Sasser v. State
Sasser v. State
Opinion
Jimmy Sasser was charged in a two count indictment with rape in the first degree and sodomy in the first degree in violation of §§
Jimmy Sasser is alleged to have had sexual intercourse with his eight-year-old stepdaughter. The prosecutrix testified that, for several years prior to the time her mother and the appellant were married, Sasser forced her to let him place his "private part inside her private part". This behavior continued until late May, 1984 when the victim told her school teacher about the incident of this behavior on or *Page 859 about May 26, 1984. The authorities were contacted and the child was removed from the home.
Thornton v. State,"It is not necessary to state in the indictment the date or time at which an offense was committed. Bush v. State,
431 So.2d 555 (Ala.Cr.App. 1982), aff'd,431 So.2d 563 (Ala. 1983), cert. denied, Bush v. Alabama, [464] U.S. [865],104 S.Ct. 200 ,78 L.Ed.2d 175 (1983)."The Code of Alabama, 1975, §
15-8-30 , states as follows:`It is not necessary to state the precise time at which an offense was committed in an indictment; but it may be alleged to have been committed on any day before the finding of the indictment or generally before the finding of the indictment unless time is a material ingredient of the offense.'"
In this cause, time was not a material ingredient of the offense charged; therefore, the exception to the general rule does not apply. "Time would be a material ingredient of the offense only if it were a new offense, or when the grade of an offense has been raised from a misdemeanor to a felony and it covers a period both when the act was and was not an offense, or when it was of a lesser grade." See Coburn, supra at 668.
This is no basis for reversal on this point.
This cause must, therefore, be remanded for a new sentencing hearing.
A review of the questions asked by the prosecutor and complained of on appeal reveals no error. The prosecutor's questions were legitimate questions based on the evidence elicited in this case, i.e., discussion between husband and wife.
The main point in closing argument was an appeal for law enforcement. We find no error or abuse of discretion by the trial judge on these matters.
"The second charge against the defendant, the lesser included offense, is that of sexual abuse in the first degree, and the law says that a person commits the crime of sexual abuse in the first degree if he, being sixteen years old or older, subjects another person to sexual contact who is less than twelve years old. And the law defines sexual contact as any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person not married to the actor, done for the purpose of gratifying the sexual desire of either party."
The charge given by the trial court, although brief, adequately and sufficiently covers the offense of sexual abuse in the first degree. It clearly sets out the elements of the offense and adequately defines such elements as is required. See Miller v. State,
"The refusal of a charge, though a correct statement of law, shall not be cause for reversal if it appears that the same rule of law was substantially and fairly given to the jury in the court's general charge or in charges given at the request of the parties."
Ala. Code §
We find from our review of the appellant's refused written charges and from the trial court's oral charge to the jury that such charges were substantially and fairly covered in the trial court's oral charge, were inapplicable or abstract, or an incorrect statement of law. See, McDaniel v. State,
"THE COURT: Let me say this to you while we have just a moment: We've heard evidence of events which allegedly occurred on a date of — other than the last incident. The defendant is being tried for what allegedly occurred on the last incident the victim claims, and not what may have happened on some other instances. We left that in, simply, for you to determine what weight you would give it, if you believe that it occurred on the previous incident, just because it might be relevant on that issue. But, the defendant is being tried for what occurred on the very last day, and I don't know if we'd established a date. But the — I guess the incident which allegedly occurred one week — or in the week previous to the alleged report to the school teacher.
"MR. BYRD: Your Honor, the defendant would object to the purpose for which Your Honor stated that the other incident evidence was left in. That is not the purpose of other misconduct evidence. We move that this jury be correctly instructed, or we ask that a mistrial be granted, because other misconduct evidence cannot be let in for the purpose as Your Honor stated.
"THE COURT: Well, all right, Mr. Byrd. "I'll tell you why we're letting it in. We're letting it in because the State contends that this was a scheme, a pattern, and a part of a plan on the part of the defendant. And that's why we let it in, for you to determine whether or not the State has proved that.
"MR. BYRD: Your Honor, I must object to that, also, because the State has not alleged any scheme, plan, or anything else. They've alleged only one single incident, and we object to any admission of other misconduct evidence.
"THE COURT: Motion denied."
"To constitute error the judge's actions viewed as a whole must amount to intervention which could have led the jury to a predisposition of guilt by improperly confusing the functions of judge and prosecutor . . . A venerable line of cases indicates judicial intervention must be qualitatively and quantitatively substantial to meet this test . . ." UnitedStates v. Robinson,
A return shall be prepared and filed with this court after a new sentencing hearing.
REMANDED FOR PROPER SENTENCING.
All the Judges concur.
This was in violation of Rule 6 (b)(3)(ii), Alabama Temporary Rules of Criminal Procedure. See Smith v. State,
Pursuant to our opinion above, the Circuit Court of Mobile County has held a new sentencing hearing after first giving the appellant due notice of the prior convictions on which the State expected to rely and the appellant appeared in open court with counsel and voiced his objections to such convictions.
Thereafter, the court proceeded to adjudicate him as a habitual felony offender and sentenced him to life imprisonment in the penitentiary without parole.
This appeal followed.
A habitual felony offender hearing is not the proper forum for attacking a prior conviction used during such habitual felony offender hearing. Jones v. State,
The judgment and sentence below is, in all respects, proper.
This cause is due to be and is, therefore, affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
All the Judges concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Jimmy Sasser v. State.
- Cited By
- 54 cases
- Status
- Published