Howell v. State
Howell v. State
Opinion
The opinion issued in this case on February 11, 1994, is hereby withdrawn and the following opinion is substituted therefor.
The appellant, Eric Eugene Howell, was convicted of attempted rape and attempted sodomy in violation of §§
The evidence presented by the state tended to show that on the morning of August 17, 1992, the appellant forced his way into the victim's house and attacked her. The appellant picked the victim up and carried her to her bedroom. The victim was screaming and kicking. When the victim screamed, the appellant would choke her and attempt to smother her. He tore her nightgown off and her underwear. He sat on her shoulders, unzipped his pants, and pulled his penis out in front of her face. He told the victim to touch his penis. The victim was able to get out from under the appellant and convince him to leave.
Section
"When reviewing a sufficiency claim, we must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the state and we can not substitute our judgment for that of the jury." Wells v.State,
The following excerpt from the transcript contains the appellant's only objection based on youthful offender status:
"Q [by prosecutor:] Are you aware that in January of 1976, he was convicted of embezzlement?
"MS. WATSON [defense counsel]: Judge, I object. That's a Y.O.A. [Youthful Offender Act] offense.
"THE COURT: Overruled. You're talking about character, Miss Watson. Overruled."
The appellant, however, had not been granted youthful offender status on the embezzlement charge. The appellant was convicted as an adult for embezzlement. The state failed to point out that fact to the trial court and further failed to argue that point on direct appeal. The first indication that the embezzlement offense had not been treated as a youthful offender offense was in the state's application to this court for rehearing.
Furthermore, a review of the record reveals that the appellant pleaded guilty to embezzlement on March 21, 1977, not in January 1976 as the state indicated during questioning. The certified copy of the plea form showing that the appellant pleaded guilty to the offense of embezzlement did not conclusively show that he did not receive youthful offender treatment at sentencing. We requested clarification on this issue from the Circuit Court for Montgomery County and we were provided a certified copy of a docket sheet, which revealed that the appellant was not treated as a youthful offender on the embezzlement offense.
Had the appellant been granted youthful offender status for the embezzlement offense, the court's ruling would have been in error.
Thomas v. State,"The general rule is that a witness's prior record of a juvenile court judgment cannot be used to impeach his credibility. C. Gamble, McElroy's Alabama Evidence, Section 145.01(4) (3rd ed. 1977). Annot. 63 A.L.R.3d 1112 (1975). Nor may an adjudication as a youthful offender be used to impeach a witness's credibility. See Word v. State,
424 So.2d 1374 (Ala.Cr.App. 1982); Daniels v. State,375 So.2d 523 (Ala.Cr.App. 1979); McElroy, Section 145.01(4) (Supp. 1980)."
"However, we will affirm a lower court if the court's ruling is correct for any reason, even if the lower court based its ruling on a wrong reason." Kilgore v. State,
Additionally, the appellant contends that the jury verdict form was "confusing, incomplete and prejudicial." The appellant did not object to the verdict form at trial; thus, this issue was also not preserved for appellate review. Cotton.
For the foregoing reasons, the appellant's conviction is affirmed.
ORIGINAL OPINION WITHDRAWN; OPINION SUBSTITUTED; APPLICATION FOR REHEARING GRANTED; 39(k) MOTION DENIED; AFFIRMED.
All the Judges concur. *Page 135
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Eric Eugene Howell v. State.
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published