Manders v. State

637 S.E.2d 460, 281 Ga. App. 786
Court of Appeals of Georgia·Decided October 5, 2006·No. A06A1576·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

Bernes, Judge.

A Forsyth County jury convicted James Richard Manders of child molestation, aggravated child molestation, simple battery, and sexual battery. On appeal, Manders claims that the evidence was insufficient to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt of the crimes of child molestation and aggravated child molestation. Manders also contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress and in refusing to give his requested jury charge on accident. For the reasons set forth below, we disagree and affirm.

On appeal from a criminal conviction, the evidence must be construed in the light most favorable to the verdict, and the defendant no longer enjoys the presumption of innocence; moreover, an appellate court does not weigh the evidence or determine witness credibility but only determines whether the evidence is sufficient under the standard of Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U. S. 307 (99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560) (1979).

(Citation and punctuation omitted.) Rosser v. State, 276 Ga. App. 261, 262 (1) (623 SE2d 142) (2005). So viewed, the evidence shows the following. Manders moved into the home of four-year-old A. P. and A. P.’s mother in May 2002. In the summer of 2002, the mother worked at a restaurant and Manders stayed home with A. P. when A. P.’s mother was working.

That same summer, A. P.’s aunt noticed that A. P.’s arm was bruised and that the child had what appeared to be a “passion mark” on his neck. A. P.’s aunt asked the child what happened, and A. P. said that Manders was responsible for the marks.

Approximately a week later, A. P.’s mother told the aunt that Manders had made A. P. drink shampoo and eat soiled toilet paper. A. P.’s aunt contacted the Department of Family and Children Services (“DFCS”).

[787] After receiving allegations that A. P. had been subjected to “bizarre discipline,” a DFCS investigator went to A. P.’s home. Because of DFCS’s previous relationship with the mother, the investigator obtained an order awarding custody of A. P. to DFCS while the allegations were investigated. A. P. asked the investigator, as they were driving away from the home, “You’re going to keep me safe from [Manders]?” and then told the investigator, “[Manders] hurted me.” As part of DFCS’s standard practice, the investigator took a photograph of A. P. at the DFCS office. When the investigator told A. P. that she was taking a picture of him, A. P. told her that “[Manders] takes naked pictures of me like his kids.”

The next day the investigator drove A. P. to a Forsyth County Child Advocacy Center for a forensic interview. During the drive, A. P. told the investigator that “[Manders] plays with my worm.” The investigator asked, “What worm?” A. P. pointed to his groin area and said, “[Manders] said he’s going to take my worm and go fishing with it.”

At the advocacy center, the forensic interviewer interviewed A. P. The interview was videotaped, and the videotape was played for the jury. During the interview, A. P. disclosed that Manders had pinched and touched A. P.’s penis, that Manders “had made him suck [Manders’] penis, and that pee had come out of it.” A. P. also stated that Manders made him “eat poop” and washed his mouth out with shampoo.

At trial, A. P. testified that Manders put “poop” and soap in his mouth, that Manders’ “pee” went into his mouth, and that Manders touched his “private parts.” Additionally, A. P. described Manders as having touched his private part with Manders’ private part. However, A. P. denied that any part of Manders’ private part went into A. P.’s mouth.

A. P.’s counselor testified that A. P. had told her that he had been touched on his private parts, that he had been forced to eat poop, and that someone had put soap in his mouth. A. P. also told her that Manders, who A. P. referred to as “Big Bad Jim,” had touched his private parts. A. P.’s mother testified that on one occasion she found A. P. and Manders naked together in the bed, and on another occasion she found A. P. naked in the bed while Manders was wearing only a towel.

1. Manders claims that the evidence was insufficient to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt of child molestation and aggravated child molestation. Manders argues that A. P. never testified on direct or cross-examination that Manders touched A. P.’s penis with his hand or that Manders engaged in a sexual act involving A. P.’s mouth and Manders’ penis, as alleged in the indictment. However, when A. P. was asked on cross-examination if Manders had touched A. P.’s “privates,” A. P. responded “he did.” A. P. further testified that “Mr. [788] Jim’s pee” went into A. P.’s mouth. The jury was also allowed to consider A. P.’s out-of-court statements as substantive evidence under the Child Hearsay Statute, OCGA § 24-3-16, and conflicts between A. P.’s testimony at trial and A. P.’s out-of-court statements were for the jury to resolve. Amerson v. State, 268 Ga. App. 855 (1) (602 SE2d 857) (2004). Based on the evidence adduced at trial, we conclude that any rational trier of fact could have found Manders guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of child molestation and aggravated child molestation. Id. at 856 (1).

2. (a) Manders contends that the search warrant for cameras and film in his car was issued without probable cause, and that the trial court therefore erred in denying his motion to suppress the evidence seized from the car. We disagree.

When reviewing a trial court’s decision on a motion to suppress, an appellate court’s responsibility is to ensure that there was a substantial basis for the decision. The evidence is construed most favorably to uphold the findings and judgment, and the trial court’s findings on disputed facts and credibility of witnesses are adopted unless they are clearly erroneous.

(Citation omitted.) Bradford v. State, 274 Ga. App. 659, 660 (2) (618 SE2d 709) (2005).

In determining whether probable cause exists for the issuance of a search warrant, the magistrate’s task is simply to make a practical, common-sense decision whether, given all the circumstances set forth in the affidavit before him, including the veracity and basis of knowledge of persons supplying hearsay information, there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place. This Court’s review of the magistrate’s decision is limited to determining if the magistrate had a substantial basis for concluding that probable cause existed to issue the search warrant. Substantial deference is afforded to a magistrate’s decision to issue a search warrant based on a finding of probable cause.

(Citations and punctuation omitted.) Smith v. State, 274 Ga. App. 106, 107 (1) (616 SE2d 868) (2005).

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Manders v. State, 637 S.E.2d 460, 281 Ga. App. 786 (Ga. Ct. App. 2006).

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