Iyapana v. State

284 P.3d 841, 2012 WL 4039823, 2012 Alas. App. LEXIS 140
CourtCourt of Appeals of Alaska
DecidedSeptember 14, 2012
DocketNo. A-10698
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 284 P.3d 841 (Iyapana v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Iyapana v. State, 284 P.3d 841, 2012 WL 4039823, 2012 Alas. App. LEXIS 140 (Ala. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinions

OPINION

BOLGER, Judge.

Romeo Iyapana beat and sexually assaulted T.S., his mother's long-term boyfriend. Iyapana was convicted of first-degree sexual assault for forcible oral penetration, attempted first-degree sexual assault for attempted anal penetration, and second- and fourth-degree assault. On appeal, Iyapana argues that the prosecutor failed to present exculpatory evidence to the grand jury on the attempted anal penetration count. We decline to address this argument because it was not presented to the superior court. Iyapana also claims that the trial judge erred when he gave a jury instruction that contained several examples of what constitutes a "substantial step" as that term is used in the attempt statute. We conclude that this instruction was legally correct and not misleading.

Iyapana also argues that there was insufficient evidence to support his sexual assault convictions, but we conclude that both convictions are adequately supported by T.S.'s testimony and substantial cireumstantial evidence. Iyapana also argues that the sentencing judge should have merged his sexual assault convictions to comply with the double jeopardy clause. But we conclude that the judge's decision was justified by our prior decisions allowing separate convictions for different types of sexual penetration, even when they occur during a single incident.

Background

Iyapana lived with his sister, Charlene, and her boyfriend, Robert. Iyapana's mother, Helen Iyapana, and her long-term partner, T.S., lived at the Brother Francis Shelter and homeless camps in Anchorage.

One day, Charlene, Robert, Helen, and T.S. began drinking alcohol at Charlene's apartment. Iyapana eventually joined the group and began "helping himself to a few drinks." Charlene and Helen attempted to stop Iyapana from drinking, but Iyapana was determined to "get[ ] what he want[led]."

T.S. attempted to break up an argument between Iyapana and Charlene, and Iyapana became angry at T.S. Iyapana pushed T.S. to the ground and dragged him across the floor. Charlene, Helen, and Robert ran out of the apartment because they were frightened by lyapana.

Iyapana punched T.S. and choked him, causing T.S. to slip in and out of consciousness. At one point, T.S. realized that he could not breathe because Iyapana's penis was in his mouth. T.S. later woke to find that Iyapana was "doing it to [his] ... butt" and "making love to [him]." At trial, T.S. clarified that he felt Iyapana's "penis in [his] behind," but was not sure if Iyapana actually penetrated his anus.

Charlene returned to the apartment and found Iyapana drunk and naked. There was blood on the floor and walls and the apartment was in disarray. COharlene found T.S. in a bedroom, beaten up and bloody. Charlene then called the police.

When the police arrived, they found that T.S. had blood covering his face and his clothes. T.S. was wearing two pairs of pants and the outer layer was pulled down over his buttocks. Iyapana was initially cooperative and said that he did not know what happened to T.S. As time went on, however, Iyapana became increasingly combative and tried to intimidate the police.

Iyapana was tried at a jury trial conducted by Superior Court Judge Patrick J. McKay. The jury convicted Iyapana of one count of first-degree sexual assault (for the oral penetration),1 one count of attempted first-degree sexual assault (for the attempted anal penetration),2 one count of second-degree assault,3 and one count of fourth-degree assault[845]*8454 Superior Court Judge Jack Smith sentenced Iyapana to a composite sentence of thirty-two years and six months in prison. Iyapana now appeals.

Discussion

Iyapana waived his grand jury challenge because he did not file a pretrial motion to dismiss the indictment.

During the grand jury hearing, T.S. testified that he slipped in and out of consciousness during Iyapana's attack. T.S. regained consciousness at one point and realized his pants were pulled down and that Iyapana was trying to penetrate him from behind. T.S. stated that he did not know if Iyapana succeeded in penetrating his anus. T.S. explained that, when he regained consciousness at a later point, he realized that Iyapana's penis was in his mouth.

The prosecutor later asked whether T.S. remembered telling the police that the anal assault did not occur: "Do you remember ever having some police ask you about these things about the sexual assault, the penis in your mouth and the anus, and you [said] that, no, that it didn't happen? Do you remember ever saying anything like that?" T.S. replied that he could not remember whether he made that statement. The following exchange then occurred between the prosecmtor and T.S.;

Prosecutor: Do you remember why-let me just ask you if you can-let's say that you did say to somebody that it didn't happen. Do you know why you would have told somebody that it didn't happen?
T.S.: Probably because I was so beaten up and wasn't thinking.
Prosecutor: Is this something that you talk to a lot of people about ... ? Or is this hard for you to talk about?
T.S.: You know, to be honest, I try to heal by myself.... I think it might be part of our culture, to not ... seek help. I know this might sound-sound wrong, but in our culture, we tend to try to-try to heal ourselves. And I think that's ... where I went wrong. I did not really try to seek help.... [Pleople gave me information [on] where I can go to seek counseling and help. But I ... did not utilize it.

Detective Bianca Cross did not testify at the grand jury proceeding. At trial, however, Cross testified about statements that T.S. made when she interviewed him at the hospital the day following the assault. She testified that T.S. was able to describe Iyapana's oral sexual assault. But when Cross asked T.S. whether Iyapana committed any other type of sexual assault, T.S. "started erying and putting his hand up, kind of, you know, looking away from me and going like-you know, kind of pushing away with his hand," and he said "nowhere else." Cross believed T.S. did not want to talk about the anal penetration, so she did not press him for further details.

Iyapana argues on appeal that the prosecutor committed prejudicial misconduct when he failed to inform the grand jury that T.S. denied the attempted anal penetration when speaking to Detective Cross. If Iyapa-na had asserted this argument in a pretrial motion, then we would have to determine whether the prosecutor had violated his responsibilities to the grand jury. Alaska Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(q) requires that prosecutors present exculpatory evidence during grand jury proceedings.5 But this duty "extends only to evidence that tends, in and of itself, to negate the defendant's guilt." 6 "The mere fact of inconsistency [between the grand jury presentation and other evidence] does not automatically convert all such evidence into exculpatory material." 7

To properly raise this issue, however, Criminal Rule 12(b)(2) requires that a defendant file a motion to dismiss the indictment prior to trial, Criminal Rule 12(e) states that "[flailure by the defendant to raise defenses or objections or to make requests which must be made prior to trial ... shall

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Bluebook (online)
284 P.3d 841, 2012 WL 4039823, 2012 Alas. App. LEXIS 140, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/iyapana-v-state-alaskactapp-2012.