State v. Barnes

559 A.2d 136, 1989 R.I. LEXIS 95, 1989 WL 52436
CourtSupreme Court of Rhode Island
DecidedMay 22, 1989
Docket88-210-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 559 A.2d 136 (State v. Barnes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Barnes, 559 A.2d 136, 1989 R.I. LEXIS 95, 1989 WL 52436 (R.I. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

MURRAY, Justice.

The defendant, Theodore Barnes (Barnes), appeals from Superior Court convictions on twelve counts of first-degree sexual assault, six counts of an abominable and detestable crime against nature, and one count of kidnaping. The incidents leading to this appeal are set forth below with the exception that the complaining witness shall hereinafter be referred to as Gloria.

On the evening of November 28, 1985, Gloria and her friend Elaine attended a concert at the Providence Civic Center. Before leaving for the show Gloria had two vodka-and-orange-juice screwdrivers. She then drove an acquaintance’s car to downtown Providence and parked it in a lot on Orange Street. When the concert ended at approximately 12:30 a.m., Gloria and Elaine went to the No Name Bar on the corner of Weybosset and Dorrance Streets. Inside the barroom Gloria ingested four or five “lines” of cocaine. The two women remained at the No Name Bar until closing time at 1 a.m. Elaine, quite intoxicated, then left the tavern with some friends while Gloria proceeded to a local pizza parlor alone. Finding no one there that she recognized, Gloria started back to the car. As she walked past a Dunkin’ Donuts shop, a man loitering near the store said, “Hi, baby, what’s up?” Gloria ignored the individual and continued along well-lighted Westminster and Dorrance Streets. The stranger, however, followed closely at her *138 side and continued to accost her, stating, “Don’t worry, I won’t molest you. I’m not going to hurt you.” Gloria quickened her pace and told the individual to stop harassing her. In response, he requested a ride to Broadway. When Gloria arrived at the car, she unlocked the driver’s-side door, entered the vehicle, and started the engine. Turning to her right, she discovered that the man had also entered the car. Once again he requested a ride to Broadway, and Gloria refused. The intruder, reaching into his pocket, then stated that if she refused to comply with his instructions he “had something” for her. Gloria complied.

What happened next is every person’s worst nightmare. Gloria was forced to drive to five different locations and engage in numerous sexual acts — vaginal intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, and masturbation — the sordid details of which we need not recount. Her assailant also attempted to engage in anal intercourse with Gloria, and when this failed, he penetrated her rectum digitally. After approximately four hours of abuse, Gloria finally escaped her attacker when he fell asleep. She telephoned the Providence police department immediately and reported the incidents of assault. The police transported Gloria to Women and Infants Hospital where she received a medical examination and samples were taken as required in completing a rape kit.

The next day Gloria went to the police station and gave a statement. She described her assailant to Detective George Ritchie as follows:

“[He was] a black guy, about six foot, hundred eighty pounds; had a scar on his right thumb; kind of bald on top, short in the back, kind of like a regular Afro, but bald on top; buck teeth a little bit. About thirty, thirty-five years old. He had on blue jeans, white sneakers, dark sweatshirt, black satin jacket with yellow writing on the left side, tan hat, beret-type hat with a little flap on it; possibly a few days growth.”

On December 2, 1985, Detective Ritchie visited Gloria at her home and showed her a photographic array of seven individuals roughly matching this description. The defendant’s picture was included among this display. Gloria immediately identified Barnes as the man who had raped her. Later that evening, police officers arrested defendant pursuant to a validly issued warrant. Investigating authorities then seized the jeans, maroon knit shirt, and tan cap that defendant wore while in the detention room of the station house. Detective Rit-chie also searched Barnes’ apartment under authority of a warrant and seized, among other things, a black satin jacket with yellow embroidering, two pairs of white sneakers, and a black sweatshirt. Various physical specimens were lawfully taken from the body of defendant, including hair, saliva, and blood samples.

At trial the state called two expert witnesses from the Federal Bureau of Investigation who could neither conclusively establish nor definitely eliminate Barnes as the rapist. Alan Robillard, an expert in hair and fiber analysis, testified that he had examined certain materials that were present in the car at the time of the assaults and discovered hairs of Negroid origin. Agent Robillard, however, was unable to come to a definitive conclusion in making a comparison between the limited number of hairs found in the materials and those seized from Barnes. William Eubanks, an expert serologist, testified that he had analyzed defendant’s blood as well as the semen and blood samples taken from the victim’s vagina and various articles of fabric. His examination of these specimens revealed the presence of blood not consistent with Gloria’s blood type but consistent with Barnes’ blood type. This conclusion, however, was tempered by Eubank’s testimony that 20 percent of the black population had Barnes’ blood type and 42 percent of blacks had the particular blood enzyme present in these samples.

The state also introduced direct accusatory testimony by Gloria and additional circumstantial evidence against Barnes. Many of the items seized from defendant and his apartment were admitted into evidence. In addition, Barnes — who at the time of the incidents was a thirty-eight- *139 year-old black man, balding, with a beard, and a scar on his right thumb — generally fit the description of Gloria’s assailant. Finally, during the course of the trial Gloria identified Barnes as the individual who had raped her repeatedly that night.

The defendant took the stand in his own behalf. Barnes categorically denied having raped Gloria. The defendant testified that on the night in question he had remained at a friend’s house until 11:30 p.m. Barnes then departed for the Green Oak Bar where he consumed four shots of brandy. At approximately midnight, Barnes claimed, he went home and fell asleep after watching television and listening to a police scanner for a brief period. He awoke at 6 a.m. to the reports of two sexual assaults over the scanner. Shortly thereafter Barnes joined a fellow tenant for morning coffee. Two witnesses for the defense substantially buttressed Barnes’ testimony. The defense also called several witnesses to testify to defendant’s physical appearance and his manner of dress, apparently in an effort to rebut Gloria’s description of her attacker.

The trial concluded after seven days of presenting evidence to the jury. Duly tried, Barnes was found guilty of all nineteen counts contained in the indictment. The trial justice denied defendant’s motion for a new trial and on January 26, 1988, sentenced Barnes to the following terms at the Adult Correctional Institutions: (1) kid-naping — ten years’ imprisonment; (2) first-degree sexual assaults — twenty years to serve, fifteen years suspended, fifteen years’ probation upon release; and (4) abominable and detestable crimes against nature — seven years to serve. The sentences were to run concurrently.

With this factual and procedural background in mind, we shall examine the various issues raised by defendant in this appeal.

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Bluebook (online)
559 A.2d 136, 1989 R.I. LEXIS 95, 1989 WL 52436, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-barnes-ri-1989.