Jackie Bowe v. Commonwealth of Kentucky

Kentucky Supreme Court·Decided December 15, 2020·No. 2019 SC 0368·Unknown

Opinion

IMPORTANT NOTICE

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED OPINION

THIS OPINION IS DESIGNATED “NOT TO BE PUBLISHED.” PURSUANT TO THE RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE PROMULGATED BY THE SUPREME COURT, CR 76.28(4)(C), THIS OPINION IS NOT TO BE PUBLISHED AND SHALL NOT BE CITED OR USED AS BINDING PRECEDENT IN ANY OTHER CASE IN ANY COURT OF THIS STATE; HOWEVER, UNPUBLISHED KENTUCKY APPELLATE DECISIONS, RENDERED AFTER JANUARY 1, 2003, MAY BE CITED FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COURT IF THERE IS NO PUBLISHED OPINION THAT WOULD ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE BEFORE THE COURT. OPINIONS CITED FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COURT SHALL BE SET OUT AS AN UNPUBLISHED DECISION IN THE FILED DOCUMENT AND A COPY OF THE ENTIRE DECISION SHALL BE TENDERED ALONG WITH THE DOCUMENT TO THE COURT AND ALL PARTIES TO THE ACTION.

RENDERED: DECEMBER 17, 2020 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED

Supreme Court of Kentucky 2019-SC-0368-MR

JACKIE BOWE APPELLANT

ON APPEAL FROM MONROE CIRCUIT COURT V. HONORABLE DAVID L. WILLIAMS, JUDGE NO. 18-CR-00101

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY APPELLEE

MEMORANDUM OPINION OF THE COURT AFFIRMING

A Monroe Circuit Court jury convicted Jackie Bowe of three counts of use of a minor in a sexual performance and being a second-degree persistent felony offender. Following the recommendation of the jury, the trial court sentenced Bowe to twenty years’ imprisonment. He now appeals as a matter of right.1 On appeal, Bowe raises four issues. First, Bowe argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion for directed verdict on the use of a minor in sexual performance charges. Second, Bowe argues that he was entitled to a hearing on his motion to dismiss trial counsel. Third, Bowe asks us to

1 Ky. Const. § 110(2)(b) (“Appeals from a judgment of the Circuit Court imposing a sentence of ... imprisonment for twenty years or more shall be taken directly to the Supreme Court.”).

overturn our long-standing rule prohibiting the admission of a party’s offer to take a polygraph test into evidence. Finally, Bowe claims that he was substantially prejudiced by the admission of certain testimony under KRE2 404(b). We reject each of Bowe’s arguments and affirm his conviction and sentence.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Certain facts in this case are undisputed. Bowe lived together with his wife, Brandi Shepherd (Brandi), and her four children—two boys and two girls—in Gamliel, Kentucky. On April 18, 2016, the two girls, A.G. and B.G., were left in Bowe’s care.3 Brandi worked the night shift at the local Smuckers plant, and the boys left to stay the night with relatives. Bowe and the girls remained at home to prepare for A.G.’s birthday party, which was the following day. Soon after Brandi and the boys left, Brandi’s sister, Lisa, and her daughter, M.B., came over to deliver a birthday cake.4 M.B. asked to spend the night with her cousins, so Lisa left her at Bowe’s house.

All parties agree that, at some point in the evening, Bowe and the girls played a series of games while they were scantily clad. The factual dispute in this case concerns who initiated the games and the degree of sexual conduct that occurred during the games.

2 Kentucky Rules of Evidence.

3 A.G. was ten years old on the night in question. B.G. testified that she was in fifth grade and was either eight or nine years old.

4 M.B. was ten years old at the time of the incident.

M.B. testified that Bowe initiated the games and came up with the rules.

According to M.B., they began by playing a card game in the living room. Per Bowe’s rules, each person drew a card. Whoever had the high card had to remove an article of clothing. M.B. recalled that she drew the first high card and removed her shorts. A.G. next drew the high card and removed her top. M.B. alleged that Bowe told them that it was against the rules to cover themselves with their discarded clothing but allowed the girls to cover themselves with their arms. By the game’s end, M.B. remembered that she was sitting in her underwear, A.G. was completely naked, Bowe was in his boxers and an undershirt.

After the card game, M.B. alleged that Bowe locked the front door. From there, everyone got dressed and the party continued to the back of the home. There they played another game: “dare or double-dare.” In this game, each person took turns issuing dares to one another. Each person was also required to remove an article of clothing on their turn. M.B. testified that the dares included Bowe sitting on A.G.’s shoulders while nude, A.G. sitting on Bowe’s back, and someone having to moon someone else. At the end of this game, M.B. claimed that Bowe and all of the girls were completely naked.

The first round of the dare game ended when M.B. and A.G. left to use the bathroom. The girls proceeded to watch a movie in the living room and B.G. fell asleep on the couch. M.B. and A.G. went to Bowe’s room after the movie ended where they played another round of the dare game. M.B. testified that the game became more sexually explicit at this point. She testified that

Bowe told the girls that the game could get dirtier if they wanted. She recalled Bowe performing jumping jacks while nude. She testified that A.G. dared her to kiss Bowe on the lips, which she did. Finally, she stated that someone dared her to “pleasure herself.” When she said that she did not know how, M.B. claimed that Bowe offered to teach her. When she refused, Bowe did not press the issue.

M.B. further testified that she and A.G. watched pornographic videos with Bowe. She stated that Bowe showed them videos on “xxx.com” and taught the girls how to delete the browser history on the phone. M.B. remembered that Bowe would fast forward the videos in order to reach the sex scenes. M.B. also testified that she asked Bowe about certain parts of the videos and he explained what was happening to her. Finally, she stated that she noticed Bowe put his hand in his pants as they watched the videos. At trial, she demonstrated how Bowe was “messing with himself” by using a pen to mimic his actions.

A.G. recounted a similar series of events as her cousin. She testified that they played card games and “adult truth or dare” after her mother left. She recalled that Bowe initiated the dare game, came up with the rules, and that Bowe had his shirt and pants off. A.G. had significant difficulty remembering the events of that night or her statement to detectives. She testified that she remembered someone mooning someone else but could not recall sitting on Bowe or Bowe sitting on her. Further, A.G. only testified about playing the

dare game with Bowe prior to watching the movie. A.G. did not testify regarding any of the events in Bowe’s bedroom after the movie.

B.G. similarly remembered very little about that night. She remembered someone suggesting they play adult truth or dare but had no memory of the rules or the card game. B.G. recalled sitting in the living room when everyone took their clothes off. She did not, however, remember any specific dares or remember speaking to detectives about the events.

Bowe’s narrative of that evening changed across his statements.

Initially, Bowe denied that he participated in any games. Kentucky State Police Detective Nick Davis interviewed Bowe the day after the birthday party. During this interview, Bowe claimed that he was watching a movie in the living room when he noticed that the girls had gone quiet in the back of the house. When he went to their bedroom, he told Det. Davis that he found them sitting on the floor only wearing sports bras. He chastised them, told them to clothe themselves and to leave the door open. Afterward, he claimed that he fell asleep and woke up at 4 a.m. to finish getting ready for the birthday party before his wife came home.

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Jackie Bowe v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, (Ky. 2020).

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