Pittman v. State

836 So. 2d 779, 2002 WL 1167408
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJune 4, 2002
Docket2000-KA-01409-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 836 So. 2d 779 (Pittman v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pittman v. State, 836 So. 2d 779, 2002 WL 1167408 (Mich. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

836 So.2d 779 (2002)

Troy M. PITTMAN, Jr., a/k/a Troy Myre Pittman, Jr., Appellant,
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2000-KA-01409-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

June 4, 2002.
Rehearing Denied November 12 and December 10, 2002.
Certiorari Denied January 30, 2003.

*782 Derek L. Hall, Jackson, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Jeffrey A. Klingfuss, attorney for appellee.

Before SOUTHWICK, P.J., THOMAS, and IRVING, JJ.

SOUTHWICK, P.J., for the court.

¶ 1. Troy Pittman, Jr. was convicted of three counts of sexual battery and two counts of statutory rape. On appeal he argues that the evidence of guilt was insufficient. He also asserts that he received ineffective assistance of counsel. We agree that the evidence was not legally sufficient as to the statutory rape counts but reject the rest of his arguments. We affirm in part and reverse and render in part.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

¶ 2. Because of the nature of the crime, we do not use the victim's name. Shortly after the birth of their daughter in 1985, Troy Pittman, Jr. and his first wife divorced. He remarried in 1988. Between 1985 and 1990, Pittman had little contact with his daughter. After 1990, Pittman was allowed some visitation. In 1995, Pittman's ten-year old daughter accused him of molestation. An investigation occurred but no charges were filed. Thereafter, Pittman was required to have a person aged fourteen years or older with him at all times when he was with his daughter. Pittman and his first wife would exchange custody of the child at the sheriff's department.

¶ 3. In mid-July 1998, the now-thirteen year-old girl began a three week-long visit with Pittman and his second wife. Two days after being returned to her mother on August 5, the child complained of a sore throat and was taken to the doctor. Over the next week, the young girl developed flu-like symptoms and complained of pain in her bottom. On August 13, the child was returned to the doctor. The doctor noticed lesions on her perineum and an anal tear. The doctor swabbed the lesions and sent the sample to be tested at a lab.

¶ 4. On August 14, the girl returned to Pittman's house for weekend visitation. On August 17, the doctor informed the girl's mother that the child had tested positive for herpes simplex II or genital herpes. The mother demanded that the girl tell her who could have given her a sexually transmitted disease. At first reluctant, the child finally informed her mother that Pittman had molested and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her during the three-week visitation and during the immediate past weekend visitation.

¶ 5. Pittman was charged with three counts of sexual battery and three counts of statutory rape. After a two-day trial, Pittman was convicted on five counts. This is his appeal.

DISCUSSION

¶ 6. Pittman argues that the evidence was legally insufficient to sustain a conviction as to any count of the indictment. *783 Because of the nature of the evidence in this case, the discussion is necessarily more graphic than is desirable.

1. Motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict

¶ 7. Pittman filed a motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict. Such a motion tests whether there was sufficient evidence as to each element of the crime to have permitted a jury to find guilt. When examining the sufficiency of the evidence, the credible evidence consistent with conviction is taken as true; that requires making reasonable evidentiary inferences that are favorable to the State. Milano v. State, 790 So.2d 179, 187 (Miss. 2001). Credibility, weight, and other discretionary determinations are for the jury, not for this appellate court. "Once the jury has returned a verdict of guilty in a criminal case, we are not at liberty to direct that the defendant be discharged short of a conclusion on our part that on the evidence, taken in the light most favorable to the verdict, no reasonable, hypothetical juror could find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty." West v. State, 437 So.2d 1212, 1214 (Miss. 1983).

¶ 8. With these ground rules, we look at the evidence on each count.

¶ 9. Pittman was convicted of three counts of sexual battery. The sexual battery charges were Counts I, V, and VI of the indictment. Pittman's motion for JNOV raised sufficiency of the evidence issues in regard to all three counts.

A. Sexual Battery—Count I

¶ 10. Count I of the indictment charged Pittman as follows:

On or about the 27th day of July, A.D.1998, [Troy Myre Pittman, Jr.] did willfully, unlawfully and feloniously engage in sexual penetration as defined in Section 97-3-97 ..., to wit: digital penetration of her vagina, with [the named child], a child under the age of 18 over whom the defendant occupied a position of trust or authority, to-wit: the child's father, in violation of ... Section 97-3-95(2).

That the victim was under eighteen and that Pittman was in a position of trust as the girl's father were clearly proven. The only contested element here is whether there was digital penetration of the vagina. "Sexual penetration" is defined in part as "any penetration of the genital or anal openings of another person's body...." Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-97(a) (Rev.2000).

¶ 11. The girl testified that on the date stated in this count, July 27th, Pittman while alone with her "started moving closer to me and then first he started to just rub his hand up and down my leg, and then he started to finger me, and then his wife pulled up and he stopped." The prosecutor asked the girl to clarify what she meant by the phrase "finger me." She responded that Pittman "put his finger in my private parts." Later, she said that by "private parts" she meant her vagina.

¶ 12. In his argument, Pittman points to his testimony denying the act and also emphasizes that there was no corroboration. Even so, "the unsupported word of the victim of a sex crime is sufficient to support a guilty verdict where that testimony is not discredited or contradicted by other credible evidence, especially if the conduct of the victim is consistent with the conduct of one who has been victimized by a sex crime." Goodnite v. State, 799 So.2d 64, 66-67 (Miss.2001). It is for the jury to decide whose testimony is credible and whose is not.

¶ 13. Taking the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, we cannot say that a reasonable and fair-minded juror *784 could not have found Pittman guilty of Count I.

B. Sexual Battery—Count V

¶ 14. Count V charged Pittman with the same crime as did Count I but alleged that act took place on August 14, 1998. Again the argument focuses on whether there was evidence of penetration. When the child was asked what happened on August 14, she replied only that Pittman "came over there and fingered me." Pittman argues that this statement is not enough to prove penetration because there was no testimony as to the girl's "internal definition" of the term "fingered."

¶ 15. We have already discussed this in reference to Count I. Pittman's argument in effect is that the witness had to on each count restate her definition of this phrase. We hold that it is not necessary for her to explain each time that she used the word. Absent a contrary indication, she still must have been using the phrase in the same way as for her earlier testimony.

¶ 16.

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

Related

In re: J.H.
245 Md. App. 605 (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 2020)
Pitts v. State
66 So. 3d 174 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2010)
Welch v. State
45 So. 3d 1231 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2010)
Pittman v. State
20 So. 3d 51 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2009)
Branch v. State
998 So. 2d 411 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2008)
Johnson v. State
9 So. 3d 413 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2008)
Thompson v. State
995 So. 2d 831 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2008)
Goodin v. State
977 So. 2d 353 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2007)
Turner v. State
962 So. 2d 691 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2007)
Pryer v. State
958 So. 2d 818 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2007)
Terrell v. State
952 So. 2d 998 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2006)
Davis v. State
933 So. 2d 1014 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2006)
Tran v. State
963 So. 2d 1 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2006)
Fulks v. State
944 So. 2d 79 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2006)
Lattimer v. State
952 So. 2d 206 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2006)
Sylvester Branch v. State of Mississippi
Mississippi Supreme Court, 2006
Passman v. State
937 So. 2d 17 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2006)
ANTWINE EQUALITY GRAVES v. State
914 So. 2d 788 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
836 So. 2d 779, 2002 WL 1167408, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pittman-v-state-missctapp-2002.