Jackson v. State
Jackson v. State
Opinion
The defendant was indicted for rape. After investigation and consideration, treatment as a youthful offender was denied. A jury found the defendant "guilty as charged". The trial court sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment noting that "it was an aggravated rape, one of the most aggravated rapes that this court has ever heard of, and there was also a weapon involved".
The trial court sustained the State's objection and would not permit defense counsel to cross examine the victim on whether or not she had a number of black friends or had had black people in her apartment. Defense counsel also was not allowed to inquire of another witness whether or not the victim had ever had black friends over to her apartment.
On appeal the defendant argues:
"(A)lthough the proffered testimony was not to the effect that others had, in fact, had sexual intercourse with the prosecutrix prior to the time in question, if the defense had been allowed to show the jury that the prosecuting witness, who was white, frequently repeatedly had had blacks in her apartment, then this fact could have created an inference from which the conclusion could have been *Page 1273 drawn that the prosecuting witness was sexually promiscuous with blacks."
Appellant's brief, p. 22.
The trial court properly sustained the State's objections. The inferences the defendant would draw are neither logical nor reasonable. The accused is entitled to explain away injuries to the body of the female and the presence of semen in her vagina by showing that they are the product of intercourse with a third person at such a time as that intercourse with the third person could have caused such traces. Patterson v. State,
Under the rules of evidence in effect at the time of the defendant's trial, Alabama Code Section
Defense counsel's reason for asking these questions to which objections were sustained does not appear in the record. While we assume that the reason was the same as that stated on appeal, it should be noted that it is not reversible error either to admit or reject evidence admissible for a certain purpose only, when it is offered generally, without calling the attention of the trial court to such purpose. Garrett v. State,
Without comment upon the reasonableness of the conclusions drawn from these facts by the defendant, such evidence was inadmissible. Alabama Code Section
White v. State,"A party may ask his witness, for the purpose of refreshing his memory or of showing that he has been put at a disadvantage by unexpected evidence, whether, at a certain time and place, he has not made certain statements inconsistent with his testimony on the stand, even though the admission of such inconsistent statements will injuriously affect the witness' credibility with the jury."
See also McElroy, Section 165.01 (7)(e).
While the defendant complains that no proper predicate was laid by the State, it is *Page 1274 clear from the witness' testimony that the alleged statement was made in the Montgomery Police Department on the day following the crime.
We have searched the record and found no error prejudicial to the rights of the defendant. He received a fair trial under the direction of an able and competent judge and was represented by diligent and skilled counsel. The judgment of conviction is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
All Judges concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Anthony Jackson v. State.
- Cited By
- 13 cases
- Status
- Published