People v. Kreiner

329 N.W.2d 716, 415 Mich. 372
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 22, 1982
DocketDocket 68114
StatusPublished
Cited by66 cases

This text of 329 N.W.2d 716 (People v. Kreiner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Kreiner, 329 N.W.2d 716, 415 Mich. 372 (Mich. 1982).

Opinions

Per Curiam.

The Court of Appeals has reached conflicting results on the question of what effect the adoption of the Michigan Rules of Evidence has had on the tender years exception to the hearsay rule.1 We hold that the exception no longer exists; hearsay evidence as to what a child of tender years related about the circumstances of a sexual assault may be admitted only if it comes within one of the existing exceptions.2

I

The defendant was charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct3 as a result of what was [374]*374alleged to have occurred between him and a six-year-old girl during the morning of July 3, 1979.

The child could not relate at trial the details of what had occurred on July 3. She would only say that the defendant had come into her bedroom and had done something "bad”. Her mother explained that the defendant was a friend who had come to visit the preceding evening and had slept on the couch that night. The mother testified that she got up around 10:30 or 11 a.m. She dressed and took her daughter to eat. On the way home from the restaurant, she had a conversation with her daughter. Defense counsel interrupted with an objection that the contents of the conversation would be hearsay. The trial judge relied on the tender years exception to the hearsay rule to allow the testimony and noted that there had been little delay in the communication to the mother:

"Here, in this instance, the child being seven [at the time of trial], apparently alleges to her mother the following morning that a certain act occurred. The passage of time is minor, comparatively speaking, as it was the first opportunity, a visit with the mother in the morning, the child had to talk to the mother, who took her out in the car to breakfast and on the way back the child related this incident. Therefore, I’m going to overrule the objection and permit the testimony. Thank you.
"I should comment further that I feel that is adequate explanation for what little delay there was. There really was very little delay.”

The mother then testified as follows:

"Q. * * * What did she tell you?
"A She said that he had fondled her female genitals and, well, that he had — was playing with her too-too.
[375]*375"Q. She said that he was playing with her too-too?
"A. Yes. She said that he had done something that hurt and then he stopped.
”Q. What is a too-too, if you know?
"A. That is what me and her refer to as her female genitals.
"Q. I see.
”A. And she had said that he had laid on top of her and that he had touched her with his penis.
"Q. Did she tell you where he touched her with his penis?
"A. On her legs.”

Again, over objection on hearsay grounds, a police officer was permitted to testify as to his conversation with the child later that day:

"A. * * * She said that he took out his thing and asked her to touch it. And she told him no that she wouldn’t. And then. he pulled down her pants and began touching her.
"I asked her where he touched you, 'where you pee?’ And she said yes. And I said, 'Did it hurt?’ And she said 'No, just a little bit’, and I said, 'Did he put it inside where you pee a little bit?’ and she said yes.
"And I said, 'Did you want him to do that?’ And she said no. 'I told him to stop.’
"I said, 'Did he stop?’ and she said no.
"I said, 'How long did he do that?’
"She said he kept doing it until he started rubbing his thing.
“Q. I see.
"A. I said, 'Then how long did he rub his thing, for just a couple of seconds, or what?’ And she told me he rubbed it for a long time, and at that point I didn’t know how to exactly ask her if he had ejaculated and I asked her, 'Did it spit?’ And she said no, that it hadn’t and that was the extent of the interview at that time.”

The defendant testified that nothing occurred [376]*376that morning between him and the child. He had showered about 9 a.m. and left. The trial judge concluded that the defendant did have sexual contact with the child, and he found the defendant guilty as charged. The Court of Appeals affirmed the defendant’s conviction.

II

A

Before addressing the precise issue whether the tender years exception survived the adoption of the Michigan Rules of Evidence, we believe the treatment of this case by the courts below4 suggests a need to examine the common-law definition of that exception and how it was misapplied here. The exception does not permit the introduction of any conversation with the infant victim regarding the details of the crime; it permits hearsay only to corroborate the testimony of the complainant:

"The rule in this State is that where the victim is of tender years the testimony of the details of her complaint may be introduced in corroboration of her evidence, if her statement is shown to have been spontaneous and without indication of manufacture; and delay in making the complaint is excusable so far as it is caused by fear or other equally effective circumstance.” [377]*377People v Baker, 251 Mich 322, 326; 232 NW 381 (1930). (Emphasis added.)

The rule came into Michigan jurisprudence in People v Gage, 62 Mich 271; 28 NW 835 (1886), as one allowing hearsay in corroboration of the testimony of a complainant. In this case, the hearsay was not used for corroboration, but to supply the very elements of the crime. Consequently, the tender years exception was not available to justify admission of either witness’s testimony.

In Baker, the Court also limited the tender years exception to the first complaint made:

"The statement by Dorothy to Mrs. Alarie was not an original complaint and was not admissible. But, because of admissions by defendant of Dorothy’s charge of indecent liberties, substantially as she made it to Mrs. Schmidt and Mrs. Alarie, the testimony of her statement to the latter was not prejudicial or reversible error.” 251 Mich 326. (Emphasis added.)

The child’s "statement” to the police officer, in this case, came after the original complaint to the mother, and therefore it was also inadmissible for that reason.

B

The tender years exception, as restated in Baker, did not survive adoption of the Michigan Rules of Evidence. MRE 101 provides that "[t]hese rules govern proceedings in the courts of this state to the extent and with the exceptions stated in rule 1101”. None of the rule 1101 exceptions are applicable here. MRE 801(c) defines hearsay as "a statement, other than one made by the declarant while testifying at the trial or hearing, offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted”.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People v. Douglas
817 N.W.2d 640 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2012)
People v. Gursky
786 N.W.2d 579 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2010)
Woodman v. Kera LLC
785 N.W.2d 1 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2010)
People v. Spangler
774 N.W.2d 702 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2009)
People v. Barrett
747 N.W.2d 797 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2008)
People v. Katt
662 N.W.2d 12 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2003)
People v. Bowman
656 N.W.2d 835 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2003)
Waknin v. Chamberlain
653 N.W.2d 176 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2002)
People v. Hendrickson
586 N.W.2d 906 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1998)
People v. Crawford
582 N.W.2d 785 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1998)
People v. Starr
577 N.W.2d 673 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1998)
People v. Berkey
467 N.W.2d 6 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1991)
People v. Hackney
455 N.W.2d 358 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1990)
People v. Burton
445 N.W.2d 133 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1989)
Leatherwood v. State
548 So. 2d 389 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1989)
People v. Lee
442 N.W.2d 662 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1989)
Mitchell v. State
539 So. 2d 1366 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1989)
People v. Straight
424 N.W.2d 257 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1988)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
329 N.W.2d 716, 415 Mich. 372, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-kreiner-mich-1982.