviewed by Michele Mattox — a forensic interviewer with the Child Protection Response Center and a former twenty-five-year employee of the Iowa Department of Human Services. Mattox had a referral sheet that said, “Rule out sex abuse by older child_” The interview was recorded on DVD, and Mattox .also prepared a report. Mattox recalled that A.W. “had a definite speech and language problem and delay.” In the interview, A.W. said that J.C. had touched her “pee” and that her clothes were off and J.G.’s were on. Law enforcement observed the interview.1

Additionally, Dr. Barbara Harre, a physician and the medical director of the Child Protection Response Center, saw A.W. on July 31. Her meeting was not Recorded, but she dictated a report. Dr. Harre’s report explainéd, “I was asked to complete a medical assessment for [A.W.] ” AW.’s father brought her to the appointment, but Dr. Harre spoke to A.W. alone. No one from law enforcement was present. Dr. Harre took notes and then prepared a report addressed to the assistant county attorney who later prosecuted the case.

Dr. Harre initially reviewed truth-lie concepts and conducted a medical review of AW.’s systems for any areas of discomfort or signs of illness. Dr. Harre then asked A.W. if she could remember what had happened with her brother’s friend when he was' at her place. A.W. stated, “Me upstairs. 'Polled underpants off.” Dr. Harre asked if her underpants came all the way off or down to her knees or something else. A.W. stated, “To knees.” In response to a question whether she had been touched, A.W. said, “Touched me boob. One. Two.” While saying this, A.W. pointed to both sides of her chest.

Dr. Harre asked if the brother’s friend touched her anywhere else. A.W. stated, “Touched back bottom,” while pointing to [451]*451her rear. . Dr. Harre. asked again if he touched anywhere else. A.W. stated, “Touched front bottom.” Dr. Harre asked A.W. what he touched her body with, and A.W. said “Wawa,” apparently a reference to a dinosaur toy she used to have. Dr. Harre asked if the touching hurt or felt good or tickled or something else. A.W. said, “Hurt.” Dr. Harre asked A.W. if anybody else had ever touched her in a way that made her uncomfortable or hurt or something else. A.W. said, “No one else.”

After Dr. Harre. finished asking these questions, she conducted a full medical exam of A.W., with her father now present at A.W.’s request. Dr. Harre found nothing abnormal in the physical exam. When asked during the me&cal exam to indicate where she had been touched, A.W. pointed to her front bottom area and her anal area. According to Dr. Harre, it was “moderately” difficult to understand A.W. throughout the interview and exam. Dr. Harre had not received any information concerning Mattox’s interview before she saw A.W.

The State fiied a delinquency petition and the case proceeded to hearing. A.W.’s mother testified that A.W. would be traumatized by testifying and might not even be able to speak. A psychologist, Catherine Jackson, also testified that the trauma to‘a child of this age would outweigh any benefit from the testimony. The State did not call A.W. to testify. However, other witnesses for the State included I.W., E.W., M.M., Mattoxj and Dr. Harre. J.C. testified on his own behalf and denied assaulting A.W.

J.C. objected to testimony from Mattox and Dr. Harre describing A.W.’s statements on the 'basis of hearsay and the Confrontation Clause.2 J.C. also objected to the admission of their written reports and the DVD of Mattox’s interview. with J.C.

The juvenile court sustained the objections to Mattox’s written report and the DVD. The court admitted Dr. Harre’s written report. The court also permitted both Dr. Harre and Mattox to testify regarding their interviews of A.W. The court found beyond a reasonable doubt that J.C. committed assault with intent to commit sexual abuse in violation of Iowa Code section 709.11 (2013) and adjudicated J.C. a delinquent child as defined by section 232.2(12).

The court noted that J.C.’s testimony “is inconsistent with A.W.[’s] statements to Dr. Harre, and eyewitness accounts by I.W., E.W., M.M., and K.W. who saw A.W. and [J.C.] together.

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877 N.W.2d 447, 2016 WL 1273049, 2016 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 41, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-interest-of-jc-minor-child-jc-minor-child-iowa-2016.