Kincade (Michael) v. State

CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 20, 2014
Docket63563
StatusUnpublished

This text of Kincade (Michael) v. State (Kincade (Michael) v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kincade (Michael) v. State, (Neb. 2014).

Opinion

Because the State conceded in the district court and at oral argument that it benefitted from an expert in psychiatry, this factor weighed in favor of granting Kincade's request. See id. The district court, however, did not abuse its discretion by finding that "the evidence of the offense [was] supported by . . corroboration beyond the testimony of the victim." See id. The district court found that B.K. and N.H.'s similar accounts of one incident of abuse corroborated each boy's allegations, and we agree. We also note that B.K. disclosed sexual abuse involving both him and N.H., despite not having had a recent opportunity to conspire with N.H. to fabricate allegations, suggesting that B.K. was telling the truth. Further, Kincade's work computer was used to access websites dedicated to child pornography and stories regarding incest with children, photographs of nude or scantily clothed children were found on this computer, and Kincade admitted to collecting child pornography in the past. Given that Kincade is related to both B.K. and N.H., evidence that Kincade sought out stories about incest lent further credence to the boys' allegations. Therefore, even in the absence of physical evidence of the abuse, we cannot conclude that the district court abused its discretion by determining that the allegations were corroborated. Cf. Abbott v. State, 122 Nev. 715, 731, 138 P.3d 462, 472 (2006) (stating that allegations were uncorroborated in the absence of physical evidence and other witnesses). We also conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion by finding that there was no "reasonable basis for believing that the victim's mental or emotional state may have affected his . . . veracity." See Koerschner, 116 Nev. at 1117, 13 P.3d at 455. Kincade argues that because B.K. was sexually abused in the past, he had the knowledge necessary to fabricate the allegations. As we stated in Abbott, a reasonable SUPREME COURT OF NEVADA 2 (0) 1947A e basis exists to question a victim's veracity where "the victim made prior unsubstantiated allegations, engaged in sexual behavior, and had been exposed to sexual activities." 122 Nev. at 731, 138 P.3d at 473 (emphasis added). Here, there is no evidence that B.K. made prior unsubstantiated allegations or engaged in sexual behavior beyond the events surrounding the prior abuse. Moreover, no evidence suggests that the prior abuse somehow affected B.K.'s ability to tell the truth. Kincade further argues that an independent psychological examination was required because B.K. was angry with Kincade. The jury heard extensive testimony that B.K. was angry with Kincade and that anger could be a motive to lie. Any juror could understand, without the assistance of an expert, that an angry child might lie to hurt the person with whom he was angry. See NRS 50.275 (expert testimony may be admissible where "specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence"). Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its discretion by finding that there was no reasonable basis on which to question B.K.'s veracity. See Koerschner, 116 Nev. at 1117, 13 P.3d at 455; see also Abbott, 122 Nev. at 731, 138 P.3d at 473. Kincade also argues that there is a reasonable basis for questioning N.H.'s veracity based on Special Investigator Maribah Cowley's interviewing techniques, family influences over N.H. after N.H. was removed from Kincade's care, and N.H. being between sleep and awake when the abuse occurred. N.H. testified that he did not feel that Cowley pressured him to adopt B.K.'s allegations, and the district court found that N.H. originally wanted to protect Kincade but told Cowley the truth when he believed that Kincade would get help. We cannot conclude that these findings were erroneous. Similarly, while some evidence suggested that N.H. may have been subjected to family influences after SUPREME COURT OF NEVADA 3 (0) I 947A e being removed from Kincade's care, the actual existence or extent of these influences is unclear, and N.H. testified that he only discussed the case with family once. We conclude that the mere suggestion of family influence is inadequate to show a "compelling need" for an independent psychological evaluation. See Koerschner, 116 Nev. at 1116, 13 P.3d at 455. Further, although N.H. testified at the preliminary hearing that he could have dreamt the abuse, he testified at trial that he was confused by some of the questions asked at the preliminary hearing, he was sure that the abuse actually occurred and he did not dream it, and he would not have dreamed about sexual abuse because he did not dream of things that he had not experienced. In addition, there was some evidence that N.H. had hallucinations and was in special education programs at some point, but the record does not suggest how recent or severe these issues were. Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its discretion by finding that Kincade failed to show a reasonable basis for questioning N.H.'s veracity. See Koerschner, 116 Nev. at 1116-17, 13 P.3d at 455; see also Abbott, 122 Nev. at 731, 138 P.3d at 473. 1

'Our conclusion is confirmed by looking to other jurisdictions' decisions, which appear to address this reasonable-basis factor in terms of whether the victim's ability to tell the truth was affected by a mental disease or defect. See, e.g., United States v. Benn, 476 F.2d 1127, 1130-31 (D.C. Cir. 1973) (affirming a district court order denying a motion for a psychological evaluation where the "mentally defective" victim understood "her duty to tell the truth," demonstrated her ability "to observe and remember," and the jury heard evidence regarding the victim's condition); In re Michael H., 602 S.E.2d 729, 731, 735 (S.C. 2002) (stating that a psychological evaluation of a child victim was required where the child experienced auditory hallucinations at the time the abuse allegedly occurred and when the child made the allegations); State v. Osgood, 667 N.W.2d 687, 692 (S.D. 2003) (stating that "the purpose of a psychological or psychiatric examination of the victim . . is to detect any thought disorders SUPREME COURT continued on next page... OF NEVADA 4 (0) 1947A e In conclusion, the district court did not abuse its discretion by denying Kincade's request for independent psychological evaluations of B.K. and N.H. 2 Motion to sever the charges Kincade next argues that the district court abused its discretion by denying his motion to sever the sexual assault charges from the internet charges and by admitting evidence of the sexual assaults to prove the internet charges and vice versa. Offenses may be joined if they are "[b]ased on two or more acts or transactions connected together." NRS 173.115. Charges are "connected together" if "evidence of either crime would be admissible in a separate trial regarding the other crime." Weber v. State, 121 Nev. 554, 573, 119 P.3d 107, 120 (2005). Evidence of other acts is inadmissible to show a person's propensity to commit a crime, but is admissible to prove a defendant's motive, intent, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. NRS 48.045(2).

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Bluebook (online)
Kincade (Michael) v. State, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kincade-michael-v-state-nev-2014.