State v. Santamaria

200 A.3d 375, 236 N.J. 390
CourtSupreme Court of New Jersey
DecidedJanuary 16, 2019
DocketA-44/45 September Term 2017; 079934
StatusPublished
Cited by93 cases

This text of 200 A.3d 375 (State v. Santamaria) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Santamaria, 200 A.3d 375, 236 N.J. 390 (N.J. 2019).

Opinion

JUSTICE TIMPONE delivered the opinion of the Court.

**396Former middle school teacher Guillermo Santamaria was tried and convicted of aggravated sexual assault and official misconduct for his sexual relationship with a student at his school from the time she was fourteen. In this appeal we consider whether the trial court's admission of some sixty-five photographs -- approximately fourteen of which were sexually graphic -- amounted to plain error. Additionally, we examine whether the State committed reversible error in its summation by commenting on defendant's silence when the victim, H.B., accused him of having had sexual relations with her while she was a minor on multiple occasions over many years.

The Appellate Division reversed defendant's convictions and remanded the matter for a new trial. The panel found that, although defendant did not object to the admission of the photographs, the trial court should have excluded them sua sponte as cumulative and unduly prejudicial under N.J.R.E. 403 and as other-crime evidence or bad acts under N.J.R.E. 404(b). The panel also offered guidance for retrial, demonstrating support for defendant's argument that the State improperly commented on his silence during a recorded conversation with H.B.

We now reverse the Appellate Division's judgment ordering a new trial. We find neither error in the admission of the photographs under N.J.R.E. 403 nor reversible error concerning the **397prosecutor's closing comments regarding the defendant's silence when H.B. made her recorded accusations. We nevertheless remind trial courts to be attentive to their gatekeeping *379function as they curate the admission of evidence.

I.

A.

We elicit the facts from the record, including the trial testimony.

In 1997, thirteen-year-old eighth grader H.B. met forty-three-year-old defendant at the McGinnis Middle School in Perth Amboy, where he was employed as a science teacher. Defendant introduced himself as "the neighboring science teacher." They spoke several times a week by telephone and later added instant messaging. H.B. confessed to having problems with her parents at home.

In the spring of 1998, defendant encouraged H.B. to enroll in his twice-weekly Greek and Latin course. The class met regularly at the school and once at defendant's home in Perth Amboy. When H.B. graduated from middle school in June 1998, their communications continued, becoming more intimate. She viewed it as the equivalent of a dating relationship. They met often at a local park and in June or July 1998, they kissed "passionately" for the first time.

Shortly after her fourteenth birthday, H.B. met the defendant in the park. Defendant told her to lift up her skirt and warned that "this is going to hurt a little bit, but this is good for you." He then engaged in vaginal intercourse with her. The pattern continued as H.B. entered high school. She described the relationship as dominant-submissive, with the defendant in the dominant role.

At the same time, defendant was in a sexual relationship with a fellow teacher. In H.B.'s senior year, the teacher discovered in defendant's email account a photo of H.B. wearing what appeared to be a bikini top sitting in defendant's car. She reported it to the **398then-named Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). Both defendant and H.B. denied any impropriety, causing DYFS to send a letter to H.B.'s mother indicating that they had done an investigation and found no basis for allegations of illicit sexual contact.

H.B. started college in the fall of 2002. Her liaisons with the defendant continued while she was in college. Their relationship became tense. He quizzed her on whether she was dating anyone and what she was doing in her free time. He occasionally visited her at her college. While on break, H.B. returned home and visited her old middle school to see her former teachers. She found defendant in his classroom and ultimately performed oral sex on him in an adjoining room. During winter break from college, H.B.'s mother saw an email from the defendant asking H.B. if she was prepared to submit to him in the ways he wanted and whether she was open to a future with him. At that time, H.B. did not confide in her parents the nature and extent of her relationship with defendant.

In 2009, H.B. called a family meeting with her parents and her siblings. She told them about her relationship with defendant but did not want to bring charges against him at that time. Approximately one year later, H.B. contacted a detective at the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office with her information about the defendant. In addition to conducting numerous interviews, the detective obtained authorization to record conversations between defendant and H.B.

With the detective's help, H.B. scheduled a dinner with the defendant. She wore a hidden recording device to capture their conversation. At dinner, she questioned defendant about why he started the relationship with her when she was fourteen instead of when she was nineteen.

*380She pointedly asked him, "How could you rape a fourteen-year-old?" Defendant made no admissions or denials; instead he steered the conversation away from the accusations.

**399In addition to the recorded evidence, defendant's ex-wife turned over a CD of approximately sixty-five photos that she had found in her yard in 2002. The CD's contents ranged from hardcore photos of sexual acts between defendant and H.B. to suggestive pictures of H.B. in various states of undress. The detective also interviewed H.B.'s parents, defendant's co-workers, defendant's former girlfriends, defendant's ex-wife, and several other parties.

Defendant was arrested three days after the recorded dinner with H.B. On October 1, 2010, a Middlesex County grand jury indicted defendant on one count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, contrary to N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2(a) ; two counts of second-degree sexual assault, contrary to N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2(c) ; and two counts of official misconduct, contrary to N.J.S.A. 2C:30-2.

B.

Before trial began, the prosecution, defense counsel, and the court collaborated on a questionnaire for potential jurors, including a question about the photographs: "During the trial there may be sexually graphic images displayed. Would that affect your ability to be fair and impartial? Why or why not?" Only those jurors who stated they would be impartial remained part of the jury selection process.

The trial judge offered to hold an N.J.R.E. 104 hearing without the jury to determine the admissibility of the photos on the CD found in the grass outside of defendant's home. Neither side took the judge up on his offer. While marking the photos, the judge again asked if there were any objections. And again, defense counsel did not object to admitting the photos into evidence, embracing their admission. The parties agreed that the photos were all taken shortly after H.B. turned eighteen.

The prosecution and defense each referenced the photos during the trial to support their respective theories of the case.

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Bluebook (online)
200 A.3d 375, 236 N.J. 390, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-santamaria-nj-2019.