State v. Wegley

2008 ND 4, 744 N.W.2d 284, 2008 WL 152097
North Dakota Supreme Court·Decided April 25, 2008·No. 20070027·Published·Cited by 16 cases

Opinion

KAPSNER, Justice.

[¶ 1] James Eugene Wegley appeals from a criminal judgment entered after a jury found him guilty of gross sexual imposition. We hold the district court did not err in admitting testimony about the victim’s out-of-court statement, the court did not abuse its discretion in denying Weg-ley’s request for a ruling that evidence of his prior rape conviction would not be admissible regardless of his trial testimony, and there was sufficient evidence to support his conviction. We affirm.

I

[¶2] The State charged Wegley with gross sexual imposition, alleging that in September 2005, he engaged in sexual contact with a person less than fifteen years old. Wegley is the grandfather of the alleged victim, who was seven years old in September 2005, and he is the father of the child’s mother.

[¶ 3] Eight days before trial, the State made a pretrial motion under N.D.R.Ev. 803(24) for the admission of out-of-court statements made by the child to her mother at the time of the alleged act and to Monique Goff during a subsequent forensic interview that was videotaped. The State’s motion said “[sjome of the out-of-court statements ... will be offered as prior consistent statements, so are not technically hearsay.” The district court heard arguments on the State’s motion on the first day of trial, in conjunction with jury selection. The State’s offer of proof about the child’s out-of-court statements consisted of comments to the court by the prosecuting attorney:

The statement to the mother actually occurred at the time the event was occurring. The facts would be that — or the facts the testimony would show is that when [the mother] walked into the room where this was occurring, a kind of scuffle ensued between [the mother] and the defendant.
And at that point [the mother] turned to her daughter and said, “He was touching you.” And the daughter shook her head “Yes.” [The mother] then asked the daughter, “Has this happened before?” And the daughter shook her head, “Yes.”
[[Image here]]
The social worker, Your Honor, it was in the course of a forensic interview. During the interview the social worker asked the little girl.... Asked [the child] if, you know, if she knew why she was there and [the child] said no.
*287 The social worker says to [the child], “Well, you are here because your mom was worried that your grandpa Gene had had some secret touches or private touches with you.” [The child] says, “I don’t know.”
Monique pursues — Monique is the social worker, pursues it a little bit. After a couple of times of [the child] saying, “I don’t know, I don’t know”, Monique asked her specifically, “Did your grandpa Gene touch you?” And [the child] either said, “Yes” or shook her head “Yes.” I’d have to review the video, Your Honor.
Monique then asked [the child] to tell her where. [The child] kind of said— didn’t respond or maybe said I don’t know. Again, I’d have to review the video.
Monique then asked if [the child] would be willing to show her on an atomically [sic] correct picture of a little girl where grandpa Gene touched her and [the child] pointed to on the picture. And I do have a copy of the picture. Did point to it twice in the vaginal area.

[¶ 4] The district court did not immediately rule on the State’s motion. After jury selection was completed on the first day of trial, the State called the child as its first witness, and she testified:

Q. ... Okay. Do you have grandpas and grandmas ... ?
A. Yes.
Q. Is one of your grandpas in the room today?
A. Yes.
Q. I’m going to get out a picture okay? [D]oes your mom and dad’s bedroom, does that have a TV in the room?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you sometimes like to watch TV in your mom and dad’s room?
A. Yes.
Q. [I]s that a picture of your mom and dad’s bedroom?
A. Yes.
Q. Time for some other questions, okay? Was there a time when you were watching TV in your mom’s room?
A. Yes.
Q. When Grandpa Gene came in there?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you wearing your pajamas?
A. Yes.
Q. Were they pants or a nightgown?
A. Pants.
Q. Did you have your underwear on?
A. Yes.
Q. When you were laying on mom’s bed, did you lay over the covers or under the covers?
A. Under the covers.
Q. Sometimes I forget things, so I have to write them down. That time when Grandpa Gene came in, did he touch you?
A. Yes.
Q. Where?
A. In my private parts.
Q. How did you feel when grandpa did that? Were you scared?
A. Yes.
Q. Did your mom come into the room when Grandpa Gene was doing that?
A. Yes.
Q. How did you feel when mom came in the room?
A. Scared.
Q. Did you tell your mom what grandpa did to you? Is that a hard question?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you tell your mom that Grandpa Gene had touched you?
A. Yes.
*288 Q. You’re doing good. [D]id your mom see what Grandpa Gene was doing?
A. Yes.
Q. Did she get upset?
A. Yes.
Q. [D]o you remember what your mom did when Grandpa Gene was — when she got upset?
A. No.
Q. No. Okay. That’s okay.... I don’t have anymore questions to ask you.

On cross-examination, the child testified:

Q. ... Now, do you remember your mom talking to you about your grandpa?
A. No.
Q. Do you remember your mom telling you?
A. No.
Q. That grandpa was touching you?

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State v. Wegley, 2008 ND 4, 744 N.W.2d 284, 2008 WL 152097 (N.D. 2008).

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