State v. Rideaux

916 So. 2d 488, 2005 WL 2864623
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 2, 2005
Docket05-446
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 916 So. 2d 488 (State v. Rideaux) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Rideaux, 916 So. 2d 488, 2005 WL 2864623 (La. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

916 So.2d 488 (2005)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Theddeus RIDEAUX.

No. 05-446.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

November 2, 2005.

*490 Ronald A. Rossitto, District Attorney, Cate L. Bartholomew, Carla S. Sigler, Asst. District Attorneys, Lake Charles, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellee State of Louisiana.

Evelyn M. Oubre, Lake Charles, LA, for Defendant/Appellant Theddeus Rideaux.

Theddeus Rideaux, ALC-Earth C-1, Kinder, LA, In Proper Person.

Court composed of GLENN B. GREMILLION, J. DAVID PAINTER, and JAMES T. GENOVESE, Judges.

GREMILLION, Judge.

In this case, the defendant, Theddeus Rideaux, was convicted of two counts of molestation of a juvenile, a violation of La.R.S. 14:81.2. He was sentenced to eight years at hard labor, with three years suspended on each count, to be served concurrently, and five years probation following release from incarceration, plus other special conditions. As his sole assignment of error, Defendant asserts the evidence was insufficient to sustain the verdicts. We agree and find that the evidence was insufficient to support the convictions for molestation of a juvenile on both counts. Accordingly, we hold that the conviction for molestation of a juvenile on count one be reduced to the responsive verdict of indecent behavior with juvenile, a violation of La.R.S. 14:81. We order a reversal and judgment of acquittal on count two.

SUFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE

Defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the verdicts of molestation of a juvenile under the Jackson standard recited below:

When the issue of sufficiency of evidence is raised on appeal, the critical inquiry of the reviewing court is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State ex rel. Graffagnino v. King, 436 So.2d 559, (La.1983); State v. Duncan, 420 So.2d 1105 (La.1982); State v. Moody, 393 So.2d 1212 (La. 1981). The role of the factfinder is to weigh the respective credibility of each witness. Therefore, the appellate court should not second guess the credibility determinations of the factfinder beyond the sufficiency evaluations under the Jackson standard of review. See State ex rel. Graffagnino, 436 So.2d 559, citing State v. Richardson, 425 So.2d 1228 (La. 1983).

State v. Miller, 98-1873, p. 5 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/13/99), 746 So.2d 118, 120, writ denied, 99-3259 (La.5/5/00), 761 So.2d 541.

Defendant was convicted of two counts of molestation of a juvenile committed on two separate victims. Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:81.2(A) provides:

Molestation of a juvenile is the commission by anyone over the age of seventeen of any lewd or lascivious act upon the person or in the presence of any child under the age of seventeen, where there is an age difference of greater than two years between the two persons, with the intention of arousing or gratifying the sexual desires of either person, by the use of force, violence, duress, menace, psychological intimidation, threat of great bodily harm, or by the use of influence by virtue of a position of control or supervision over the juvenile. Lack of knowledge of the juvenile's age shall not be a defense.

Defendant argues only that the victims' testimonies were vague and contradictory, *491 and thus, insufficient to sustain the verdicts. In State v. Roca, 03-1076, pp. 11-12 (La.App. 5 Cir. 1/13/04), 866 So.2d 867, 874, writ denied, 04-0583 (La.7/2/04), 877 So.2d 143, our colleagues stated:

In the absence of internal contradiction or irreconcilable conflict with physical evidence, one witness's testimony, if believed by the trier of fact, is sufficient support for a requisite factual finding. State v. Stec, 99-633, p. 4 (La. App. 5 Cir. 11/30/99), 749 So.2d 784, 787. In the case of sexual offenses, the testimony of the victim alone can be sufficient to establish the elements of a sexual offense, even where the State does not introduce medical, scientific or physical evidence to prove the commission of the offense.

