Ronald Tucker v. State of Missouri

CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 25, 2015
DocketED101728
StatusPublished

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

Bluebook
Ronald Tucker v. State of Missouri, (Mo. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Su the Missourt Court of Appeals Castern District

DIVISION FOUR RONALD TUCKER, } No, ED101728 ) Appellant, ) Appeal from the Circuit Court ) of the City of St. Louis VS, ) ) STATE OF MISSOURI, ) Hon. David Dowd ) Respondent. ) FILED: August 25, 2015

Introduction Appellant Ronald Tucker (“Tucker”) appeals from the judgment of the motion court denying his Rule 29.15! motion for post-conviction relief following a partial evidentiary hearing. Tucker was found guilty, following a jury trial, of one count of first-degree statutory sodomy and two counts of first-degree child molestation of two victims, B.M. and G.M., and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. This Court upheld Tucker’s convictions and sentence on direct appeal in

State v. Tucker, 367 S.W.3d 674 (Mo. App. E.D. 2012). Tucker subsequently filed a Rule 29.15

motion alleging ineffective assistance of counsel, which the motion court denied following a partial evidentiary hearing. On appeal, Tucker contends that the motion court clearly erred in denying his motion because counsel rendered ineffective assistance by (1) failing to file a motion

to dismiss the substitute information in lieu of indictment based on the non-specific dates

' All rule references are to Mo. R. Crim. P. (2013).

provided therein; (2) failing to cross-examine B.M. and G.M. at trial; and (3) failing to object to the expert witness testimony at trial about grooming.

Because counsel made a reasonable strategic decision in declining to file a meritless motion to dismiss, the motion court did not clearly err in denying Tucker’s Rule 29.15 motion without an evidentiary hearing as to Point One. Because counsel’s decision not to cross-examine B.M. and G.M was reasonable trial strategy in light of the circumstances of the case, the motion court did not clearly err in denying Tucker’s Rule 29,15 motion following an evidentiary hearing as to Point Two. Because counsel was not ineffective for failing to make a meritless objection to the introduction of admissible evidence, the motion court did not clearly err in denying Tucker’s Rule 29,15 motion without an evidentiary hearing as to Point Three. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the motion court.

Factual and Procedural History

Tucker was convicted, following a jury trial, of one count of first-degree statutory sodomy and two counts of first-degree child molestation and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment, Tucker’s convictions arose out of his contact with BM. (born February 5, 2001) and G.M. (born May 5, 2003), sisters who lived in the same apartment building as Tucker. B.M. and G.M. interacted frequently with Tucker, visiting his apartment and receiving food and candy from him. Tucker would also fix things around the apartment building and often let the girls’ mother, Wanda Lee (“Mother”), do laundry in his apartment.

In August of 2009, both B.M. and G.M. told Mother that Tucker had touched their “private parts,” B.M. told Mother that Tucker had touched and licked her private parts, pointing to her vagina. Mother knew that was how B.M. referred to the female anatomy. G.M. also told

Mother that Tucker had touched her private parts. Mother immediately called the police and

took the girls to the hospital. B.M. and G.M. were later brought to the Child Advocacy Center (“CAC”), where they were each interviewed separately about the incidents by forensic interviewers, Both B.M. and G.M. told the interviewers the same story they had told Mother.

Tucker was charged by indictment in September of 2009 with statutory sodomy and child molestation as to B.M. and two counts of child molestation as to G.M. The charged timeframe as to B.M. was between February 5, 2001 and August 13, 2009, and the charged timeframe as to G.M, was between May 5, 2003 and August 13, 2009. On February 14, 2011, Appellant was charged as a persistent misdemeanor offender by a substitute information in lieu of indictment, which listed the same charges and timeframes. The case proceeded to trial.

At trial, Tucker confirmed that B.M. and G.M. frequently visited his apartment and that he often gave them food. Tucker denied ever touching the girls sexually. Tucker also testified that he was friendly with Mother and had done favors for her in the past. Tucker stated that he became upset with Mother when she hinted that she wanted Tucker to help pay her rent.

Recordings of the CAC interviews were played at trial. B.M.’s and G.M.’s testimony at trial was also consistent with what they told Mother and the CAC forensic interviewers. B.M. in particular was very upset during the trial, screaming in the hallway outside of the courtroom prior to testifying and crying during direct examination. Although both girls testified at trial, counsel declined to cross-examine either of them. Counsel did, however, cross-examine Mother.

The forensic interviewer from the CAC who interviewed B.M. also testified at trial, offering testimony about the concept of “grooming.” The forensic interviewer’s testimony about grooming during direct examination was as follows:

Q. Are you familiar with your training and education, the concept of grooming?

A. lam.

Q. And what is that concept?

A. The concept embodies this practice where a person may do a number of things to position themselves in a place of favor with a child or to overcome some inhibitions setting up a greater likelihood that they can then touch a child inappropriately without the child running or saying anything.

Q. Is that why you asked if anything else had been given to her? She had talked about the cat food and then you specifically asked her if anything else.

A. It?s part of my practice of trying to remember to ask that for a number of reasons, It may attach an item or an object to allow investigators to come up with a specific date of timeframe as well as it gives a glimpse of perhaps the relationship between the child and the suspect. Counsel did not object to this testimony and the trial continued. The jury found Tucker guilty of one count of first-degree statutory sodomy and two counts of first-degree child

molestation. The trial court subsequently sentenced Tucker to ten years’ imprisonment.

This Court upheld Tucker’s convictions and sentence on direct appeal in State v. Tucker,

367 8,W.3d 674 (Mo. App. E.D. 2012). Tucker subsequently filed a pro se Rule 29.15 motion for post-conviction relief. Appointed counsel filed an amended motion alleging that trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by (1) failing to file a motion to dismiss the substitute information in lieu of indictment based on the non-specific dates provided therein; (2) failing to cross- examine B.M. and G.M. at trial; and (3) failing to object to the expert witness testimony at trial about grooming.

The motion court held a partial evidentiary hearing solely with respect to Tucker’s cross- examination claim. The motion court denied Tucker an evidentiary hearing on his remaining two claims. At the hearing, Tucker and counsel each testified. Counsel explained the reasoning behind his decision not to cross-examine B.M. and G.M. at trial. On June 10, 2014, the motion court entered its Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Order denying Tucker’s Rule 29.15

motion. This appeal follows.

Points on Appeal

Tucker presents three points on appeal. First, Tucker contends that the motion court clearly erred in denying his Rule 29.15 motion without an evidentiary hearing as to Point One because Tucker alleged facts not refuted by the record that would entitle him to relief on his ineffective assistance of counsel claim.

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