State v. Melvin

913 S.W.2d 195, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 502
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJune 28, 1995
StatusPublished
Cited by45 cases

This text of 913 S.W.2d 195 (State v. Melvin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Melvin, 913 S.W.2d 195, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 502 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

JONES, Judge.

The appellant, Ricky Earl Melvin, was convicted of seven (7) counts of aggravated rape by a jury of his peers. The jury sentenced the appellant to serve twenty (20) years in the Department of Correction in counts four, [198]*198twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, and twenty-four. The trial court found that the appellant was a standard offender and imposed a Range I sentence of confinement for twenty-five (25) years in the Department of Correction in counts ten and eleven. The trial court ordered that counts ten and eleven are to be served concurrently. However, these sentences are to be served consecutively to counts four, twenty-one, and twenty-two. The effective sentence imposed by the trial court is eighty-five (85) years.

Five issues are presented for review. The appellant contends that the evidence contained in the record is insufficient, as a matter of law, to support a finding by a rational trier of fact that he was guilty of seven counts of aggravated rape beyond a reasonable doubt. He also contends that the trial court committed error of prejudicial dimensions by (a) refusing to strike the testimony of the nurse practitioner on the ground the witness “was not qualified to give a medical diagnosis,” (b) denying his motion to withdraw as counsel when counsel became a material witness in the proceeding, (c) imposing excessive sentences, and (d) ordering consecutive sentencing.

The judgments of conviction are affirmed. The order on consecutive sentencing is modified; and counts ten and eleven are remanded to the trial court for a new sentencing hearing.

The parents of G.H.1 worked at night. Her parents made arrangements with Wanda Melvin, G.H.’s maternal aunt, and the appellant to keep G.H. during the week. G.H. lived with her parents each weekend. On occasion, a cousin, M.H., would visit G.H. at the Melvins’ residence.

The appellant began sexually abusing G.H. when she was five years of age. On each occasion, G.H.’s aunt was not at home. The appellant made G.H. place her hand on a Bible and swear that she would not tell anyone about the sexual abuse. He told her that no one would believe her if she attempted to reveal the sexual abuse. He also told her he would hurt her and her mother if she told anyone.

On May 7,1982, Wanda Melvin went to the hospital and gave birth to a child. When the appellant left the hospital, he took G.H. to the Melvin residence. That night he made G.H. sleep in the same bed with him. G.H. testified the appellant penetrated her vagina with his finger and reproductive organ, performed cunnilingus upon her, and made her perform fellatio upon him. The jury convicted the appellant in count twenty-one of fellatio, count twenty-two of vaginal penetration with his reproductive organ, count twenty-three of digital penetration, and count twenty-four of cunnilingus. G.H. was the victim in each count; and she was under the age of thirteen when these acts of sexual abuse occurred.

When M.H. was ten years of age and G.H. was approximately eight years of age, the appellant gave them a bath while M.H. was visiting G.H. at the Melvin residence. The appellant subsequently removed his clothing and got into the bath tub with M.H. and G.H. M.H. testified that while her aunt was away from the residence the appellant got into bed with M.H. and G.H., fondled her breasts, digitally penetrated her vagina, performed cunnilingus upon her, made her perform fellatio upon him, and made her masturbate his reproductive organ. In count four, the jury found the appellant guilty of one count of aggravated rape, the unlawful sexual penetration of M.H.

In 1982, M.H. was visiting her cousin at the Melvin residence. The appellant was smoking marijuana, and he had G.H. and M.H. smoke the marijuana cigarette. Later, he removed their sleeping garments and performed a series of sexual acts with M.H., including fellatio and cunnilingus. The jury found the appellant guilty of fellatio in count ten of the indictment and cunnilingus in count eleven of the indictment.

The appellant testified in support of his defense. He emphatically denied that he had sexually abused either G.H. or M.H.

[199]*199I.

The appellant contends that the evidence contained in the record is insufficient, as a matter of law, to support his conviction of seven counts of aggravated rape. He argues that “it is very clear from the record that the evidence in the trial contained numerous contradictions and was insufficient to support the findings of guilty by the trier of fact beyond a reasonable doubt and preponderated in favor of the Appellant’s innocence.” In other words, the appellant’s argument is predicated upon contradictions in the testimony given by the various witnesses as well as their prior inconsistent statements.

When an accused challenges the sufficiency of the convicting evidence, this Court must review the record to determine if the evidence adduced at the trial is sufficient “to support the finding by the trier of fact of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” Tenn. R.App.P. 13(e). This rule is applicable to findings of guilt based upon direct evidence, circumstantial evidence, or a combination of direct and circumstantial evidence. State v. Dykes, 803 S.W.2d 250, 253 (Tenn.Crim. App.), per. app. denied (Tenn.1990).

In determining the sufficiency of the evidence, this Court does not reweigh or reevaluate the evidence. State v. Cabbage, 571 S.W.2d 832, 835 (Tenn.1978). Nor may this Court substitute its inferences for those drawn by the trier of fact from circumstantial evidence. Liakas v. State, 199 Tenn. 298, 305, 286 S.W.2d 856, 859 (1956). To the contrary, this Court is required to afford the State of Tennessee the strongest legitimate view of the evidence contained in the record as well as all reasonable and legitimate inferences which may be drawn from the evidence. Cabbage, 571 S.W.2d at 835.

Questions concerning the credibility of witnesses, the weight and value to be given the evidence as well as all factual issues raised by the evidence are resolved by the trier of fact, not this Court. Cabbage, 571 S.W.2d at 835. In State v. Grace, 493 S.W.2d 474, 476 (Tenn.1973), our Supreme Court said: “A guilty verdict by the jury, approved by the trial judge, accredits the testimony of the witnesses for the State and resolves all conflicts in favor of the theory of the State.”

Since a verdict of guilty removes the presumption of innocence and replaces it with a presumption of guilt, Grace, 493 S.W.2d at 476, the appellant has the burden of illustrating why the evidence contained in the record is insufficient to support the verdicts returned by the trier of fact. State v. Tuggle, 639 S.W.2d 913, 914 (Tenn.1982). This Court will not disturb a verdict of guilty due to the sufficiency of the evidence unless the facts contained in the record, and any inferences which may be drawn from the facts, are insufficient, as a matter of law, for a rational trier of fact to find an accused guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Tuggle, 639 S.W.2d at 914.

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Bluebook (online)
913 S.W.2d 195, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 502, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-melvin-tenncrimapp-1995.