Ruberg v. State

428 N.W.2d 488, 1988 Minn. App. LEXIS 830, 1988 WL 90651
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedSeptember 6, 1988
DocketC7-87-2089
StatusPublished

This text of 428 N.W.2d 488 (Ruberg v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ruberg v. State, 428 N.W.2d 488, 1988 Minn. App. LEXIS 830, 1988 WL 90651 (Mich. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

OPINION

KALITOWSKI, Judge.

Appeal is taken from conviction of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree pursuant to MinmStat. § 609.342, subd. l(h)(v) and the lesser included offense of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.

FACTS

Appellant, Brian Lee Ruberg, and Cindy Gilbertson were divorced in 1977. They have two children, a son R.R. born in 1974 and a daughter Y.R. born in 1975.

Cindy remarried and moved to the state of Wyoming with her husband and the children.

After a custody dispute, appellant saw the children summers and every other Christmas. Appellant remarried in 1981. *489 He and his second wife Diane, now divorced, have a child, born in 1982..

After R.R. and Y.R. spent the summer of 1986 with appellant, Y.R. gave her mother a letter which was composed by Y.R. and her two cousins C.C. and A.C. telling of sexual acts committed by appellant. Y.R.’s mother notified Wyoming authorities and a police investigation ensued.

On November 11, 1986, appellant was arrested by investigators of the Anoka County Major Crime Unit and charged with criminal sexual conduct in the first degree in violation of Minn.Stat. § 609.342, subd. l(h)(v) involving appellant’s daughter, Y.R. and his niece, C.C.

Following the trial, appellant was found guilty of two of ten counts submitted to a jury. Appellant’s motion for a new trial was denied. On June 26, 1987, the trial court sentenced appellant to 43 months with credit for 4 days served. Appellant petitioned for post-conviction relief alleging deficiencies in the make up of the petit jury pool. On September 30, 1987, appellant’s petition for post-conviction relief was denied.

ISSUES

1. Is the evidence, when viewed in light most favorable to the verdict, sufficient to sustain conviction?

2. Did the trial court err in allowing the state to amend its complaint following close of evidence?

3. Did irregularities in the make up of the petit jury pool violate appellant’s right to trial by jury?

ANALYSIS

1. Appellant contends there is insufficient evidence to sustain his conviction for criminal sexual conduct in the first and second degree involving his daughter, Y.R. and his niece, C.C.

It has been stated an appellant seeking reversal of a jury’s conviction bears a heavy burden because of limited appellate review. See State v. Tiessen, 354 N.W.2d 473 (Minn.Ct.App.1984).

In determining the sufficiency of evidence in a criminal matter, the reviewing court “ ‘must view the evidence in a light most favorable to the jury verdict and decide whether the jury could reasonably have found [appellant] guilty of the crime charged.’ ” State v. Olkon, 299 N.W.2d 89, 106 (Minn.1980), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1132, 101 S.Ct. 954, 67 L.Ed.2d 119 (1981) (quoting State v. Swain, 269 N.W.2d 707, 712 (Minn.1978)).

The evidence in this matter is primarily oral testimony. The Minnesota Supreme Court has stated:

We have often held that on review of a criminal conviction we will construe the record most favorably to the state and will assume the evidence supporting the conviction was believed and the contrary evidence disbelieved.

State v. Pieschke, 295 N.W.2d 580, 584 (Minn.1980) (citing State v. Strimling, 265 N.W.2d 423, 428-29 (Minn.1978)), (citations omitted). This is especially true where resolution of the case depends on conflicting testimony, because weighing the credibility of witnesses is the exclusive function of the jury. Id. (citing State v. Poganski, 257 N.W.2d 578, 581 (Minn.1977)).

In Poganski, the supreme court concluded the jury could choose to believe the testimony of two witnesses against the defendant even though the testimony was inconsistent and contradictory. “Even inconsistencies in the state’s case will not require a reversal of the jury’s verdict.” Pieschke, 295 N.W.2d at 584 (citing State v. Bond, 285 Minn. 291, 173 N.W.2d 347 (1969)).

In this matter the jury heard testimony of Y.R. and C.C. ages 11 and 12 respectively at the time of trial. Y.R. stated, “he (appellant) put his penis in my vagina”; “he (appellant) would push my head down and put his penis in my mouth”. Y.R. testified there were several instances of these acts beginning when she was 6 or 7. C.C. testified, “Brian put his hand down my pants.”; “He put his finger inside of my body.” C.C. stated she was about 9 the first time appellant abused her. When asked how old she was the last time appel *490 lant did anything to her, she responded, “I was 11.” C.C. testified other than the first and last time, similar incidents occurred five or six different times.

Appellant asserts there is no evidence to corroborate his daughter’s testimony. However, the legislature has provided: “In a prosecution under sections 609.342 to 609.346, the testimony of a victim need not be corroborated.” Minn.Stat. § 609.347, subd. 1, see also State v. Williams, 363 N.W.2d 911 (Minn.Ct.App.1985) pet. for rev. denied (Minn. May 1, 1985).

Additional witnesses were presented to the jury including sexual abuse investigators and the medical doctor who examined Y.R.

The jury had the opportunity to weigh the testimony and determine for themselves the credibility of each witness. Thus the jury clearly could have reasonably found appellant guilty of the crime charged.

2. The original complaint filed against appellant alleged criminal sexual conduct from 1981 through 1985. The complaint was later amended to include 1986. After all the evidence was presented at trial, the state moved to amend the date of the charges involving Y.R. from “on or about 1981 through 1986” to “on or about a period from 1980 through 1986.” The trial court allowed the amendment. The rules of criminal procedure provide:

The court may permit an indictment or complaint to be amended at any time before verdict or finding if no additional or different offense is charged and if substantial rights or the defendant are not prejudiced.

Minn.R.Crim.P. 17.05 (emphasis added).

Appellant asserts amendment to the complaint prejudices his case by adversely affecting defense trial tactics.

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Related

State v. Becker
351 N.W.2d 923 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1984)
State v. Bond
173 N.W.2d 347 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1969)
State v. Tiessen
354 N.W.2d 473 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1984)
Alholm v. Wilt
394 N.W.2d 488 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1986)
State v. Strimling
265 N.W.2d 423 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1978)
State v. Poganski
257 N.W.2d 578 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1977)
State v. Oman
121 N.W.2d 616 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1963)
State v. Waukazo
269 N.W.2d 373 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1978)
State v. Swain
269 N.W.2d 707 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1978)
State v. Olkon
299 N.W.2d 89 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1980)
State v. Pieschke
295 N.W.2d 580 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1980)
Gerdes v. State
319 N.W.2d 710 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1982)
State v. Williams
363 N.W.2d 911 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1985)
State v. McGunn
294 N.W. 208 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1940)
Hott v. Indiana
449 U.S. 1132 (Supreme Court, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
428 N.W.2d 488, 1988 Minn. App. LEXIS 830, 1988 WL 90651, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ruberg-v-state-minnctapp-1988.