State v. Torregano

875 So. 2d 842, 2004 WL 1049226
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 11, 2004
Docket03-KA-1335
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 875 So. 2d 842 (State v. Torregano) 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. Torregano, 875 So. 2d 842, 2004 WL 1049226 (La. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

875 So.2d 842 (2004)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Rod TORREGANO.

No. 03-KA-1335.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

May 11, 2004.

*844 Milton P. Masinter, New Orleans, LA, for Appellant.

Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Appellate Counsel, Andrea F. Long, Counsel of Record on Appeal, Cameron M. Mary, Trial Counsel, William C. Credo, III, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, LA, for Appellee.

Panel composed of Judges JAMES L. CANNELLA, MARION F. EDWARDS and SUSAN M. CHEHARDY.

JAMES L. CANNELLA, Judge.

The Defendant, Rod Torregano, appeals his conviction of one count of sexual battery on a juvenile under the age of fifteen, a violation of La.R.S. 14:43.1 and one count of aggravated oral sexual battery on a juvenile under the age of twelve, in violation of La.R.S. 14:43.4.[1] Both counts involved the Defendant's daughter. We affirm and remand.

Following the Defendant's indictment, he pled not guilty and filed several pre-trial motions. A hearing on the motions was set and continued numerous times. The record does not reflect that a ruling was rendered on any of the motions. On May 20, 2002, the Defendant proceeded to trial without objecting to the lack of rulings on his pre-trial motions.[2]

After a two-day trial, a unanimous six-person jury found the Defendant guilty as charged on both counts. He was subsequently sentenced to ten years imprisonment at hard labor on count one and twenty years on count two to run concurrently with each other.[3]

*845 K.T., the victim, lived in Marrero, Louisiana with her deaf mother, her father, (the Defendant), her younger sister and paternal grandmother from 1997 to 1999 when she was between the ages of six and eight years old. In 1999, her parents separated and in June of 1999, K.T. moved to Florida with her mother and sister to live with her maternal grandmother. While there, the Defendant began telephoning daily to speak with K.T. The child sometimes became upset when the Defendant called and did not want to come to the telephone. At some point, K.T.'s grandmother changed her phone number to a private number because the Defendant's calling "had gotten so bad." The Defendant later attempted to call K.T. through the telephone operator, but the operator would not let the call go through. K.T.'s grandmother thought it was important that K.T. have a relationship with her father, so she offered to take K.T. to a pay phone so she could talk to the Defendant. At that point, K.T. became hysterical and confessed to her maternal grandmother that she did not want to talk to him because he had been touching her.

K.T.'s grandmother summoned K.T.'s mother to the room and told her that the Defendant had molested K.T. K.T. then told her mother and maternal grandmother what had happened. The police were called and K.T. was interviewed by two women with child protective services. The Florida police subsequently forwarded information pertaining to the sexual abuse to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. The Defendant was arrested on November 18, 2001.

According to K.T., on several occasions from 1997 through June of 1999, the Defendant touched her on her chest and her privates, and forced her to touch his private part. The first incident happened in her parents' room when K.T. was six years old. The Defendant touched K.T. underneath her clothes with his hand and told her not to tell anyone. The next time, the Defendant made K.T. touch his private parts. He told her "to move it and something would come out." K.T. testified that something white came out. The Defendant again told K.T. not to tell anyone. On another occasion, K.T. woke up to find her shorts down and the Defendant touching her privates with his tongue. The Defendant also showed K.T. pictures of naked men and women in a magazine.

At trial, the Defendant presented the testimony of a neighbor to show that he was never alone with his daughter. The neighbor testified she went over to the Defendant and K.T.'s home in Marrero every other day and never recalled a time when the Defendant and K.T. were alone.

On appeal, the Defendant asserts first that the trial judge erred in qualifying Dr. Scott Benton as an expert in the phenomenon of delayed disclosure. Second, he asserts that the conviction should be vacated because the prosecutor violated his constitutional right to compulsory process and to present a defense.

EXPERT TESTIMONY

The Defendant first argues that the trial judge erred in accepting Dr. Scott Benton as an expert in delayed disclosure because he had not interviewed the victim and there was no inquiry into the Daubert[4]*846 criteria. The Defendant further contends that Dr. Benton's testimony was improperly used to bolster the victim's credibility.

The State responds that these arguments are new grounds for the objection to the testimony that were not raised at the trial. The State contends that the Defendant objected at trial to Dr. Benton as an expert in the area of delayed disclosures solely on the basis of his qualifications or lack thereof. The State asserts that the Defendant never objected to the admissibility under Daubert of expert testimony relating to delayed disclosure.

To preserve the right to appellate review of an alleged trial court error, a party must state a contemporaneous objection with the occurrence of the alleged error as well as the grounds for the objection. La.C.Cr.P. art. 841(A); State v. Enclard, 03-283, p. 11 (La.App. 5th Cir.6/19/03), 850 So.2d 845, 853. The purpose behind the contemporaneous objection rule is to put the trial court on notice of an alleged irregularity so that it may cure the problem. It is also intended to prevent the Defendant from gambling for a favorable verdict and then resorting to appeal on errors that might have easily been corrected by an objection. Enclard, 03-283 at 11, 850 So.2d at 853. A new basis for an objection may not be raised for the first time on appeal. Id.[5] See also, State v. Winfrey, 97-427 (La.App. 5th Cir.10/28/97), 703 So.2d 63, 77, writ denied, 98-264 (La.6/19/98), 719 So.2d 481.[6]

After questioning Dr. Benton regarding his educational background and experience, the State offered him as an expert in pediatric forensic medicine capable of giving an opinion with regard to delayed disclosure, sexual assault, and sexual abuse. Defense counsel cross-examined Dr. Benton on his qualifications and expertise and specifically objected to Dr. Benton's qualifications on delayed response. Defense counsel stated:

I have no further questions, Your Honor, but I would object to his qualification on delayed response, Your Honor. That is not his role. He's not a psychiatrist. He's not a counselor. He's—what he does is talk to the child regarding what the child says happens, with the idea—
*847 ....
With the idea is, how does that then flow over into the examination. That is his focus. And for that reason, I don't think he can be an expert in delayed response, Your Honor.

The State then specifically inquired into Dr. Benton's experience with delayed disclosure which established that Dr. Benton was very familiar with the phenomenon in child sexual abuse cases, both through literature and his nine years of experience in examining approximately 1,000 children a year. The trial judge then accepted Dr.

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

Related

State of Louisiana v. Shavis Breon Toby
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2023
State of Louisiana Versus Adam Littleton
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2019
State v. Kelly
239 So. 3d 432 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2018)
State v. Washburn
206 So. 3d 1143 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2016)
State v. Winstead
193 So. 3d 565 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2016)
State v. Gonzalez
173 So. 3d 1227 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2015)
State v. White
168 So. 3d 664 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2014)
State v. Sam
88 So. 3d 580 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2012)
State v. Alvarez
71 So. 3d 1079 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2011)
State v. Vidrine
9 So. 3d 1095 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009)
State of Louisiana v. Lee Vidrine
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009
State v. Starr
2 So. 3d 451 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2008)
State v. Senegal
972 So. 2d 494 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2008)
State of Louisiana v. Desmond Joseph Senegal
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2008
State v. Browning
956 So. 2d 65 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2007)
State v. Galliano
945 So. 2d 701 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006)
State v. Addison
920 So. 2d 884 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005)
LeBlanc v. Baxter
905 So. 2d 415 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005)
State v. Becnel
904 So. 2d 838 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
875 So. 2d 842, 2004 WL 1049226, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-torregano-lactapp-2004.