State v. Jeffries

272 S.W.3d 883, 2008 Mo. App. LEXIS 1723, 2008 WL 5160279
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 10, 2008
DocketSD 28958
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 272 S.W.3d 883 (State v. Jeffries) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri 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. Jeffries, 272 S.W.3d 883, 2008 Mo. App. LEXIS 1723, 2008 WL 5160279 (Mo. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

NANCY STEFFEN RAHMEYER, Judge.

Victor R. Jeffries (“Appellant”) was tried to a jury on two charges, the first was first-degree child molestation and the second was second-degree sexual misconduct. Count 1 was based on a violation of section 566.067.1, 1 which states “[a] person commits the crime of child molestation in the first degree if he or she subjects another person who is less than fourteen years of age to sexual contact.” Section 566.067.1. Count 2 was based on a violation of section 566.093.1, which states in part, “[a] person commits the crime of sexual misconduct in the second degree if such person (l)[e]xposes his or her genitals under circumstances in which he or she knows that his or her conduct is likely to cause affront or alarm[.]” Section 566.093.1. The jury found Appellant guilty on Count 2, but not guilty on Count 1. Appellant files this appeal from the trial court’s denial of his motion for acquittal at the close of all evidence.

Standard of Review

We review the denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal to determine if the State made a submissible case by introducing sufficient evidence. State v. Sensabaugh, 9 S.W.3d 677, 679 (Mo.App. E.D.1999). The State makes a submissible case if a reasonable juror could find each element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Grim, 854 S.W.2d 403, 411 (Mo. banc 1993). When reviewing the suf *884 ficiency of the State’s evidence, we accept the truth of all favorable evidence and inferences and disregard all contrary evidence and inferences. Sensabaugh, 9 S.W.3d at 679. Our function is “to assure that the jury, in finding the facts, does not do so based on sheer speculation,” not to decide disputed facts. Grim, 854 S.W.2d at 414.

Statement of Facts

Twelve-year-old C.G. lived with her mother, but occasionally visited her father, who lived across the street from Appellant. C.G. described him as “my friend and my dad’s friend.” On August 28, 2005, C.G. went to Appellant’s house to look at his Schnauzer puppies. Later that night, C.G. went with Appellant and Teresa King, Appellant’s then-girlfriend, to the Lake Ozark Speedway to watch the races. C.G. testified that Appellant told her that she “might as well stay the night” because she was going to the races.

After the races, C.G. returned to Appellant’s house and went to sleep on the living room floor. Appellant and Teresa went to sleep in the bedroom. C.G. testified she was asleep on her side and woke up to find Appellant lying right behind her. He was rubbing his “thing” 2 on her back, and she noticed her shirt was raised up a little bit. She saw his “thing” again when she got up to go to the bathroom. Appellant then went back into the bedroom.

In the bathroom, she tried to think for a minute and went to the mirror to wipe her mouth off. There was white stuff on her mouth that she had never seen before. When she exited the bathroom, Appellant exited the bedroom. She returned to the living room and found Appellant lying on the couch. He began watching a movie and talking to C.G. “with his wee-wee hanging out,” up over his shorts. Appellant asked C.G. if she was going to tell Teresa. C.G. interpreted this question to be in reference to Appellant’s actions. She said, “No.” Appellant proceeded to watch the movie. C.G. was shaking and scared and tried to wipe off the white stuff onto the couch. After the movie, Appellant went back in the bedroom with Teresa.

Discussion

Appellant claims his conviction should be overturned because the State did not prove that he knew any of his actions would cause affront or alarm. To determine whether or not the State presented sufficient evidence that Appellant knew his actions would cause affront or alarm, we must first define “affront” and “alarm.” Several cases involving other statutes regulating sexual conduct have defined “affront” and “alarm.” We note that “[statutes relating to the same subject matter should be construed consistently with one another.” Reed v. Director of Revenue, 184 S.W.3d 564, 567 (Mo. banc 2006).

In State v. Moore, 90 S.W.3d 64 (Mo. banc 2002), defendant was charged with soliciting oral sex from a 13-year-old girl. Id. at 66. Defendant was charged under section 566.095, which stated in part, “1. A person commits the crime of sexual misconduct in the third degree if he solicits or requests another person to engage in sexual conduct under circumstances in which he knows that his requests or solicitation is likely to cause affront or alarm.” Id. at 67. The court noted that “ ‘[ajffront’ is defined as ‘a deliberately offensive act or utterance; an offense to one’s self-respect.’ WEBSTER’S THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 36 (1993). ‘Alarm’ is defined as ‘apprehension of an unfavorable outcome, of failure, or danger *885 ous consequences; an occasion of excitement or apprehension.’ Id. at 48.” Id. at 67 n. 6. To interpret the meaning of section 566.095, the court analyzed the language of section 566.093 and stated that section 566.093 “prohibit[s] conduct that is known or believed ‘likely to cause affront or alarm,’ presumably to distinguish a criminal act of exposing oneself from conduct that is accidental, inadvertent, or otherwise done without an intent to do harm.” Id. at 68. As the court noted:

In the context in which “affront” and “alarm” are used in section 566.095, what is prohibited are sexual i-equests or solicitations that the defendant knows are likely to cause such a reaction. To be impolite is not enough. To be annoying is insufficient. The words “affront or alarm” convey, respectively, a deliberate offense or a feeling of danger. At the least, real emotional turmoil must result.

Id. at 67. Thus, the conduct of a 61-year-old discussing oral sex with a 13-year-old was affirmed as likely to cause affront or alarm. Id. at 69.

In State v. Beine, 162 S.W.3d 483 (Mo. banc 2005), Defendant was charged under section 566.083.1(1) with sexual misconduct involving a child. Id. at 484. The statute states in pertinent part:

A person commits the crime of sexual misconduct involving a child if the person: (1) Knowingly exposes the person’s genitals to a child less than fourteen years of age in a manner that would cause a reasonable adult to believe that the conduct is likely to cause affront or alarm to a child less than fourteen years of age.

Id. at 484-85. Defendant was a counselor at an elementary school; he was required “to prevent disruptive behavior by students in the school’s halls and restrooms.” Id. Three male students accused Defendant of exposing himself to them in a school restroom. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
272 S.W.3d 883, 2008 Mo. App. LEXIS 1723, 2008 WL 5160279, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-jeffries-moctapp-2008.