Jerry Graham v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided September 8, 2006·No. 03-05-00396-CR·Published

Opinion

TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN

NO. 03-05-00396-CR

Jerry Graham, Appellant

v.

The State of Texas, Appellee

FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF CALDWELL COUNTY, 421ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT NO. 2004-247, HONORABLE TODD A. BLOMERTH, JUDGE PRESIDING

MEMORANDUM OPINION

The jury convicted appellant Jerry Graham of the offenses of sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. See Tex. Pen. Code Ann. § 22.011(a)(2)(C) (West Supp. 2005) (sexual assault of a child); § 21.11(a)(1) (West 2003) (indecency with a child). In three issues on appeal, Graham contests: (1) the admission, through the medical records exception to the hearsay rule, of the complainant’s hearsay statements to a counselor; (2) admission of the counselor’s opinion testimony regarding the reasons for the complainant’s delayed outcry; and (3) the factual sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the sexual assault conviction. We will affirm the judgment of the district court.

BACKGROUND

The jury heard evidence that 15-year-old G.M. was sexually assaulted by Graham, her stepfather. G.M. testified that on two separate occasions, at night while G.M. was sleeping,

Graham came into her bedroom and “licked” her breasts and her genitals. We will review the evidence concerning the nature of Graham’s acts as necessary when addressing Graham’s sufficiency challenge.

The incidents in question took place in January and April 2004. G.M. testified that she informed her mother, Victoria Graham, about the incidents two days after the last one had occurred. Victoria testified that she confronted Graham about G.M.’s allegations, and that he denied them. The following day G.M. told her friend Rachel about what had happened. Rachel testified that she told G.M. to tell their friend Natasha’s mother about what had happened. Natasha’s mother worked as a dispatcher for the Luling Police Department. G.M. recounted that Rachel and Natasha’s mother took her to the police station. At the station, G.M. first spoke with Officer Joe Earle, a traffic patrol officer. Officer Earle testified that once G.M. began telling him what had happened to her, he immediately contacted Officer Jeff Goff, the investigator on duty. Earle testified that once Goff arrived, Goff began interviewing G.M. and told Earle to contact Child Protective Services (CPS).

While the officers were waiting for CPS, Graham and Victoria arrived at the police station looking for their daughter. They were accompanied by G.M.’s younger sister. Earle testified that he asked Graham to go outside with him. Earle testified that Graham followed him outside and that Graham stated, “I know exactly what’s going on” because Victoria had told him about G.M.’s allegations. Earle testified that he responded to Graham that the allegations were “under investigation,” that Graham was not being detained, and that he was free to leave at any time. Earle testified that Graham did not leave.

Officer Goff testified that when he interviewed G.M. she was “nervous, timid,” and that she was “biting her fingernails and didn’t really want to talk.” Goff testified that he interviewed

G.M. for approximately 10 to 20 minutes but did not ask her very detailed questions. He arranged for G.M. to be transported to Roxanne’s House, a children’s advocacy center, for a comprehensive interview. Goff testified that he observed the interview at Roxanne’s House via closed-circuit media, and that what “emerged from that interview” was consistent with what G.M. had told him earlier. Goff also testified that he interviewed Victoria and G.M.’s sister the same night he interviewed G.M., and that he later obtained statements from G.M.’s friends Rachel and Natasha, and Natasha’s mother.

Sammye Sessions, the CPS supervisor for Hays and Caldwell Counties, responded to the call from the Luling Police Department. She testified that she went to the station and interviewed G.M., G.M.’s sister, and their mother. Sessions testified that after speaking with each of them, she obtained permission from her superiors to perform an “emergency removal” of both girls from their parents’ custody. Sessions also observed G.M.’s interview at Roxanne’s House, and testified that G.M.’s statements during the interview were consistent with what G.M. had told her. Sessions also testified that it was common for children to have trouble recounting specific details of sexual abuse.

The jury also heard testimony from Gene Hartin, a licensed professional counselor.

Hartin testified that in August 2004, G.M. was referred to him for therapy on several issues, including sexual abuse. Hartin was G.M.’s therapist for approximately 10 months. Hartin testified that after a “few months” of therapy, G.M. told Hartin that Graham had sexually abused her on three occasions—once by “rubbing” her vagina, and two other times by “licking” her vagina. Hartin also testified that G.M. had a low IQ in the range of 70 to 80, with 100 being the “average IQ of the general population.” Hartin explained to the jury, without objection, that G.M.’s age and “definitive

cognitive mental deficiencies” could have contributed to her not being able to recall specific details of the sexual abuse. Hartin further testified, again without objection, that, in his opinion, G.M. delayed making her outcry against Graham because doing so “would create a major disturbance in the family that would impact on her mother’s happiness.”

Graham was indicted on two counts of sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child. Graham was first tried on these charges in April of 2005, but the jury could not reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial. In the second trial, the jury convicted Graham of all four counts. Graham pleaded true to a prior conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child, and the court assessed punishment at life imprisonment. This appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

Hearsay statements In his first issue, Graham argues that the district court erred in admitting the statements G.M. made to her counselor, Gene Hartin, under the medical diagnosis and treatment exception to the hearsay rule. See Tex. R. Evid. 803(4).

An appellate court reviewing a trial court’s ruling on the admissibility of evidence must utilize an abuse-of-discretion standard of review. Weatherred v. State, 15 S.W.3d 540, 542 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000). In other words, the appellate court must uphold the trial court’s ruling if it was within the zone of reasonable disagreement. Montgomery v. State, 810 S.W.2d 372, 391 (Tex.Crim.App. 1990). In addition, the appellate court must review the trial court’s ruling in light of what was before the trial court at the time the ruling was made. Weatherred, 15 S.W.3d at 542.

Hearsay is a statement, other than one made by the declarant while testifying at trial or hearing, offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Tex. R. Evid. 801(d).

Hearsay is not admissible except as provided by statute or these rules or by other rules prescribed pursuant to statutory authority. Tex. R. Evid. 802. One such provision is the “medical diagnosis or treatment” exception, which allows the admission of hearsay “[s]tatements made for the purposes of medical diagnosis or treatment and describing medical history, or past or present symptoms, pain, or sensations, or the inception or general character of the cause or external source thereof insofar as reasonably pertinent to diagnosis or treatment.” Tex. R. Evid. 803(4). Rule 803(4) is based on the assumption that the patient appreciates that the effectiveness of the treatment may depend on the accuracy of the information provided to the physician. Fleming v. State, 819 S.W.2d 237, 247 (Tex. App.—Austin 1991, pet. ref’d).

In Jones v. State, this Court explained:

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