State v. Dickerson

822 So. 2d 849, 2002 WL 1379238
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 26, 2002
Docket01-KA-1287
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 822 So. 2d 849 (State v. Dickerson) 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. Dickerson, 822 So. 2d 849, 2002 WL 1379238 (La. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

822 So.2d 849 (2002)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Daniel E. DICKERSON.

No. 01-KA-1287.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

June 26, 2002.

*851 Bruce G. Whittaker, Louisiana Appellate Project, New Orleans, LA, for Daniel E. Dickerson, Defendant-Appellant.

Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, District Attorney, 24th Judicial District Court, Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, Terry M. Boudreaux, Thomas J. Butler, Assistant District Attorneys—Appellate Counsel, Donald A. Rowan, Douglas W. Freese, Assistant District Attorneys— Trial Counsel, Gretna, LA, for State of Louisiana, Plaintiff-Appellee.

Panel composed of Judges THOMAS F. DALEY, MARION F. EDWARDS and SUSAN M. CHEHARDY.

SUSAN M. CHEHARDY, Judge.

On May 6, 1999, the Jefferson Parish grand jury indicted defendant, Daniel E. Dickerson, for aggravated rape. Defendant was arraigned on May 17, 1999 and pled not guilty. On November 30, 1999, the State noticed its intent to seek a capital verdict pursuant to La. R.S. 14:42(D)(2)(a). On September 8, 2000, the State amended the bill of indictment to allege that the crime occurred on or between June 2, 1998 and July 21, 1998.

On January 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27, 2001, trial was held. After deliberations, the 12-member jury unanimously found defendant guilty as charged. On January 29, 2001, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict to recommend the death penalty for defendant; and, therefore, the trial judge discharged the jury.

On February 22, 2001, the trial court denied defendant's motion in arrest of judgment and motion for new trial. That same day, defendant waived sentencing delays and the trial judge sentenced defendant to life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Defendant verbally objected to the sentence and timely moved for an appeal and reconsideration of sentence. The motion for reconsideration of sentence was denied but the motion for appeal was granted.

Facts

In May of 1998, A.R.,[1] who is the victim's mother and the defendant's daughter, allowed three of her children, including D.R. and her then three-year-old twin siblings, to stay with her father and his live-in girlfriend, Edna Joseph ("Edna"), for the summer. D.R. was four-years-old when she went to stay with "Paw Paw *852 Danny" and "Grandma Edna."[2] She turned five-years-old on June 30, 1998.

A.R.[3] stated that the defendant asked A.R. if the twins and D.R. could come and spend the summer with him and Edna. A.R. saw her children on the weekends while they were staying with defendant and Edna. One day in late July of 1998, A.R. and her oldest daughter were at the defendant's house visiting with her children. Her oldest daughter told A.R. that D.R. and defendant "had been getting booty."

When A.R. called Edna and D.R. into the room, D.R. recounted that, there was at least one occasion when, she was sitting on the sofa downstairs and defendant, "Paw Paw Danny," told her siblings and Edna to go upstairs. Defendant then told D.R. to lie on the floor, pulled her underwear aside and put his private part in her private part. When she told him she had to go to the bathroom, defendant followed her into the bathroom and "did it again." Next, D.R. went into the kitchen. Defendant followed her in there, put her on the counter, put his "private part in her butt" and started "humping" on her and "shaking." D.R. testified that she was very scared and it hurt when defendant did that. She also stated that no one else saw those things happen.

According to D.R., defendant told her that, if she didn't tell anyone what had happened, he would give her anything she wanted. He also told her that if she did tell, he would "whup" her and not give her anything. Although she was afraid, D.R. told her older sister about the things defendant was doing to her. D.R.'s older sister then told their mother what had happened. When her mother found out, D.R.'s mother told her to tell Edna, which D.R. did. When D.R. told Edna what defendant had done to her, Edna denied the events.

After D.R. told A.R., A.R. called the police. Deputy Robert Fox of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office responded to a rape complaint on July 29, 1998 at 1586 Abbey Road, Apartment A, in Jefferson Parish and spoke to A.R. and Edna. Deputy Fox stated that A.R., the mother of the victim, was crying and upset, so he spoke to Edna who told him that the rapes occurred between July 11 and 14. Deputy Fox testified that Edna seemed unhappy that the police were there and was evasive when asked questions. When Deputy Fox questioned D.R., she told him that her grandfather, defendant, had touched her vagina with his penis. Deputy Fox prepared a report regarding his investigation of the crime.

Sergeant Kelly Jones of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, Personal Violence Section also responded to the rape complaint on July 29, 1998. She met with A.R., Edna, D.R. and D.R.'s two younger siblings. A.R. told Sergeant Jones that D.R. told her "Paw Paw Danny had been getting booty" with D.R. Edna seemed to be somewhat agitated at Sergeant Jones' presence. She was uncooperative, evasive, and her responses to questions were vague. Edna told Sergeant Jones defendant was offshore between July 11, 1998 and July 14, 1998. She also told Sergeant *853 Jones that she didn't believe that defendant had molested D.R.

Sergeant Jones also spoke with D.R. that day. D.R. told Sergeant Jones that "Paw Paw Danny had put his bird" in her "private." When D.R. stated her "private" area, she pointed to her genital area. D.R. stated that this activity had occurred in various locations in his house.

On August 3, 1998, Sergeant Jones escorted A.R. and D.R. to an interview with Omalee Gordon of the Gretna Police Department, Children's Advocacy Center regarding allegations of sexual abuse. Sergeant Jones monitored the interview from a monitoring room connected to the interview room. The interview was videotaped. Ms. Gordon stated that the videotape accurately depicted the interview. At trial, D.R. remembered that she went to see a lady who made a video of the two of them talking together and that she had told the lady the truth on the video. The videotape of the interview was introduced at trial and played for the jury.

In the videotape, D.R. stated that Paw Paw Danny (defendant) had put his "bird" in her "private part" and pointed to her genital area. D.R. said that defendant had done that on the sofa, on the bed, in the bathroom and in the kitchen at "Grandma Edna's house." She stated that her brother, her sister, and Grandma Edna were upstairs when it happened. D.R. said that when defendant heard Grandma Edna coming downstairs, he stopped what he was doing. D.R. stated that defendant told her if she told anyone about what he was doing to her, that he would "whoop" her, and that if she didn't tell anyone, he would give her anything she wanted.

She indicated on the videotape how defendant had moved her underwear aside so he could put his "bird" in. D.R. stated that defendant first did those things when she was four years old, and that he last did those things when she was five years old. She also said that defendant had put his "bird in her booty." She said that she was four years old when defendant first abused her, and that she was five years old the last time.

On the videotape, D.R. got on her hands and knees to demonstrate what defendant had done. D.R. testified that her mother visited them the night the incidents occurred and that the police were called the next morning. D.R.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
822 So. 2d 849, 2002 WL 1379238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dickerson-lactapp-2002.