State v. Hampton

716 So. 2d 417, 1998 WL 355062
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided June 29, 1998·No. 97 KA 2096·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

716 So.2d 417 (1998)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Joseph S. HAMPTON.

No. 97 KA 2096.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

June 29, 1998.

*418 Terry Boudreaux, Gretna, and Walter P. Reed, District Attorney, Gretna, for Appellee State.

Peggy Sullivan, West Monroe, for Appellant Defendant Joseph S. Hampton.

Before FOIL, WHIPPLE and KUHN, JJ.

FOIL, Judge.

Defendant, Joseph S. Hampton, was charged by bill of information with oral sexual battery (Count 1), a violation of La. R.S. 14:43.3, and with sexual battery (Count 2), a violation of La. R.S. 14:43.1. He pled not guilty to both counts. After a trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts on each count. Defendant filed a motion for new trial and a motion for post-verdict judgment of acquittal, which were denied by the trial court. Subsequently, defendant waived legal delays and was sentenced to seven years at hard labor on Count 1 and seven years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence on Count 2. Defendant did not make an oral or written motion to reconsider his sentences. Defendant now appeals, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to support the verdicts, that the record did not reflect sufficient reasons for the sentences and that the sentences were excessive.

FACTS

On July 6, 1997, a group of people gathered to socialize and play cards at a Slidell home. They included the homeowner, Cliff Falterman and his adolescent daughter, Danielle, defendant Joseph Hampton and his wife Cheryl, who lived at the home, and Elaine Davey and her twelve-year old daughter, K.P. The group played cards until the early morning hours of July 7, when most went to bedrooms in the home. K.P.'s mother and Cliff retired to his bedroom. Danielle went to sleep in her room. Defendant's wife went into her bedroom to watch taped television programs. Only defendant and K.P. were left in the kitchen playing cards. Defendant suggested that they move to the sofa in the adjoining den to watch television. They did so and sat on the opposite ends of the sofa. The young girl covered herself with a blanket. During the next couple of hours defendant allegedly touched the girl's genitals by performing acts of digital penetration of her vagina and cunnilingus. During this time, several adults, including K.P.'s mother and defendant's wife entered the room. No one saw any inappropriate activity. Nor did they see K.P. or defendant move quickly or reposition themselves on the sofa. A few days later K.P. told her mother of the acts. Consequently, defendant was arrested and charged with performing acts of sexual battery and oral sexual battery. Defendant gave a statement denying the offenses.

SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE

In assignment of error number one, defendant contends that the evidence presented was insufficient to support the guilty verdicts. In assignment of error number two, defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying his motions for new trial and for post-verdict judgment of acquittal, in which he argued that there was insufficient evidence to support the verdicts. In his brief, defendant specifically contends that the state's entire case rested upon the victim's testimony and that the evidence shows the victim was lying about the allegations. The state argues that the testimony of the victim was sufficient to support the convictions and that the jury's credibility determinations should not be overturned.

In reviewing claims challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, this Court must consider, "whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt." Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Mussall, 523 So.2d 1305, 1308-09 (La.1988). See also La.Code Crim. P. art. 821(B).

The testimony of the victim alone is sufficient to prove the elements of the offense. The trier of fact may accept or reject, in whole or part, the testimony of any witness. Moreover, when there is conflicting *419 testimony about factual matters, the resolution of which depends upon a determination of the credibility of the witnesses, the matter is one of the weight of the evidence, not its sufficiency. State v. Johnson, 529 So.2d 466, 472 (La.App. 1st Cir.1988), writ denied, 536 So.2d 1233 (La.1989).

La. R.S. 14:43.3 provides for the crime of oral sexual battery as follows:

A. Oral sexual battery is the intentional engaging in any of the following acts with another person, who is not the spouse of the offender, when the offender either compels the other person to submit by placing the person in fear of receiving bodily harm, or when the other person has not yet attained fifteen years of age and is at least three years younger than the offender:
(1) The touching of the anus or genitals of the victim by the offender using the mouth or tongue of the offender; or
(2) The touching of the anus or genitals of the offender by the victim using the mouth or tongue of the victim.
B. Lack of knowledge of the victim's age shall not be a defense.

La. R.S. 14:43.1 provides for the offense of sexual battery as follows:

A. Sexual battery is the intentional engaging in any of the following acts with another person, who is not the spouse of the offender, where the offender acts without the consent of the victim, or where the other person has not yet attained fifteen years of age and is at least three years younger than the offender:
(1) The touching of the anus or genitals of the victim by the offender using any instrumentality or any part of the body of the offender; or
(2) The touching of the anus or genitals of the offender by the victim using any instrumentality or any part of the body of the victim.
B. Lack of knowledge of the victim's age shall not be a defense. However, where the victim is under seventeen, normal medical treatment or normal sanitary care of an infant shall not be construed as an offense under the provisions of this Section.

At trial, the victim, K.P., testified that defendant gave her alcoholic beverages and some pills which he said "would make her horny." The girl drank the alcohol and took the pills, a decision she regretted. Then, defendant started asking her sexual questions. When they finished playing cards, he asked her to move from the kitchen table to the sofa in the den and she agreed. While she was on the sofa, he put his fingers into her vagina and also inserted his finger into her rectum while he performed oral sex on her. The victim further stated that she was twelve years old at the time these acts occurred.

K.P. acknowledged that several people in the home, including defendant's wife and her mother, periodically walked into the den. K.P. explained that the room was dark, that the only light came from the television, and that defendant was able to see shadows on the wall and anticipate when someone would enter the room from the hallway. The victim further stated that she was covered with a blanket and laying on the sofa when this incident occurred. She admitted that defendant left the room several times to talk to his wife in their bedroom. After about two hours, K.P. went into Danielle's bedroom. There, she woke Danielle, her friend, and told her about the sexua

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State v. Hampton, 716 So. 2d 417, 1998 WL 355062 (La. Ct. App. 1998).

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