State v. Griffith

480 N.W.2d 347, 1992 Minn. App. LEXIS 58, 1992 WL 10619
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedJanuary 28, 1992
DocketC3-91-263
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 480 N.W.2d 347 (State v. Griffith) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Griffith, 480 N.W.2d 347, 1992 Minn. App. LEXIS 58, 1992 WL 10619 (Mich. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

SCHUMACHER, Judge.

A jury found appellant guilty of two counts of criminal sexual assault in the third degree and one count of criminal sexual assault in the fourth degree. Appellant was sentenced on one of the third-degree counts. The sentencing judge departed upward durationally from the presumptive sentence of 48 months executed to a sentence of 72 months executed. Appellant alleges the evidence was insufficient to support the convictions, the trial court erred in excluding certain evidence, and the sentence departure is not justified. We affirm.

FACTS

The conduct complained of occurred approximately two weeks after complainant moved in with appellant and his family. Complainant, then age 17, was the best friend of appellant’s daughter, and shared a room with her. Appellant’s wife and their two sons also lived in the house. Appellant’s wife was not at home on the evening the alleged incident occurred.

On February 15, 1990, complainant and appellant’s daughter had two other friends over to the house. The four girls and appellant were drinking a case of beer that appellant had purchased. It appears the complainant drank about 4-5 beers and appellant drank 9-12 beers.

Complainant eventually left the group and went downstairs. Appellant testified that he found complainant sitting on the floor with a blank look on her face. When he could not get her to respond to his questions, appellant lifted complainant onto the couch. Appellant’s daughter and son testified that they saw appellant’s hand inside complainant’s shirt around the chest area while she was “passed out.”

Appellant’s daughter and the other two girls helped complainant up the stairs and put her into bed. The girls did not carry complainant. Complainant took her shoes off, but left the rest of her clothes on.

About twenty minutes later, appellant’s daughter found complainant vomiting onto the floor as she lay on the bed. Appellant and appellant’s daughter began cleaning up the mess. Appellant sent his daughter out of the room on a few occasions for cleaning supplies or to rinse out the rags. Complainant testified that each time appellant’s daughter left the room, appellant would insert his finger in her vagina through a hole in the crotch area of her pants. After they had finished cleaning, appellant and appellant’s daughter left the room and complainant fell back to sleep.

Complainant later awoke to find that appellant had removed her pants and underwear and was kneeling over her, unbuttoning his own pants. Complainant testified that appellant performed cunnilingus on her and then penetrated her vagina with his penis. He rubbed his penis on complainant’s lips and ejaculated on her face. He then wiped the semen off complainant’s face with a tissue, and left the room.

Appellant’s daughter awoke to find complainant crying, and she persuaded complainant to tell her what was wrong. Appellant’s daughter testified that complain *349 ant wiped some remaining semen from her face onto her pillowcase.

Complainant left appellant’s house the next day and moved in with a friend. Two days later, complainant moved out of this friend’s house and moved in with another friend. Complainant told both girls about the alleged incident. After she had told the second friend, complainant attempted to cut her wrists, and the police were called. The two girls then told the police what complainant had told them about the incident. Appellant’s wife gave an investigator the pillowcase from appellant’s daughter’s bedroom. The stains on the pillowcase tested positive for the presence of semen. The tests could not exclude appellant as the source.

Appellant was charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree (Minn.Stat. § 609.344, subd. 1(d) (1990) and one count of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree (Minn.Stat. § 609.345, subd. 1(d) (1990)). Appellant received a jury trial in Anoka County District Court.

The trial court excluded evidence of a sexual encounter the complainant had allegedly engaged in with another man between February 15th and 19th. The jury found appellant guilty on all counts. Appellant was sentenced to 72 months on one count of criminal sexual assault in the third degree, a departure from the presumptive 48 months.

ISSUES

1. Is the evidence sufficient to support appellant’s conviction for third-degree sexual assault?

2. Is the evidence sufficient to support appellant’s conviction for fourth-degree sexual assault?

3. Did the trial court err in excluding evidence of the complainant’s alleged sexual conduct subsequent to the night the alleged incident occurred?

4. Did the trial court err in departing upward durationally from the presumptive sentence?

ANALYSIS

I. Whether the evidence at trial was sufficient to support the conviction for third-degree sexual assault.

The appellate court must view the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution when reviewing claims of insufficient evidence. State v. Parker, 353 N.W.2d 122, 127 (Minn.1984). The reviewing court must assume the jury believed the prosecution witnesses and disbelieved any contrary evidence. State v. Ulvinen, 313 N.W.2d 425, 428 (Minn.1981).

The judge instructed the jury that in order to find the appellant guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the third-degree, they must conclude that the appellant engaged in sexual penetration with the complainant when he knew or had reason to know she was physically helpless. The judge further instructed the jury:

“Physically helpless” means that a person is (a) asleep or not conscious, (b) unable to withhold consent or to withdraw because of a physical condition, or (c) unable to communicate non-consent and the condition is known or reasonably should have been known to the actor.

The jury found that the complainant met this definition.

Appellant argues that because the complainant was awake and aware at the time of the penetrations, she could not have been “physically helpless” as required under Minn.Stat. § 609.345, subd. 1(d). Appellant cannot, however, point to any testimony demonstrating that the complainant could have said “no” or “stop,” only testimony that she didn’t voice her non-consent. The jury was not required to infer that because the complainant was awake and aware of the penetrations she could have effectively withdrawn from the attack.

Moreover, there were portions of the complainant’s testimony indicating that she was, in fact, “unable to withdraw because of a physical condition.” On redirect, the complainant testified as to the digital penetration that allegedly occurred as the appellant and appellant’s daughter were in *350 the process of cleaning up complainant’s vomit:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
480 N.W.2d 347, 1992 Minn. App. LEXIS 58, 1992 WL 10619, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-griffith-minnctapp-1992.