State v. Davis

702 So. 2d 1014, 1997 WL 671636
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 29, 1997
Docket97-331
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 702 So. 2d 1014 (State v. Davis) 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. Davis, 702 So. 2d 1014, 1997 WL 671636 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

702 So.2d 1014 (1997)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Norman DAVIS, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 97-331.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

October 29, 1997.

*1015 David Wayne Burton, DeRidder, for State.

Robert E. Patrick, Lake Charles, for Norman Davis.

Before DOUCET, C.J., and THIBODEAUX and DECUIR, JJ.

DOUCET, Chief Judge.

By bill of indictment issued on June 18, 1996, the Beauregard Parish Grand Jury charged the defendant, Norman C. Davis, with molestation of a juvenile under his supervision and control, a violation of La.R.S. 14:81.2. The trial of the defendant commenced on September 16, 1996, and on September 19, 1996, a jury returned a verdict of guilty as charged. A pre-sentence investigation report was then ordered by the court.

On October 18, 1996, the defendant was sentenced to serve 144 months (twelve years) at hard labor. The record reveals that the defense counsel failed to make or file a motion to reconsider. The defendant now appeals his conviction and sentence alleging twelve assignments of error. The defendant *1016 abandons his assignments of error numbers one, three, four, five and twelve.

FACTS:

On April 27, 1996, the thirteen year old victim, L.S., went with her mother, Donna Smith, to visit the defendant's camp near an area in Beauregard Parish known as the Mouth-of-the-Creek. They were accompanied by the victim's brothers, Jason (fifteen years old) and Michael (seven years old). The defendant, his wife Debbie, and their daughter Brianne (eight years old) went in another vehicle.

After their arrival, Donna and Debbie went to the camp to cook, and the defendant, L.S., Jason, Michael and Brianne walked to the creek to go fishing. Thereafter, Michael and Brianne went to play near the Boise Camp and L.S.'s older brother Jason left to fish in another area and to visit with other teenagers, leaving the defendant alone with the victim.

While alone with the victim, the defendant pulled down his pants, and had L.S. sit in his lap. L.S. testified that the defendant stuck his middle finger up her and that it hurt. She further testified that afterward she stood up, and the defendant pulled her shorts back, put his penis in her butt and rubbed it back and forth until his penis became hard. She testified she felt "gooey, sticky stuff on her butt.

The victim was examined on May 2, 1996, by Dr. Thomas E. Griffin, III, a practicing pediatrician for twenty-one years, and a consulting physician for the Beauregard and Vernon Parish Offices of Child Protection. Dr. Griffin testified that his examination of the victim revealed a "... considerable separation in the area ... at the bottom opening to the vagina." He also found that her hymen opening was "... a good bit larger [twice the size] than would be expected for a child that had not had some sexual activity." Dr. Griffin further testified that his findings were consistent with the sexual history the victim provided concerning the molestation incidents. Dr. Griffin also confirmed that children had difficulty telling someone when they have been molested and that L.S.'s report to Martha Allen on April 30, 1996, three days after the act of molestation occurred, was a very early report of child molestation, rather than an unreasonable delay in reporting the incident.

Detectives V.J. Franks and John Rainwater, of the Beauregard Parish Sheriff's Office, testified the defendant admitted that "he inserted his finger and he had rubbed his penis on her bottom." The testimony of the victim showed the defendant had molested the victim on two prior occasions, at or near his home in Rosepine, Vernon Parish. The evidence also showed the defendant had previously molested Martha Bell, who was twenty-one-years-old at the time of the trial. According to Martha Bell, the defendant's acts of molestation began when she was six or seven years old and "occurred many times" until she was approximately thirteen-years-old.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR NOS. 7, 8, 9, and 11 (DEFENDANT'S ARGUMENT NO. 1):

Under his first argument, the defendant combines assignments of error 7, 8, 9, and 11. The defendant alleges the following:

(7) The trial court erred by refusing to allow the defendant an opportunity to question the credibility of a material witness who was called to the stand for the specific purpose to testify as to prior acts of sexual misconduct.
(8) The trial court erred by allowing other crime [sic] evidence, and testimony adduced at trial pertaining to that evidence which relates to other alleged prior sex crimes committed by defendant against the other persons.
(9) The trial court erred by allowing other crime [sic] evidence, and testimony adduced at trial pertaining to that evidence which relates to other alleged prior sex crimes committed by defendant against the same victim.
(11) The trial court grossly erred in allowing evidence of other alleged crime [sic] evidence when such evidence created a substantial prejudice to the defendant in the eyes of a jury, thus creating an inference of guilt.

*1017 The defendant, in assignment of error number seven, contends the trial court erred in refusing to allow the defendant to question the credibility of a material witness who testified to prior acts of sexual misconduct. Defendant does not address this assignment of error in brief, so this assignment of error is deemed abandoned.

Other crimes evidence may be admitted under the exceptions set forth in La.Code Evid. art. 404B(1), which provides:

Except as provided in La.Code Evid. art. 412, evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show that he acted in conformity therewith. It may, however, be admissible for other purposes, such as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake or accident, provided that upon request by the accused, the prosecution in a criminal case shall provide reasonable notice in advance of trial, of the nature of any such evidence it intends to introduce at trial for such purposes, or when it relates to conduct that constitutes an integral part of the act or transaction that is the subject of the present proceeding.

Louisiana cases have determined that other crimes evidence may be admissible if the evidence had independent relevance to establish motive. State v. Abercrombie, 375 So.2d 1170 (La.1979); State v. Sutfield, 354 So.2d 1334 (La.1978). Other crimes evidence which has independent relevance and is admitted to show motive must satisfy two tests: 1) the evidence must be clear and convincing that the defendant committed the other crimes, and 2) the probative value of the evidence must outweigh the risk of prejudice— the risk that the defendant will be convicted because the evidence is used to show he is a man with a criminal disposition. Abercrombie, 375 So.2d 1170.

In the instant case, the evidence of the previous sexual crimes committed by the defendant against other persons and the same victim is analogous in both instances to the charged offenses committed against the victim. The testimony of Martha Bell and the victim reveals each crime occurred under similar circumstances which demonstrates the defendant's intent and a plan to systematically engage in sexual acts with young females. The State introduced testimony of Martha Bell who testified the defendant had molested her on several occasions when she was a child.

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Bluebook (online)
702 So. 2d 1014, 1997 WL 671636, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-davis-lactapp-1997.