State v. Carper

107 So. 3d 118, 2012 WL 5500458, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1451
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 14, 2012
DocketNo. 47,409-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 107 So. 3d 118 (State v. Carper) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Carper, 107 So. 3d 118, 2012 WL 5500458, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1451 (La. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

BROWN, Chief Judge.

| ,On July 7, 2008, defendant, Donny Carper, was indicted by a Webster Parish Grand Jury on one count of aggravated rape of a juvenile under the age of 13, in violation of La. R.S. 14:42(A)(4), and one count of molestation of a juvenile under the age of 13, in violation of La. R.S. 14:81.2(E)(1). His first trial was held May 4-9, 2009, and on the aggravated rape count, defendant was found guilty as charged and sentenced to life imprisonment without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. On the molestation of a juvenile count, defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years at hard labor without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Defendant’s convictions and sentences, however, were reversed on appeal following this court’s determination that defendant’s constitutional right to confrontation was violated. State v. Carper, 45,178 (La.App.2d Cir.06/09/10), 41 So.3d 605, writ denied, 10-1507 (La.09/03/10), 44 So.3d 708.

Following a second jury trial held August 15-19, 2011, defendant was again convicted of aggravated rape of a juvenile under the age of 13 and, as to the molestation count, the jury returned a lesser responsive guilty verdict of indecent behavior with a juvenile under the age of 13. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence for the aggravated rape conviction and 25 years at hard labor with the first two years to be served without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence on the indecent behavior with a juvenile under the age of 13 conviction. For the following reasons, defendant’s aggravated rape conviction and sentence are affirmed. Defendant’s conviction for | gindecent behavior with a juvenile is likewise affirmed, except as to the portion of the conviction requiring enhancement under La. R.S. 14:81(H)(2). Therefore, his sentence for indecent behavior with a juvenile is vacated and the matter is remanded for resentencing under the correct statute.

Facts

Defendant was married and had three daughters. The two older daughters were the victims in this case. Defendant was charged by bill of indictment as follows:

On or between the dates of November 27, 2002[,] and November 12, 2007,
Count One
[Defendant] did commit aggravated rape of a juvenile (T.D. dob 11/27/97) victim being under the age of thirteen years of age, contrary to L.R.S. 14:42(A)(4); and On or between the dates of April 10, 2005[,] and November 12, 2007,
Count Two
[Defendant] did commit Molestation of a Juvenile ünder the age of thirteen (C.C. dob 4/10/00), by committing a lewd or lascivious act upon the person or in the presence of any child under the age of [122]*122seventeen, where there is an age difference of greater than two years between the two persons, with the intention of arousing or gratifying the sexual desires of either person, by use of force, violence, duress, menace, psychological intimidation, threat of great bodily harm, or by use of influence by virtue of a position of control or supervision over the juvenile, contrary to L.R.S. 14:81.2(E)(1) ...

Discussion

Sufficiency of the Evidence: Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile Under 13

Defendant contends that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of count two, indecent behavior with a juvenile. Specifically, defendant claims that the state failed to prove that he touched C.C. with the intent to |sarouse or gratify his or her sexual desires. Defendant has not assigned as error or briefed the issue of the sufficiency of the evidence as to the aggravated rape count.

When a defendant challenges both the sufficiency of evidence and one or more other trial errors, the appellate court should first resolve the sufficiency challenge. State v. Hearold, 603 So.2d 731 (La.1992); State v. Evans, 29,675 (La.App.2d Cir.09/24/97), 700 So.2d 1039, writ denied, 97-2942 (La.01/09/98), 705 So.2d 1121. The constitutional standard of review is “whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Cummings, 95-1377 (La.02/28/96), 668 So.2d 1132. This standard, initially enunciated in Jackson and now legislatively embodied in La. C. Cr. P. art. 821, is applicable in cases involving both direct and circumstantial evidence. State v. Smith, 441 So.2d 739 (La.1983); State v. Daniels, 614 So.2d 97 (La.App. 2d Cir.1993), writ denied, 619 So.2d 573 (La.1993). This standard does not provide the appellate court with a vehicle to substitute its own appreciation of the evidence for that of the fact finder. State v. Robertson, 96-1048 (La.10/04/96), 680 So.2d 1165. The appellate court does not assess credibility of witnesses or reweigh evidence. State v. Smith, 94-3116 (La.10/16/95), 661 So.2d 442.

Defendant was indicted:

On or between the dates of April 10, 2005[,] and November 12, 2007,
|4Count Two
[Defendant] did commit Molestation of a Juvenile under the age of thirteen (C.C. dob 4/10/00), by committing a lewd or lascivious act upon the person or in the presence of any child under the age of seventeen, where there is an age difference of greater than two years between the two persons, with the intention of arousing or gratifying the sexual desires of either person, ... by use of influence by virtue of a position of control or supervision over the juvenile, contrary to L.R.S. 14:81.2(E)(1) ... (Emphasis added).

Indecent behavior with a juvenile, La. R.S. 14:81, is a lesser and responsive verdict. The conspicuous difference between La. R.S. 14:81.2 and La. R.S. 14:81 is that the molestation statute, La. R.S. 14:81.2, requires something more than the mere exertion of physical effort necessary to commit the lewd act. The so-called “use of force” element in the molestation statute refers to the forcible means of overcoming the will or the resistance of a victim. See State v. LeBlanc, 506 So.2d 1197 (La.1987). This added element of force or intimidation must be greater or [123]*123substantially different from the effort necessary to commit the less serious offense of indecent behavior with a juvenile, La. R.S. 14:81.

When the evidence is sufficient to support a conviction of the greater offense charged, the reviewing court need not determine whether the evidence supports the responsive verdict returned by the jury. Stated otherwise, the jury may return any legislatively provided responsive verdict, whether or not the evidence supports that verdict, as long as the evidence was sufficient to support a conviction of the charged offense. State v. Peterson, 290 So.2d 307 (La.1974).

The Gingerbread House video recording was played in open court. The video recording first showed an interview with a Gingerbread House ^interviewer, Crystal Clark, and C.C. on May 8, 2008.

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Related

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Bluebook (online)
107 So. 3d 118, 2012 WL 5500458, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1451, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-carper-lactapp-2012.