State v. Foltz

CourtNebraska Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 4, 2014
DocketA-13-747
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Foltz (State v. Foltz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Foltz, (Neb. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

IN THE NEBRASKA COURT OF APPEALS

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND JUDGMENT ON APPEAL

STATE V. FOLTZ

NOTICE: THIS OPINION IS NOT DESIGNATED FOR PERMANENT PUBLICATION AND MAY NOT BE CITED EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY NEB. CT. R. APP. P. § 2-102(E).

STATE OF NEBRASKA, APPELLEE, V. BENJAMIN T. FOLTZ, APPELLANT.

Filed March 4, 2014. No. A-13-747.

Appeal from the District Court for Douglas County: JAMES T. GLEASON, Judge. Affirmed. Patrick McCormick for appellant. Jon Bruning, Attorney General, and George R. Love for appellee.

INBODY, Chief Judge, and MOORE and PIRTLE, Judges. PIRTLE, Judge. INTRODUCTION Benjamin T. Foltz appeals his convictions in the district court for Douglas County for attempted sexual assault in the first degree and burglary. He contends that the trial court erred in allowing the State to endorse additional witnesses, in refusing to allow Foltz to show the victim her videotaped police interview to refresh her recollection and impeach her credibility, and in finding that the evidence was sufficient to sustain the convictions. Finding no merit to Foltz’ arguments, we affirm. BACKGROUND On May 15, 2012, the State filed an information charging Foltz with count I, attempted sexual assault in the first degree, and count II, burglary. In regard to count I, the information alleged that on October 23 and 24, 2011, Foltz attempted to subject E.R. to sexual penetration without her consent. As to count II, the information alleged that Foltz did forcibly break and enter into a building with intent to commit a felony therein.

-1- On January 31, 2013, the court set the case for bench trial on April 4. On March 11, the State filed a notice to endorse additional witnesses. On April 1, Foltz filed a written objection to the State’s notice to endorse, seeking to exclude additional witnesses or, alternatively, to continue the trial to allow Foltz the opportunity to depose the additional witnesses. A bench trial took place on April 4, 2013. Prior to the start of trial, the court considered Foltz’ objection to the State’s notice to endorse additional witnesses. The court ultimately granted the State’s motion to endorse and denied Foltz’ motions. Following the court’s rulings on the endorsement of additional witnesses for the State, the trial began on the charges against Foltz. E.R. testified that on October 23, 2011, she and several friends/acquaintances were “hanging out” and grilling outside her apartment building. They had planned to go to a bar later in the evening. The friends/acquaintances included Foltz, who used to live across the street from E.R.’s apartment building and whom E.R. had met on two prior occasions. She recalled having one brief conversation with him in the past. Kevin Lloyd was also present on October 23, 2011. Lloyd was a close friend of E.R.’s, and they had just begun dating at the time. Lloyd lived in the same apartment building as E.R. The building that E.R. and Lloyd lived in was an old house that had been converted into six apartment units. E.R.’s apartment was on the basement floor, and the only entrance to her apartment was from a stairwell on the side of the house. Lloyd’s apartment was on the main level of the house, and his apartment could be accessed from the front door of the house or from the side of the house. Others present on the night in question included Lloyd’s two roommates and Stephanie Dine and Cody Bogard, both friends of E.R.’s. After E.R. and the others were done grilling outside, E.R. and Dine were ready to go to the bar. They asked if anyone else wanted to come with them, and Foltz indicated that he did. E.R., Dine, and Foltz walked to the bar together, and the others eventually joined them. E.R. testified that after the rest of the group arrived, she did not have any conversation with Foltz at the bar and did not pay any attention to where he was or what he was doing. E.R. testified that she got extremely drunk at the bar and that around 1 a.m., Dine and Lloyd walked her back to her apartment. E.R. testified that Dine helped her get into bed, and got her some water and something to eat. E.R. testified that she was throwing up and that Dine put a trash can next to her bed. E.R. testified that Dine then left and that E.R. passed out in her bed. She testified that her next memory is waking up around 4 a.m. with Foltz in her bed. E.R. testified that she was lying on her right side and that Foltz was lying behind her on his right side, facing her back side. She testified that her pants were down by her ankles and that Foltz was touching her breast and was “thrusting” his erect penis between her legs and against her vagina. E.R. testified that he whispered in her ear, “it’s okay.” E.R. testified that she did not know who was in her bed at first because he was lying behind her, but she then saw the person’s reflection in a mirror on the wall in her bedroom and realized it was Foltz. E.R. testified that she “freaked out” and told Foltz to get out of her bed. She testified that Foltz did not respond immediately, but after a little while, he got out of the bed, put his pants and shoes on, and told her “if it makes you feel any better, nothing really happened.”

-2- E.R. testified that she called Lloyd repeatedly until he answered the telephone. She told him what had just happened and asked him to come to her apartment. She also called Dine, who came over and subsequently took E.R. to a hospital, where she was examined and spoke with an Omaha police officer. Lloyd testified that E.R. got progressively drunk while at the bar on October 23, 2011, and that he and Dine left the bar with E.R. and walked with her back to her apartment. He testified that he left a short time later and went to his own apartment, leaving Dine with E.R. Lloyd testified that he received a call from E.R. around 5 or 5:30 a.m. He stated that she was frantic and asked him to come to her apartment. When he arrived, E.R. was in a fetal position in her bed and was crying. She told him that Foltz tried to have sex with her. Lloyd testified that he and Foltz had been friends and that on the night in question, he had told Foltz that he could sleep overnight at his apartment. Lloyd testified that between the time he got back to his apartment after coming home from the bar and E.R.’s call at 5 or 5:30 a.m., he never received a call from Foltz asking to be let in to the apartment or never heard anyone knocking on his door. Lloyd testified that later in the morning on October 24, 2011, he received a call from Foltz, and that Foltz told him he was very drunk the night before and could not get into Lloyd’s apartment because it was locked. Foltz told Lloyd that he wanted a warm place to sleep, so he went to E.R.’s apartment and got in her bed. He further told Lloyd that he got an erection and that E.R. “flipped out” and told him to leave. Foltz told Lloyd that he wanted to talk to E.R., but Lloyd told him E.R. did not want to talk to him. Bogard testified that he was at the bar with E.R. and the others on the night in question and that he left the bar with E.R., Lloyd, and Dine. He testified that the four of them went to E.R.’s apartment and that he and Lloyd were “hanging out” while Dine was assisting E.R. Bogard stated that Lloyd then left E.R.’s apartment and that he and Dine left together a short while later. Bogard testified that in the early morning hours on October 24, 2011, Dine received a telephone call from E.R. and she was very upset. Bogard and Dine went to E.R.’s apartment, and Lloyd was there when they arrived. Bogard testified that E.R. was crying and appeared really scared. Omaha police officer Andrea Wells testified that she was dispatched to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the early morning hours on October 24, 2011, to interview E.R. about the incident. Wells testified that when she arrived, E.R. was upset and visibly shaken. E.R.

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Foltz, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-foltz-nebctapp-2014.