State v. Dean

324 P.3d 1023, 298 Kan. 1023, 2014 WL 800452, 2014 Kan. LEXIS 105
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedFebruary 28, 2014
DocketNo. 105,625
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 324 P.3d 1023 (State v. Dean) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Dean, 324 P.3d 1023, 298 Kan. 1023, 2014 WL 800452, 2014 Kan. LEXIS 105 (kan 2014).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Moritz, J.:

Donald Ray Dean appeals his convictions of two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and one count each of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, and sexual exploitation of a child. He argues the district court erred in: (1) admitting into evidence his prior conviction for indecent liberties with a child and two home videotapes under K.S.A. 2009 Supp. 60-455; (2) failing to instruct the jury that it could consider K.S.A. 2009 Supp. 60-455 evidence only for its bearing on the sexual exploitation charge; and (3) permitting a witness to read into evidence the factual basis for Dean’s prior indecent liberties conviction in violation of his confrontation rights. Dean further contends the prosecutor committed reversible misconduct in his rebuttal closing argument and that his sentence is illegal and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Although we find the prosecutor improperly speculated on facts not in evidence, we find no reversible trial error and affirm Dean’s convictions. However, because the sentencing court imposed a mandatory minimum sentence instead of departing to a guidelines sentence after granting Dean’s motion to depart, we vacate Dean’s sentence and remand for resentencing.

Factual and Procedural Background

Ten-year-old S.W. participated in classroom personal safety awareness training about good and bad touches. Afterward, S.W. advised her teacher that she and her “grandpa” touched each other in “private places” and it made S.W. uncomfortable. S.W. also said that her grandpa had given her a ring and said he wanted to marry her.

[1025]*1025After S.W.’s teacher reported S.W.’s allegations, law enforcement conducted an investigation through which it learned that 57-year-old Donald Ray Dean, who was unrelated to S.W., was the man she referred to as “grandpa.” A subsequent search of Dean’s home revealed a number of videotapes, including one in which two young girls exposed their genitalia.

The State charged Dean with rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, and sexual exploitation of a minor.

Pretrial Proceedings

Prior to trial, Dean filed a motion in limine seeking to prevent die State from introducing evidence of his 1984 conviction for indecent liberties with a child. Shortly thereafter, the State filed notice pursuant to K.S.A. 2009 Supp. 60-455 of its intent to introduce: (1) Dean’s 1984 conviction for indecent liberties with a child as well as the factual basis for the conviction contained in the pre-sentence investigation report (PSI); (2) testimony from two adult women, C.R. and A.R., who were the children exposing their genitalia in tiie video found in Dean’s home, about the video and tiieir sexual contact with Dean; and (3) several videotapes allegedly taken by Dean that focused on young girls’ knees and clothed genital regions. Further, the State asserted that the version of K.S.A. 60-455 effective April 30, 2009, K.S.A. 2009 Supp. 60-455, governed the admissibility of the evidence rather than the prior version.

After additional briefing and argument, the district court agreed with the State that K.S.A. 2009 Supp. 60-455 applied. It further determined that the evidence in the State’s notice was admissible “[n]ot only for those specifically stated material facts being as identified, motive, intent, plan and knowledge and identity, but also as stated in the amendment bearing on any matter to which it is relevant or probative.” The district court later clarified its ruling, indicating that while C.R. and A.R. could testily about whether they were the children in tire incriminating video, any testimony regarding other allegations arising from Dean’s contact with them was inadmissible because of its highly prejudicial nature.

[1026]*1026The case proceeded to trial where the following facts were developed.

The State’s Case

Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) Special Agent Jason Larue began investigating the allegations against Dean after the Meade County Sheriff requested the KBI’s assistance. Through his investigation, Larue learned that S.W. met Dean through one of her friends, B.B.

Larue interviewed 12-year-old B.B., who indicated that while she referred to Dean as “grandpa,” he was actually a family friend. B.B. said she sometimes visited Dean at his home on weekends and at times her friends would accompany her, including S.W. and another girl of about the same age, L.P. B.B. told Larue that Dean had never touched her inappropriately.

B.B. also told Larue that on one occasion she saw Dean and S.W. French kissing. When Larue asked B.B. to describe the kiss, she explained, “ ‘[Dean] had his tongue inside [S.W.’s] mouth.’ ” But when B.B. later testified at trial, she said she did not know what type of kiss Dean gave S.W.

B.B. showed Larue a birthstone ring Dean had given her, which Larue later learned Dean had purchased for $250. Larue also learned that Dean gave S.W. a “costume jewelry” ring so that S.W. would not feel left out.

After learning that S.W., B.B., and Dean had spray painted graffiti on a local bridge, Larue accompanied S.W. to the bridge and S.W. pointed to graffiti she had painted with B.B. and Dean. Larue took photographs of the graffiti, which included the phrases, “Will you be mine, [Dean]? Yes or no,” widi the word “Yes” circled, and “[B.B.,] will you be my girlfriend? Yes or No.” Photographs of these and additional spray painted phrases were admitted into evidence.

B.B. testified at trial that she, S.W., and Dean sometimes played a card game called “21.” Dean would require the game’s loser to remove his or her shoes, socks, or shirt. B.B. recalled having to take off her shoes and shirt and that S.W. also removed some of her clothing.

[1027]*1027L.P. testified she and S.W. played “[y]ucky games” with Dean. According to L.P., S.W. told her she and Dean had slept naked together.

S.W. testified at trial and identified the ring Dean had given her and also advised that Dean had spray painted the bridge with the phrases,”[B.B.,] will you be my girlfriend? Yes or No,” and “I love you, [S.W.] ” S.W. testified she spray painted ‘Will you be mine, [Dean]? Yes or no,” and Dean circled “Yes.” S.W. could not remember playing any card games with Dean other than slapjack.

S.W. had difficulty recalling details of her physical interactions with Dean. She testified she told her teacher that Dean had touched her “in the wrong place, and [she] was uncomfortable.” When requested to do so, S.W. stood up in the witness stand and indicated for the jury where Dean had touched her, pointing to her chest and her crotch. She also told the jury she touched Dean s private part. S.W.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
324 P.3d 1023, 298 Kan. 1023, 2014 WL 800452, 2014 Kan. LEXIS 105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dean-kan-2014.