State v. Macon

911 P.2d 1004, 128 Wash. 2d 784
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 7, 1996
DocketNo. 62910-2
StatusPublished
Cited by62 cases

This text of 911 P.2d 1004 (State v. Macon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington 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. Macon, 911 P.2d 1004, 128 Wash. 2d 784 (Wash. 1996).

Opinion

Smith, J.

— Petitioner Michael Macon seeks review of an unpublished decision of the Court of Appeals, Division [786]*786One, affirming his conviction in the King County Superior Court for second degree child molestation (Count I) in violation of RCW 9A.44.086 and first degree rape of a child (Count II) in violation of RCW 9A.44.073 and a ruling by the trial court which denied his motion to vacate judgment on the first degree rape charge and motion for new trial. We granted review limited to the issue of recantation by the child victim. We affirm.

Question Presented

The limited question presented in this case is whether the trial court erred in concluding after a hearing that a child victim’s recantation of trial testimony of sexual abuse by Petitioner was unreliable, thus denying Petitioner’s motion to vacate judgment upon his conviction of first degree rape of a child and his motion for a new trial.

Statement of Facts1

The victim, T.S., was born on April 1, 1985.2 Her mother is Ms. Michelle Short.3 Ms. Nancy S. Scribner, Ms. Short’s mother, is T.S.’ grandmother. Petitioner Michael Macon met Ms. Short and began living with her and her daughter, T.S., in Seattle in 1987.4

In 1988, three-year-old T.S. told her mother and a counselor that "Michael” sexually abused her with a wooden spoon and fork. At that time male cousins named Michael and Dominique also lived with T.S., her mother and Petitioner. Initially Ms. Short and the counselor were unsure whether the child was referring to her cousin Michael or to Petitioner. Child Protective Services (CPS) [787]*787investigated the report and initially concluded Petitioner was the purported abuser. T.S. later identified her cousins Michael and Dominique as the abusers, and not Petitioner.5 After further investigation, including evaluation by the Seattle Sexual Assault Center, no charges were filed because of inconclusive results. T.S. was not examined for sexual abuse at that time.

On February 4, 1991, based upon events happening in September 1990, Petitioner was charged by information in the King County Superior Court with child molestation in the second degree involving thirteen-year-old D.S. (Count I) and rape of a child in the first degree involving five-year-old T.S. (Count II),6 the count at issue on this appeal.

On June 4, 1991, the trial court, the Honorable Jerome M. Johnson, conducted a pretrial hearing to determine competency of the child victim, T.S., and reliability of hearsay testimony in corroboration. The court ruled the child was competent to testify and that hearsay testimony would be allowed at trial.7

The trial began on June 5, 1991, before a jury in the King County Superior Court. The jury on June 11, 1991, found Petitioner "guilty” of both charges. On September 16, 1991, the court sentenced him to 48 months on Count I and 120 months on Count II.

Evidence at Trial

On Thursday evening, September 20, 1990, Ms. Michelle Short took her daughter, T.S., to the home of her mother, [788]*788Ms. Nancy S. Scribner, to spend the night.8 That night, T.S. told her grandmother, Ms. Scribner, "my private part hurts.”9 The grandmother looked at T.S.’ vaginal area and noticed it looked "quite red.”10 She then asked the child whether she hurt herself.11 T.S. said "no” and then said "mommy’s Michael” had put his fingers inside her and hurt her.12 Ms. Scribner asked T.S. more questions. The child said she was lying on her bed in her nightgown when Petitioner came in and put his fingers inside her.13 She said it happened when her mother, Ms. Short, went to the store and left her with Petitioner. She could not give a date.14 Ms. Scribner immediately told her husband what the child had told her.

In testimony at trial, Ms. Scribner referred to sexual abuse of T.S. in 1988 by the child’s cousin Michael. She testified that during that time, she and another daughter, "Becki,” tried to gain custody of T.S. because Ms. Short did not properly care for the child.15

The grandmother testified that on September 20, 1990, she took T.S. for an examination at Swedish Hospital in Seattle where T.S.’ doctor, Dr. Marshall Murrey, M.D.,16 worked. But Dr. Murrey was not there. Dr. Mary Hulse[789]*789man, M.D., tried to examine T.S., but the child became hysterical and initially would not let Dr. Hulseman touch her. However, Dr. Hulseman did briefly examine the child and testified her vaginal area looked "somewhat reddened” and "irritated.”17 She said T.S. did not answer her questions about anyone touching her, but did say Petitioner hit her with a switch, and not a wooden spoon. Dr. Hulseman testified about arranging for a CPS referral and referred the child to the Seattle Sexual Assault Center at Harborview Medical Center.18

Early in the morning on September 21, 1990, Dr. Murrey telephoned Ms. Scribner. He told her T.S. was referred to Dr. Mary Gibbons at Seattle Sexual Assault Center at Harborview for an appointment that same day. He spoke by telephone with T.S. Reading from his dictated notes, Dr. Murrey testified that T.S. told him "Michael, her mother’s boyfriend, did touch her 'privates’ and has whipped her with a switch.”19 First, she told Dr. Murrey it happened "one month ago,” then she said it happened "two days ago.”

The grandmother took T.S. to the Sexual Assault Center late in the morning on September 21, 1990. They met first with Ms. Kathy Marks, a social worker, and Dr. Mary Wedegatertnen, M.D., a pediatric resident.20 Ms. Scribner spoke with Ms. Marks and Dr. Wedegatertnen and then left the room while the two talked to T.S. alone.

Ms. Kathy Marks testified that Ms. Scribner told her CPS investigated the family in 1988 for the "same thing” [790]*790by the "same person,”21 and that she tried to gain custody of T.S. then and was going to try again. Ms. Scribner also told Ms. Marks T.S. had a history of sexual and physical abuse.22 Ms. Marks testified she asked T.S. if she had an "ouie” and T.S. said she did, pointing to her vaginal area, and said her mother’s boyfriend Michael touched her with his hand, and that it happened in her bedroom.23

Dr. Mary Gibbons, M.D., spoke to Dr. Wedegatertnen about T.S. and reviewed Dr. Wedegatertnen’s notes on the child.24 Dr. Gibbons testified that T.S. said in Dr. Wedegatertnen’s presence "Michael touched me in my private parts” and he used his hand.25 T.S. first said it happened "two days ago,” then she said "yesterday.” The child denied that Petitioner touched her with any other part of his body. Then she stated he had, but was unclear about what other parts of his body he had touched her with. She then told Dr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
911 P.2d 1004, 128 Wash. 2d 784, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-macon-wash-1996.