State v. Williams

28 So. 3d 357, 9 La.App. 5 Cir. 48, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 1818, 2009 WL 3448215
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided October 27, 2009·No. 09-KA-48·Published·Cited by 39 cases

Opinion

FREDERICKA HOMBERG WICKER, Judge.

DThis is a criminal proceeding in which the defendant/appellant Eddie Williams appeals his conviction and life sentence for aggravated rape of a juvenile. The defendant assigns four errors to the proceedings below. First, the defendant contends that the trial court erred in admitting “other crimes” evidence. Second, the defendant contends that the trial court erred in denying his Motion for New Trial. Third, the defendant contends that the trial court erred in admitting hearsay testimony of the victim’s sister. Finally, the defendant contends that the trial court erred in failing to inform the jury of the mandatory life sentence for aggravated rape. For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the defendant’s conviction and sentence. Further, we remand this matter to the trial court with instructions to inform the defendant in writing of his sex offender registration requirements and of his child predator registration requirements.

*360 PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On October 13, 2005, the defendant was charged by grand jury indictment with one count of aggravated rape of a juvenile, a violation of La. R.S. 14:42. On March 16, 2006, the defendant filed several pretrial motions, including a Motion to Suppress Evidence, Identification, and Confession, a Motion and Order to Produce |,sPoIice Report, a Motion for Preliminary Examination, and a Motion for Brady and Giglio Material. On April 20, 2006, the defendant pleaded not guilty at arraignment.

On May 20, 2008, the state filed a Notice of Intent to Introduce Evidence of Similar Crimes in Sex Offense Cases Pursuant to La.Code of Evidence Article 412.2 (the “Notice of Intent”). After a hearing, the trial judge allowed the admission of the evidence as requested by the state.

A three-day trial was held in this matter, after which a jury found the defendant guilty as charged. The trial court sentenced defendant to life imprisonment without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. This timely appeal follows.

FACTS

The Notice of Intent indicated that the “State intend[ed] to introduce” the testimony of two women who, while they were juveniles, had separate encounters with the defendant in 1993. One incident resulted in the defendant’s arrest and subsequent guilty plea for lewdness involving a child in the Third District Court of Utah. The second incident resulted in defendant’s arrest for sexual abuse of a child. The Notice of Intent further indicated that the state intended to use these incidents to demonstrate the defendant’s “lustful disposition towards children” pursuant to La. C.E. art. 412.2.

On May 29, 2008, a hearing was held on the Notice to Intent. 1 The trial court allowed the prosecutor to testify in lieu of the victims over defense counsel’s objection. The prosecutor indicated that she obtained the defendant’s certified Utah conviction for lewdness involving a child. The prosecutor also indicated that |4she was able to obtain police reports from Utah authorities and locate the two women who were referred to in the Notice of Intent.

One of the women referred to in the Notice of Intent was A.D., who was thirteen years old at the time of her encounter with the defendant. 2 The prosecutor testified that she spoke to A.D. After speaking to A.D., the prosecutor learned that a man had come to A.D.’s door in 1993 selling cleaning supplies and that he had asked to come inside to give her a demonstration. After A.D. acquiesced, the man told A.D. that she was pretty and that “he would lick her up” if she was his girlfriend. The defendant then stained the “crotch of [A.D.’s] shorts” and made “overt and verbal gestures” in an attempt to remove the stain near her genital area. Afterwards, A.D. became very upset, asked the defendant to leave the house, and told a friend what had transpired. A.D.’s friend contacted the police. No legal action was instituted against the defendant for the allegations raised by A.D.

*361 The second woman referred to in the Notice of Intent was G.P., who was twelve years old at the time of her encounter with the defendant. The prosecutor also spoke to G.P. G.P. and A.D. lived on the same street at the time of the incidents. According to G.P., the defendant knocked on her door, asked if she was alone, and told her that he wanted to help her clean a stain off the carpet. While G.P. was bending down, the defendant told her to turn around. He then placed his hands on her buttocks, marked G.P.’s crotch with a stain, put his hands up the inside of her shorts, and “rubbed her pubic and vaginal area with his hand.” G.P. ran away, locked herself in a bathroom, and ordered the defendant to leave her house. She then called a friend, who called the police.

|5The prosecutor testified that both A.D. and G.P. subsequently identified the defendant, “as he was still remaining on that street when the police arrived.” At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court ruled that the testimony of the witness was admissible pursuant to La. C.E. art. 412.2. Counsel for the defendant objected to the ruling.

K.S., the victim, testified at trial that before Hurricane Katrina, she was living with her mother F.S. and the defendant. Her sister Ke. S. also lived nearby. According to K.S. the defendant “took down her pants” one day and started “licking” her and “biting” her on her “nu-nu” and her “butt.” K.S. indicated that her “nu-nu” is the “place where the pee-pee comes out.” K.S. denied seeing the defendant’s penis. K.S. additionally denied that the defendant ever rubbed his penis against her.

K.S. testified that the defendant told her if she told her mother F.S. what had happened, he would kill F.S. K.S. indicated that she was scared of the defendant. After the first incident, the defendant “took down [KS.’s] pants” a second time. K.S. testified that the defendant “started doing the same stuff.” Shortly thereafter, K.S. indicated that F.S. found her “in the bed with [the defendant].” F.S. and K.S. went to Ke. S.’s home and called the police. On cross-examination, K.S. testified that the first person that she told what had happened was F.S., and that the second person that she told what had happened was Ke. S.

F.S. testified that on July 8, 2005, she was living with the defendant and K.S. At approximately 4:30 in the morning, F.S. woke up and noticed that her apartment was completely dark, which she indicated was unusual because she usually kept the TV and a bathroom light on at night. She went to KS.’s room and turned on the light. According to F.S., K.S. was “half naked” and the defendant was “butt naked.” F.S. testified that she saw the defendant “licking” and “eating” | ñon KS.’s “bottom.” F.S. hit the defendant on the head with a nearby stick, wrapped K.S. in a sheet or towel, and left her apartment. K.S. and F.S. arrived at Ke. S.’s apartment and thereafter called the police. On cross-examination, F.S. admitted that she and the defendant fought and argued often and that she and the defendant had been consuming alcohol the night of July 7, 2005.

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State v. Williams, 28 So. 3d 357, 9 La.App. 5 Cir. 48, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 1818, 2009 WL 3448215 (La. Ct. App. 2009).

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