State v. Kasold

521 P.2d 990, 110 Ariz. 558, 1974 Ariz. LEXIS 319
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedApril 17, 1974
Docket2818
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 521 P.2d 990 (State v. Kasold) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Kasold, 521 P.2d 990, 110 Ariz. 558, 1974 Ariz. LEXIS 319 (Ark. 1974).

Opinion

CAMERON, Vice Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a jury verdict and judgment of guilt to the crime of molestation of child, § 13-653 A.R.S., and a sentence thereon of not less than twenty years nor more than life imprisonment.

We are asked to consider four questions on appeal:

1. Did the trial court commit reversible error in denying defendant’s motion to suppress the fruits of a search warrant ?
2. Was there improper foundation for the admission of some thirteen photographs ?
3. Did the court commit error in denying the defendant’s motion to hold a competency hearing on the question of the victim’s ability to testify ?
4. Does the evidence support the verdict and judgment?

The facts necessary for a determination of this matter on appeal are as follows. Sometime during the month of July, 1971, while the defendant’s wife and family were away on vacation, the defendant took a series of photographs, with the help of a self-timer, of the defendant and a mentally retarded neighborhood girl, then eight years old. The photographs show the defendant and the neighbor girl in various poses, one in which the little girl is watching cartoons on TV while the defendant is kneeling behind her fondling his private parts. There are three photographs of the little girl seated on the floor in the defendant’s living room while the defendant stands over her and appears to be masturbating. Three photographs have them seated next to each other on the couch with the defendant’s private parts exposed through his open fly. During all of this time the defendant was dressed in a pair of cutoff shorts. Two photographs show the defendant seated on the floor near the couch with his private parts exposed and the defendant appears to be rubbing the private parts of the little girl, although the little girl is dressed and the defendant has his hand on her shorts. Three other photographs show the little girl standing on her head with her legs spread apart and the defendant standing above her with his penis pointed to, but not touching, her private parts or clothing. The last photograph in the evidence shows the defendant with his pants around his knees, his private parts exposed, and the little girl doing a headstand in front, facing backwards, and he is holding her legs spread apart., In all of the photographs the victim is clothed.

This is a companion case to State v. Kasold, No. 2819, 110 Ariz. 563, 521 P.2d 995, filed this day. As a result of the search warrant in the companion case, the police obtained the roll of undeveloped film. When the film was developed, the police were able to identify the victim as a neighbor girl. Motion to suppress was denied, and the pictures were admitted into evidence based upon the testimony of the victim’s mother. The defendant testified on his own behalf and admitted the taking of the pictures contending:

“A Are you asking my intent in taking the photographs ? What I was trying to accomplish ?
“Q That is precisely what I am asking you.
“A I thought that it would be a challenge to take photographs in which *560 I would be exposed without the knowledge of the other person present. And—
“Q When you say ‘exposed’ you mean sexually exposed?
“A Yes.
“Q All right, go on.
“A It was not my intention that anybody ever should see that. Certainly not Mona, at that time, on that day, and certainly not the people who have since seen these photographs.
It became sort of a contest, I suppose. The camera was there and it was loaded.
I had no intention of nor did I harm Mona in any way either mentally or physically, but it became, I suppose, sort of a private act of exhibitionism. I never made these photographs. I never processed the film. It was never my intention that anyone else would ever see what took place that day, “but, as Mr. — as the prosecutor has said, the camera did a faithful job.”

The defendant contended that at all times during the taking of the pictures that the victim never saw him exposed. Defendant also denied that he ever touched the private parts of the body of the victim. For example:

“Q Would you explain that to the jury, please?
“A I don’t understand.
“Q What was your purpose in putting your left hand between Mona’s legs?
“A Well, I had taken by that time nine previous exposures and I had a 20-exposure roll of film. I realized I couldn’t shoot anything else on that roll of film. I wasn’t going to mix lightning in this, anything like this, and I guess I was running out of poses. This is to simulate some sort of sexual gesture, I suppose.
“Q In that photograph is your hand in fact touching the private parts of—
“A No. If I had touched her I would have drawn her attention.
“Q How close did you come to touching her?
“A I suppose an inch or so, maybe, two, depending on the parts of my hand, probably about like this (indicating).”

The victim was called but not allowed to testify. The jury was also instructed on the offense of contributing to the delinquency of a minor (§ 13-822 A.R.S.), but the jury returned a verdict of guilty as charged.

SEARCH AND SEIZURE

We have discussed the matter of the search warrant in the companion case of State v. Kasold, No. 2819, 110 Ariz. 563, 521 P.2d 995, filed this day, and have held that the search warrant was a proper warrant, and the items seized thereunder were admissible. It makes no difference that the information obtained leads to a different crime than that which the officers believed to have taken place when the search warrant was obtained. State v. McMann, 3 Ariz.App. 111, 412 P.2d 286 (1966).

ADMISSION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

We find no error in the admission of the photographs despite the defendant’s claim of lack of proper foundation. The mother was able to identify both the victim and the defendant, and the jury was able to identify the defendant from the pictures. The defendant described himself as an amateur photographer and we believe that his pictures accurately portray what he intended them to portray. We find no error.

TESTIMONY OF THE VICTIM

The defendant, testifying in his own behalf, stated:

“Q You are telling the jury you are innocent of this charge, is that right ?
“A Yes, I am.
*561 “Q Are you telling the truth ?

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Related

State v. Berky
447 S.E.2d 147 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1994)
State v. Pennington
717 P.2d 471 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1985)
State v. Pulphus
465 A.2d 153 (Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 1983)
Fisher v. State
643 S.W.2d 571 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 1982)
Lucas v. State
610 P.2d 727 (Nevada Supreme Court, 1980)
Bergner v. State
397 N.E.2d 1012 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1979)
State v. Carter
601 P.2d 287 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1979)
Kasold v. Cardwell
393 F. Supp. 197 (D. Arizona, 1975)
State v. Kasold
521 P.2d 995 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
521 P.2d 990, 110 Ariz. 558, 1974 Ariz. LEXIS 319, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kasold-ariz-1974.