State v. Hines, Unpublished Decision (1-27-2006)

2006 Ohio 322
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 27, 2006
DocketCourt of Appeals No. L-04-1234, Trial Court No. CR-2003-3228.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 2006 Ohio 322 (State v. Hines, Unpublished Decision (1-27-2006)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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State v. Hines, Unpublished Decision (1-27-2006), 2006 Ohio 322 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY
{¶ 1} This case is before the court on the judgment of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas which, following a jury trial, found appellant, Deon Hines, guilty of two counts of rape, felonies of the first degree, in violation of R.C.2907.02(A)(1)(b), and two counts of gross sexual imposition, felonies of the third degree, in violation of R.C. 2907.05(A)(4). Appellant's alleged victim was his stepdaughter who, at the time of the trial, was 13 years of age. Appellant was sentenced to nine years on each count of rape, to be run concurrently to each other, and four years for each count of gross sexual imposition, to be run concurrently to each other. The sentences for rape and gross sexual imposition were ordered to be served consecutively to each other, for a total of 13 years imprisonment. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the judgment of the trial court regarding appellant's convictions, but reverse as to the imposition of consecutive sentences.

{¶ 2} On appeal, appellant raises the following assignments of error:

{¶ 3} "I. Hines' convictions were against the manifest weight of the evidence. The state offered evidence that lacked the necessary specificity and was inconsistent.

{¶ 4} "II. The lower court should have granted Hines' motion pursuant to Crim.R. 29 because a rational trier of fact could not have found the essential elements of the crimes charged proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

{¶ 5} "III. The trial court abused its discretion by not permitting appellant's counsel to question the state's medical expert regarding possible causes for the injury to the hymen other than sexual abuse by Hines.

{¶ 6} "IV. Hines' sentence is not supported by the facts, nor is it constitutional."

{¶ 7} Appellant's first and second assignments of error are related and, therefore, will be considered together. Appellant argues that the trial court erred in denying his Crim.R. 29 motion and that his convictions were against the manifest weight of the evidence. In particular, appellant asserts that the state failed to prove that the offense was committed within the time frame alleged in the indictment. Appellant also asserts that he should not have been convicted because the only evidence of rape and gross sexual imposition came from the victim's testimony, which appellant argues was inconsistent and uncorroborated.

{¶ 8} Crim.R. 29(A) states that a court shall order an entry of judgment of acquittal if the evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction of the offenses. As such, the issue to be determined with respect to a motion for acquittal is whether there was sufficient evidence to support the conviction. Sufficiency of the evidence and manifest weight of the evidence are quantitatively and qualitatively different legal concepts.State v. Thompkins (1997), 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 386.

{¶ 9} "Sufficiency" applies to a question of law as to whether the evidence is legally adequate to support a jury verdict as to all elements of a crime. Id. In making this determination, an appellate court must determine whether, "after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt." State v. Jenks (1991), 61 Ohio St.3d 259, paragraph two of the syllabus.

{¶ 10} Under a manifest weight standard, an appellate court sits as a "thirteenth juror" and may disagree with the fact finder's resolution of the conflicting testimony. Thompkins at 387. The appellate court,{¶ 11} "`reviewing the entire record, weighs the evidence and all reasonable inferences, considers the credibility of witnesses and determines whether in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the jury clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed and a new trial ordered. The discretionary power to grant a new trial should be exercised only in the exceptional case in which the evidence weighs heavily against the conviction.'" Id., quotingState v. Martin (1983), 20 Ohio App.3d 172, 175.

{¶ 12} In this case, the victim was born in September 1990. The victim testified that appellant began fondling her breast when she was approximately 6 or 7 years of age, when they lived on Erie Street. The victim further testified that appellant licked her vaginal area and put his fingers inside her, which she stated "hurt." She testified that this behavior began when she was in fourth grade and continued, "almost every night," until April 2002. She further testified that the cunnilingus and digital penetration occurred while the family lived on both Bush and Hillwood. Although the victim could not remember specific dates, she stated that she knew how it happened "because it haunts [her] at night."

{¶ 13} When given the opportunity, the victim did not inform her social workers or guardians ad litem in 2001, 2002 or 2003, that she was the victim of sexual abuse and, in fact, denied that she was being sexually abused. The victim, however, readily disclosed incidents of physical abuse by appellant to her teacher, social workers and guardians. The victim was placed with her grandmother in May 2003, and then with Laurie E. a couple of months later. In August 2003, the victim wrote a letter to herself on a computer while visiting Laurie E.'s adult daughter, Angelina. The victim testified that the purpose of the letter was "to get all the feelings off [her] chest." In the letter, the victim wrote that Angelina had gone out to a bar and came home, a little drunk, with two friends, Pete and Fruit. The victim wrote that they "[freaked] [her] out":

{¶ 14} "They [didn't] do anything to me but I don't know why * * * I just felt like I was going to get [raped] again just not by the same guy from my past. I really [don't] have to worry [it's] not like Deon is going to do it [again]. [It's] not like he could [touch] me again where I am at now. I hope. I was told that if I would tell anyone * * * that he touched me he would hunt me down and kill me and I [didn't] tell anyone I think OPPSSSSSS I told some one I told Kassie that he did. I have to forget the things that he did to me.

{¶ 15} "He bet me he [raped] me when ever he pleased and I [didn't] like that all I have to do was tell [Jessica] and she would get every body that she know and have them [beat] his azz and then [throw] him into jail. I have to tell someone how I feel or all the anger will come out sooner or later I better be safe then sorry and I have to tell her I have to or I won't be able to make it [through] life with this shit stuck inside me I am going to tell my [counselor] when I go see him/her well how ever it is I have to tell them but I'm [scared] to tell. (sic)"1

{¶ 16} Angelina gave the letter to Laurie E.'s. She brought the letter to the victim's attention, who "had a look of surprise on her face" when confronted with the letter. The victim testified that she did not want anybody to see what she had typed on Angelina's computer, and that if Laurie E.

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Bluebook (online)
2006 Ohio 322, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-hines-unpublished-decision-1-27-2006-ohioctapp-2006.