After a review of the record, we note that the victims' testimonies were not contradictory and vague. The only evidence offered regarding the offenses were their testimonies. C.R.,[1] the oldest of the two victims, who was fifteen at the time of the offense, identified and described one incident of inappropriate touching. C., thirteen-years-old at the time of the offenses, testified as to three incidents and stated that there were several others, but she could not articulate the other incidents. There were no contradictions between the two victims or between their testimony and the testimony of the other witnesses. The testimony the victims gave at trial were consistent with the offenses as they described them during the interviews conducted at the request of the police. The interviews were conducted four days after the offenses were reported. As noted above, it is not the function of this court to assess the credibility of the witnesses or to reweigh the evidence. This court may impinge on the factfinder's function only to the extent necessary to ensure the Jackson standard of review. State v. Bordenave, 95-2328 (La.4/26/96), 678 So.2d 19.

However, we hold that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the verdicts of molestation of a juvenile in that the evidence did not support the required elements of supervision and control. As noted above, the accused must achieve the offense "by the use of force, violence, duress, menace, psychological intimidation, threat of great bodily harm, or by the use of influence by virtue of a position of control or supervision over the juvenile." La.R.S. 14:81.2(A) (emphasis added). The State alleged that the acts of molestations were achieved by virtue of control or supervision over the minors.

The indictment, in pertinent part, reads:

Between May 1, 2001 and January 8, 2002, at and in the Parish, District and State aforesaid, Theddeus Rideaux, committed the offense of MOLESTATION OF A JUVENILE, violating LSA R.S. 14:81.2, in that
COUNT 1: ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THEDDEUS RIDEAUX BEING OVER THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN, COMMITTED A LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACT UPON . . . . A JUVENILE BEING UNDER THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN, THERE BEING AN AGE DIFFERENCE GREATER THAN TWO YEARS BETWEEN THE TWO, TO WIT: A WHITE FEMALE JUVENILE WITH A DATE OF BIRTH OF 9-2-88 WITH THE INTENTION OF AROUSING OR GRATIFYING THE SEXUAL DESIRES OF EITHER *492 PERSON, BY THE USE OF INFLUENCE BY VIRTUE OF A POSITION OF CONTROL OR SUPERVISION OVER THE JUVENILE,
COUNT 2: ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THEDDEUS RIDEAUX BEING OVER THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN, COMMITTED A LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACT UPON.... A JUVENILE BEING UNDER THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN, THERE BEING AN AGE DIFFERENCE GREATER THAN TWO YEARS BETWEEN THE TWO, TO WIT: A WHITE FEMALE JUVENILE WITH A DATE OF BIRTH OF 8-6-86 WITH THE INTENTION OF AROUSING OR GRATIFYING THE SEXUAL DESIRES OF EITHER PERSON, BY THE USE OF INFLUENCE BY VIRTUE OF A POSITION OF CONTROL OR SUPERVISION OVER THE JUVENILE.

At trial, the victims' mother, D.R., testified regarding the family's relationship with Defendant.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State of Louisiana v. Keith Brown, II
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2024
State of Louisiana v. Joshua Babineaux
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2019
State v. Breedlove
213 So. 3d 1195 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)
State v. Mallette
193 So. 3d 603 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2016)
State of Louisiana v. Darrell Kennedy Mallette
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2016
State v. Shaikh
188 So. 3d 409 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2016)
State of Louisiana v. Fahim A. Shaikh
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2016
State of Louisiana v. William J. Graham
180 So. 3d 271 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2015)
State of Louisiana v. Tylon Woodward
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2014
State of Louisiana v. Thomas Kirk Gaton
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013
State of Louisiana v. Kelvin Moses
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013
State of Louisiana v. Kenneth Earl Steelman
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013
State v. Fregia
105 So. 3d 999 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2012)
State of Louisiana v. Frank Allen Fregia, Jr.
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2012
State v. A.D.L.
64 So. 3d 448 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2011)
State of Louisiana v. A. D. L.
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2011
State v. A.B.M.
52 So. 3d 1021 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2010)
State of Louisiana v. A.B.M., Jr.
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2010
State v. C.S.
50 So. 3d 983 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2010)
State of Louisiana v. C. S.
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2010

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
916 So. 2d 488, 2005 WL 2864623, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-rideaux-lactapp-2005.