State v. Ross

449 P.2d 369, 92 Idaho 709, 1968 Ida. LEXIS 355
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 31, 1968
Docket10121
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 449 P.2d 369 (State v. Ross) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho 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. Ross, 449 P.2d 369, 92 Idaho 709, 1968 Ida. LEXIS 355 (Idaho 1968).

Opinion

SMITH, Chief Justice.

Appellant has appealed from a judgment of conviction on three counts each charging the commission of “a lewd act upon and with a part of the body of a minor child * * * under the age of 16 years.” I.C. § 18-6607. 1

The circumstances of the charged offenses were the same or similar on all three occasions. The record indicates that on July 26, 1966, appellant either enticed or coerced into his garage five year old Tammy _ (count 1), and on that date and on August 8, 1966, six year old Tracy_ (counts 2 and 3) and then placed his hand inside the panties of each child and fondled her “private parts.” Each incident supposedly occurred about the noon hour. The children suffered no physical harm.

Appellant was arrested and charged with the offenses. He was interrogated by the sheriff and prosecuting attorney of Canyon County. The details and procedure of this interrogation are later discussed.

After the jury found appellant guilty on all three counts, and after a pre-sentence investigation, the court entered its judgment of conviction. The court then meted out concurrent sentences of penal servitude of ten years on each of the three, counts. 2

Appellant assigns error committed by the trial court:

1. In denying appellant’s motion for a new trial because of insufficency of the evidence to show that appellant had committed a criminal act because of,—
Incompetency, inconsistency and insufficient corroboration of the testimony of the prosecution’s witnesses;
Appellant’s defense or an alibi was not rebutted by the state;
Appellant established a possible ulterior motive for the prosecution.
2. In denying a motion for a new-trial because the state’s evidence failed to establish the necessary element of “intent” required by I.C. § 18-6607.
3. In refusing to exclude statements which appellant made to the sheriff on the ground that appellant’s guaranteed constitutional rights had been violated.
4. In giving jury instruction No. 6-
5. In denying appellant’s request for probation.
6. In sentencing appellant to 30 years servitude in the penitentiary.

Appellant contends that the two girls— prosecution’s witnesses — were not competent to testify in that they were under 10 years of age and appeared “incapable of receiving just impressions of the facts *712 respecting which they are examined, or of relating 'them truly,” citing I.C. § 9-202. 3 Appellant argues that if that testimony is stricken, or is given the merited minimal weight, then the state has not met its burilen of proof of the charged offenses.

Estate v. Allen, 70 Wash.2d 690, 424 P.2d 1021 (1967), dealt with RCW 5.60.50, which :in pertinent part is the same as I.C. § 9-202. In that case the supreme court of Washington established the following test for competency in deciding that a six year old girl could testify as prosecuting witness regarding the defendant having taken indecent liberties with her person:

“The true test of the competency of a young child as a witness consists of the following: (1) an understanding of the obligation to speak the truth on the witness stand; (2) the mental capacity at the time of the occurrence concerning which he is to testify, to receive an accurate impression of it; (3) a memory sufficient to retain an independent recollection of the occurrence; (4) the capacity to express in words his memory of the occurrence; and (5) the capacity to understand simple questions about it.”
“The determination of the witness’s (sic) ability to meet the requirements of this test and the allowance or disallowance of leading questions [citation] rest primarily with the trial judge who sees the witness, notices his manner, and considers his capacity and intelligence. These are matters that are not reflected in the written record for appellate review. Their determination lies within the. sound discretion of the trial judge and will not be disturbed on appeal in the absence of proof of a manifest abuse of discretion. * *

See also State v. Smith, 16 Utah 2d 374, 401 P.2d 445 (1965); see State v. Harp, 31 Idaho 597, 173 P. 1148 (1918).

Turning first to Tammy’s testimony, we find no error in allowing its admission. Her testimony was halting and sometimes contradictory, and in instances the record indicates “no response,” but nevertheless, it was consistent as regards the offense in question. Appellant asserts that the child did not know the difference between telling the truth and not telling the truth or between right and wrong. But when questioned as to what she spoke, when she related something which actually happened, she replied, “The truth.” And she responded that it was “a lie” if she told “something that just didn’t happen.” She stated that she knew what had happened and was telling the truth, and the fact that she may not have understood the nature and obligation of an oath would not render her incapable of testifying. State v. Harp, supra.

Most of the inconsistencies in the testimony of both children involved quantitative analyses. How many times had you been present on appellant’s property? How long did appellant hold his hands on you? How many times did your family go on picnics? What time of the day did the events take place — morning or noon ? These classify into the categories of numbers and relative time. It is not surprising that the testimony of the children was somewhat confused and inconsistent as to those matters.

However, as to the events constituting the statutory offense in question, the testimony of Tammy was quite consistent. Her crucial testimony was as follows:

“Q. What did he do ?
* * * * * *
“A. Put his hands down my pants.
“Q. And then what did he do ?
“A. On my crotch.
*713 ******
“Q. Where is your crotch?
“A. Between my legs.
******
“Q. (W)as the hand inside or outside of the underpanties?
“A. Inside.
******
“Q. And what did he do with his hand while his hand was between your legs?
“A. He rubbed my crotch.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
449 P.2d 369, 92 Idaho 709, 1968 Ida. LEXIS 355, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ross-idaho-1968.