State v. Mattson

356 N.W.2d 391, 1984 Minn. App. LEXIS 3669
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedOctober 16, 1984
DocketC2-84-378, C6-84-528
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 356 N.W.2d 391 (State v. Mattson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Mattson, 356 N.W.2d 391, 1984 Minn. App. LEXIS 3669 (Mich. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

OPINION

SEDGWICK, Judge.

Appellant was convicted by jury of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree in violation of Minn.Stat. § 609.343(e)(i) (1983). He was sentenced to 21 months in prison, a 20 month downward departure. The trial court also credited him with all time served prior to trial, including time spent for parole violation on a prior Wisconsin felony. Appellant appeals the judgment of conviction; the State appeals the sentence. We affirm the conviction and affirm the sentence as modified. We reverse on credit given for the Wisconsin parole violation.

FACTS

The complainant-Wiken is an 18-year old girl who was sitting on the steps in front of her residence talking to a friend when appellant stopped his car and asked for directions. Wiken leaned on the passenger side of the car with her head in the car and gave appellant directions. They talked for a few minutes and appellant, according to Wiken, then offered her marijuana in exchange for sex. She declined sex, but said she would buy the marijuana. Appellant refused and then, Wiken stated, he grabbed her left wrist and left breast, attempting to pull her into the car. Wiken testified he squeezed her breast through three layers of clothing until she was bruised and sore for several days. Appellant denies touching her. The only witnesses, two friends of Wikens, were not close enough to hear the conversation between appellant and Wikens, nor did they observe him grab her.

ISSUES

1. Was evidence sufficient to support the verdict?

2. Was a downward departure in sentence from 41 months to 21 months justified?

3. Is appellant entitled to credit against the sentence on this felony for time served *393 prior to sentence because of a revocation of parole on a prior felony?

ANALYSIS

Minnesota Stat. § 609.343 (1983) provides in part:

A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree * * * if he engages in sexual contact with another person and if any of the following circumstances exists:
(e) The actor causes personal injury to the complainant and
(i) The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish the sexual contact.

Appellant argues that Wiken did not sustain personal injury. In State v. Bowser, 307 N.W.2d 778, 779 (Minn.1981), the Minnesota Supreme Court defined personal injury as “either pain or minimal injury.” Wiken testified her breast was painful, red and bruised for a few days following the incident. Her girlfriend testified there were bruises and redness. The jury also had a photo taken by the police department from which, contrary to the statement in appellant’s brief, they could easily conclude the breast was bruised.

Witnesses stated they thought they saw a deer rifle pointing from appellant’s car as he drove by the house after the incident calling for Wiken to come out. Appellant was arrested later in the day and consented to a search of his car. Since neither marijuana nor a rifle was found he argues that their story is incredible.

An appellate court “cannot retry the facts but must take the view most favorable to the State and must assume that the jury believed the State’s witnesses and disbelieved any contrary evidence.” State v. Caldwell, 322 N.W.2d 574, 586 (Minn.1982). See State v. Liggons, 348 N.W.2d 785 (Minn.Ct.App.1984).

Appellant certainly had time to dispose of or use marijuana prior to his arrest. Although no gun was found, the .38 special ammunition found in the car could, according to Officer Martin LeRette, be used in a rifle.

Although corroboration is not required by Minn.Stat. § 609.347, subd. 1 (1982), testimony regarding Wiken’s emotionally upset state immediately after the incident, her bruises, and the photograph all corroborate her story.

The jury obviously believed Wiken and disbelieved appellant. From the evidence they could reasonably conclude that the appellant was guilty of the offense charged. State v. Merrill, 274 N.W.2d 99 (Minn.1978) (citations omitted); State v. Nash, 342 N.W.2d 177 (Minn.Ct.App.1984).

2. Appellant was sentenced to an executed term of 21 months, a downward du-rational departure from the presumptive term of 41 months for criminal sexual conduct in the second degree, a severity level YII offense. Appellant had a criminal history score of two since he was on parole in Wisconsin for the attempted murder of his wife.

At the time of sentencing the court discussed the reasons listed in the guidelines for downward departure and concluded that none applied. The court stated:

I just don’t feel the facts of this case justify the sentence as set forth in the guidelines. I don’t think that the Guidelines Commission ever had intended that somebody would serve forty-one months for intentionally grabbing at another person’s breast.

The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines statement of Purpose and Principles (4) states:

While the sentencing guidelines are advisory to the sentencing judge, departures from the presumptive sentences established in the guidelines should be made only when substantial and compelling circumstances exist.

Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines II.D, Departures from the Guidelines, states in part:

When departing from the presumptive sentence, a judge must provide written *394 reasons which specify the substantial and compelling nature of the circumstances, and which demonstrate why the sentence selected in the departure is more appropriate, reasonable, or equitable than the presumptive sentence.

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Related

State v. Doyle
386 N.W.2d 352 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1986)
State v. Mattson
376 N.W.2d 413 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1985)
State v. Dulski
363 N.W.2d 307 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1985)
State v. Willis
362 N.W.2d 382 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1985)
State v. Hagen
361 N.W.2d 407 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1985)
State v. Dulski
358 N.W.2d 447 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
356 N.W.2d 391, 1984 Minn. App. LEXIS 3669, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mattson-minnctapp-1984.