Kevin Wimes v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided December 22, 2015·No. 01-14-00824-CR·Published

Opinion

Opinion issued December 22, 2015

In The

Court of Appeals For The

First District of Texas ———————————— NO. 01-14-00824-CR ——————————— KEVIN WIMES, Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the 339th District Court Harris County, Texas Trial Court Case No. 1431168

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Appellant Kevin Wimes was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a

child younger than fourteen years of age, and he was sentenced to 40 years’

confinement. In three points of error, he complains that his trial counsel provided

ineffective assistance. We affirm. BACKGROUND

The allegations against appellant in this case are that he sexually assaulted

his daughter, Jane.1

A. State’s case

Jane’s mother, Lacrisa, testified that she is the mother of five children, three

boys and two girls, and that she has lived in Florida since 1997. She is now

married and a stay-at-home mom.

Lacrisa met appellant in 1997, and they dated for three years. They had two

daughters during their relationship, Jane and her younger sister, Ann. Lacrisa and

appellant broke off their relationship when Jane was three and Ann was two. After

their break-up, appellant moved to Texas. He did not financial support the girls,

and he only saw them once or twice over a period of years.

In September 2008—when Jane was starting the fourth grade and Ann was

starting the third grade— appellant came back into their life. Lacrisa testified that

it was at a very hard financial time in her life; their car was being repossessed, they

were being evicted, and she could not pay their utility bills. Appellant explained to

her that he had gotten his life together in Texas, had a stable place to stay, and a

“young lady that is helping him out.” They agreed that appellant could take the

girls back to Texas for a while to live with him until Lacrisa got financially

1 We use pseudenyms for minors in this opinion. See Tex. R. App. P. 9.10(a)(3). 2 situated. While the girls were in Texas, Lacrisa lived in a hotel room with one

pull-out bed with her husband and other three kids for the first one and one-half

years, and then they got an apartment. She testified that it was a difficult choice

letting the girls move to Texas with their father, but she believed they would have

stability and resources that she lacked at home.

While the two girls were with appellant in Texas, Lacrisa and the girls spoke

on the phone regularly. Appellant also sent Lacrisa pictures of the girls a couple of

times. Lacrisa thought the girls appeared happy. She never got a sense from the

girls during her conversations that there was anything wrong, and she never heard

any allegations of abuse.

At one point, Jane called Lacrisa and said that she was ready to come home.

Lacrisa and her husband were already settled into their apartment and more

financially stable, so they welcomed the opportunity for the girls to move back. In

July 2010, Lacrisa and her husband drove the thirteen hours to Baytown, Texas,

where appellant and the girls were living, and checked into a hotel to rest because

they were tired from the drive. Appellant then started calling Lacrisa, saying:

“Bitch, come get these kids.” She and her husband immediately went to

appellant’s house.

When they arrived at appellant’s house, he was “intoxicated, in the street,

yelling bitches and whores, and acting like he wanted to fight.” Several of

3 appellant’s friends were also out in the street, as well and Jane and Ann. Lacrisa

got her girls into the car, they stayed the night at a hotel, and then returned to

Florida. When they got home, Lacrisa asked the girls if “anyone had touched them

inappropriately, and they stated no.” That question was prompted by the fact that

when she arrived at appellant’s house to pick the girls up, there were “just several

guys hanging outside . . . drinking; and something just didn’t look right.” She felt

there were too many men and that her daughters were dressed in inappropriate tight

shorts that she would never have dressed them in.

The girls settled back into school in Florida, and their relationship with their

mother was alright, although Ann was somewhat withdrawn. Lacrisa testified that

she believed it was caused by the transition from Texas to Florida. After the girls

moved back to Florida, they talked to appellant on the phone a couple of times.

Something came to her attention on January 7, 2011 that caused Lacrisa to

ask Jane if she had been sexually abused. Jane responded yes, and Lacrisa called

911. She was told that if the abuse took place in Texas, she would have to call a

Child Abuse line, which she did. The next morning, Florida Department of

Children and Families (DCF) caseworkers came to their apartment to explain the

investigation process. They set up a forensic pathologist appointment for the girls,

and a medical appointment for them to be examined. Jane also started therapy.

4 The Baytown Texas Police Department also opened an investigation.

Detective Crowell, the investigating officer, worked in the Crimes Against

Children Division and testified that he had received training involving

investigation, case management, and child interview techniques. He also attended

continuing education courses on child sexual assault investigations.

Crowell’s involvement in appellant’s case began when he received an initial

Child Protective Services (CPS) report alleging sexual conduct between Jane and

appellant. He also received a case file from the sheriff’s office in Florida, which

contained the original offense report, and supplemental reports, and medical and

interview-type paperwork relating to the investigation of Jane’s allegations. He

contacted Lacrisa and the people who conducted the Florida investigation. When

Crowell reached out to him, appellant provided a verbal statement. Eventually,

Crowell decided that the case warranted presentation to the district attorneys’

office, and he issued a warrant for appellant’s arrest.

Jane testified at trial. At the time of trial in September 2014, she was

15years old. She testified that the first time she recalls meeting her father was the

beginning of the fourth grade, when she was nine years old and he came to visit in

Florida. She and her sister then rode on a bus with appellant to Texas. She was

excited because Baytown was a new town and she was excited to see her father.

When they arrived, Jane first lived in a one-bedroom apartment with her sister

5 Ann, appellant, and appellant’s wife, Latoyia. Appellant and his wife slept in the

bedroom, and Jane and Amy slept on an air mattress on the floor. After that

apartment, they moved to a different one-bedroom apartment, and eventually to a

three-bedroom apartment. Finally, they moved into a house, and then later to a

different house.

Jane testified that “something bad” happened to her while she was living in

Baytown. The first time “something bad” happened was when she was 10 years

old, they were living in the second one-bedroom apartment, and it was Christmas.

It was dark outside, and after midnight. She was there with Ann, appellant,

Latoyia, and her cousin, Jack. Jack and Ann were asleep, and Latoyia was in her

room. Jane testified that she was sitting on the couch and appellant came out and

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