STATE OF MISSOURI v. MAX GIBSON

473 S.W.3d 195, 2015 Mo. App. LEXIS 981
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 29, 2015
DocketSD33425
StatusPublished

This text of 473 S.W.3d 195 (STATE OF MISSOURI v. MAX GIBSON) 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
STATE OF MISSOURI v. MAX GIBSON, 473 S.W.3d 195, 2015 Mo. App. LEXIS 981 (Mo. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

WILLIAM W. FRANCIS, JR., J.

Max Gibson (“Gibson”) appeals his conviction for two counts of the class C felony of abuse of a child, pursuant to section 568.060. 1 Gibson presents three points on appeal. Finding no merit to Gibson’s points, we affirm the. trial court’s judgment and sentence.

Factual and Procedural Background

On appeal, we view the evidence and all reasonable inferences derived therefrom in the light most favorable to the verdict; all contrary evidence and inferences are disregarded. State v. Bateman, 318 S.W.3d 681, 687 (Mo. banc 2010).. Viewed from this perspective, the following evidence was adduced at trial.

In August 2012, A.G., a fifteen-year-old girl, lived in Pleasant Hope, Missouri, with her: fourteen-year-old sister, E.G., her younger brother, and Gibson, her father. On the evening of August 2, 2012, Gibson was angry and yelled at A.G. and E.G. A.G. yelled back and called Gibson a “[s]tupid son of a bitch.” Gibson, even angrier after AG.’s insult, started walking toward A.G.

A.G. ran to the bathroom and locked the door because she was fearful of Gibson after prior • physical confrontations with him. Gibson shouted at A.G. ■ from the other side of the door, and punched underneath the knob until the door began crack *198 ing. Unable to break the door down, Gibson resorted to prying the door open with a spoon.

Having gained entry.to the bathroom, Gibson, holding a bottle of liquid dishwash-ing soap, declared that A.G. would not be “cuss[ing] anymore.” Physically forcing and pinning A.G. to the floor, Gibson tried to squeeze the dishwashing soap into A.G.’s mouth — however, he discovered .that the soap bottle was empty, and tossed it aside in favor of 'a bar of soap from the shower. Gibson forced open A.G.’s mouth with his fingers, and shoved the bar of soap deep into' A.G.’s mouth, injuring A.G.’s mouth and lips. Gibson held the soap in A.G.’s mouth urítil A.G. bit the bar of soap in half, at which time Gibson returned to the living room and sat on the couch. A.G. sat up coughing, spitting out blood and chunks of soap. Minutes later, A.G. still had chunks of-soap in her mouth and teeth.

A caseworker made monthly visits to the Gibson household. During the caseworker’s August 2012 visit, Gibson gave a false account of ah incident that had occurred several days before the caseworker’s visit. E.G. gave a countervailing account of the incident. On August 15, 2012, Gibson, having learned of E.G.’s account, chastised and yelled at E.G. calling her ungrateful, a “bitch” and a “whore,” and accused her of ruining the Gibson family.

Later the same day, E.G. was using the family laptop computer in' her bedroom. Gibson entered the room, demanded the computer, and yelled at E.G. that she did not deserve, anything she. had. Gibson then picked up E.G.’s hair straightener, which E.G. took from him. E.G., having gained possession of the hair straightener, lay on her bed and held the straightener under her bed with one hand so Gibson could not reach it. Gibson attempted to lie on top of E.G. and reach the straightener, but was unsuccessful. Instead, he grabbed the straightener’s cord, which was trailing from under. E.G.’s bed. With the cord of the straightener wrapped around E.G.’s neck, Gibson pulled up on the cord, choking E.G., causing her to let go of the straightener. Gibson then retrieved the straightener and broke it in half.

E.G. began to walk out of her bedroom when Gibson picked her up by the throat and choked her with his hands for fifteen-to-twenty seconds while E.G. struggled to escape. Only after E.G. successfully kicked Gibson did he release her. E.G. sustained visible red marks around her neck from being choked. Gibson also pushed E.Gfs head into the “bare [ ] sheet-rock” and “wood” surrounding a window, which caused visible red marks on E.G.’s temple. E.G.' then ran to the home of a neighbor who called the police.

Gibson was charged by a first amended felony information with the class C felony of abuse of a child as to A.G. (Count I), pursuant to section 568.060, by “knowingly inflict[ing] cruel and inhuman punishment upon Juvenile AG, a child less than seventeen years old, by making her eat soap causing her to choke[ ]”; and the class C Felony of abuse of a child as to E.G. (Count II), pursuant to section 568.060, by “knowingly inflicting] cruel and inhuman punishment upon EG, a child less than seventeen years old, by choking her with his hands.”

On March 26, 2014, Gibson filed a “Motion to Compel Discovery” requesting, in part, copies of the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) video interviews of A.G. and E.G. On March 28, 2014, Gibson also filed a “Motion in Limine” to prevent the State from commenting on, or introducing evidence relating to any prior uncharged bad acts of Gibson; any alleged prior incidents of- domestic violence; or any prior inci *199 dents of child abuse other than those specifically charged.

On April 7, 2014, a hearing was held .on Gibson’s motion to compel. Gibson’s defense counsel argued that the CAC interview video was not included in the State’s responses to discovery, and that he was entitled to a copy" of the video to prepare for trial.

The State responded it had ah open-file policy whereby defense counsel Could come into the prosecutor’s- office and look at the video at any time. The State expressed concern that defense counsel could provide the video to Gibson, who could then release the video to the public, exposing juvenile victims’ identities. The prosecutor admitted that while his office had in the past released copies of CAC videos to some defense attorneys, it only did so when defense counsel agreed the videos would not be released to clients. The trial court overruled Gibson’s motion as to the CAC video, advising defense counsel that, ‘You’re entitled to [the video]; it’s available at the prosecutor’s office, for you to view.”

At the same hearing, Gibson filed an amended motion in limine, which was also heard. Defense counsel, argued that the trial court should exclude uncharged bad acts of Gibson. The State argued that the evidence sought to be excluded related to “systematic and continual abuse” of the children by Gibson, and that the information was relevant to a jury to show there was a common scheme as to Gibson’s actions with regard to the children. The motion in limine was overruled.

A jury trial was held on April 14, 2014. On the morning before trial, defense counsel objected to moving forward with trial because the trial’court overruled Gibson’s amended motion in limine. Defense counsel also renewed a previous motion for continuance stating that while he was able to- view the-CAC video -in the prosecutor’s office, he was unable to make a transcription of the video or' redactions to it for viewing by the jury and for impeachment purposes. The trial court denied Gibson’s request for a continuance.

Following jury selection,- the trial court revisited Gibson’s amended motion in li-mine and sustained the motion as to references to abuse or mistreatment of-A.G. and E.G., by two individuals other than Gibson, in the State’s case-in-chief.

Gibson did not testify and did not present any evidence. ' At trial, A.G.

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Bluebook (online)
473 S.W.3d 195, 2015 Mo. App. LEXIS 981, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-missouri-v-max-gibson-moctapp-2015.