State v. Pate, 90093 (6-16-2008)
State v. Pate, 90093 (6-16-2008)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On November 30, 2005, the Cuyahoga County Grand Jury returned a five-count indictment against appellant, charging him with two counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of gross sexual imposition. On January 13, 2006, appellant was arrested and remained in jail until July 20, 2006. On May 8, 2006, appellant filed a pro se motion to dismiss for violation of his speedy trial rights.1
{¶ 3} Appellant waived his right to a jury trial, and on March 6, 2007, a bench trial commenced. The trial court found the following: not guilty on Counts one and three, rape and kidnapping stemming from events which occurred in May 2004; guilty on Count two, rape, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 4} At trial, the state called seven witnesses, including the 13-year-old female victim, her mother, her brother, her paternal grandfather, a forensics expert, the assigned social worker, and the detective who investigated the case.
{¶ 5} The following relevant facts were adduced at trial. Sometime prior to July 2005, the family, including appellant, moved to a house on East 76th Street in Cleveland. The victim testified that on the afternoon of July 2, 2005, she was alone in the house with appellant when he asked her to "wrestle" and to pick a room in which to do it. She had seen appellant wrestle with her brothers before and thought he was being playful. The victim testified she went with appellant to her mother's room and began to wrestle with him on the floor. He began kissing her neck and breasts, then he got up and shut the windows and locked the doors to the house. The victim testified she ran upstairs to her brother's bedroom, and appellant followed her.
{¶ 6} The victim further testified that while she was in the upstairs bedroom, appellant demanded that she take off her clothes and, out of fear, she did what he said. Appellant removed his pants, held his penis, and then inserted it into her vagina. The doorbell rang, and appellant got up and went downstairs. The victim testified that she noticed white, "slimy stuff" on and near her vagina and between her *Page 5 legs, so she shut herself in the bathroom by securing the bathroom door with an extension cord, then proceeded to take a bath.
{¶ 7} The victim then testified that appellant returned upstairs to tell her that no one was at the door, and then he went back downstairs. She bathed, changed into clean clothes and, because she was afraid to stay in the house with appellant, she went to a neighbor's house until her mother returned home.
{¶ 8} The victim testified that on July 3, she told her mother what appellant had done to her, stating that he had "humped her." Her mother confronted appellant, who denied everything. The victim testified that her mother took her to the hospital to determine if she had been sexually active. Neither the victim nor her mother told the staff at the hospital of the alleged rape. The victim testified that later that afternoon, she sent a text message to her father stating that appellant had sexually assaulted her.
{¶ 9} The victim further testified that on July 4, four policemen arrived at her home to question her about the alleged assault, but she did not tell them what happened because she was afraid she had done something wrong. Also on that date, Deborah Crawford, a social worker, arrived at her home. The victim testified that she told Crawford that appellant had raped her. After her interview with Crawford, the victim went with her mother back to the hospital and completed a rape kit. *Page 6
{¶ 10} The victim's mother testified that on July 3rd, her daughter told her that appellant had "humped her." She confronted him, and he denied he had touched the victim. When appellant refused to go to the hospital with her and her daughter, she ordered him to leave the house.
{¶ 11} The mother further testified that, on their first visit to the hospital, she asked the staff to check her daughter to determine if she had been sexually active, but they refused to do this type of examination. She also testified that neither she nor her daughter told the hospital staff of any sexual abuse. She further testified that on July 4th, four policemen arrived at their home to question her daughter, but that her daughter refused to tell them what appellant had done to her.
{¶ 12} Deborah Crawford testified that the victim told her that appellant had raped her. She testified she instructed the victim to gather the clothing she had been wearing at the time of the incident and go to the hospital to have a rape kit performed. Crawford testified that the victim told her that appellant had tried to rape her in May 2004, when the family was living on Manor Road.
{¶ 13} Christopher Smith, the state's forensics expert, testified that he evaluated the rape kit performed on the victim. The results of the tests indicated that one sperm cell was detected in the vaginal swab, but no other trace of saliva, blood, or semen was found in the samples or on the victim's underwear. *Page 7
{¶ 14} At the close of the state's case, defense counsel made a Crim. R. 29 motion, which the court denied. The defense did not present a case, but renewed its Crim. R. 29 motion. The court denied the motion.
{¶ 17} "I. The State failed to present sufficient evidence to sustain appellant's convictions.
{¶ 18} "II. The appellant's convictions are against the manifest weight of the evidence."
{¶ 19} Appellant argues that the state failed to present evidence of the element of force on the charges of rape and gross sexual imposition; and evidence of force, threat, or deception on the charge of kidnapping. He also argues that the verdicts were against the manifest weight of the evidence on all three charges.
{¶ 20} Whether the evidence is legally sufficient to sustain a verdict is a *Page 8
question of law. State v. Robinson (1955),
{¶ 21} On review, the appellate court must determine, after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, whether any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Jenks (1991),
{¶ 22} Sufficiency of the evidence is subject to a different standard of review than is manifest weight of the evidence. Article
{¶ 23} The United States Supreme Court recognized the distinctions in considering a claim based upon the manifest weight of the evidence as opposed to sufficiency of that evidence. The court held inTibbs, supra, that, unlike a reversal based upon the insufficiency of the evidence, an appellate court's disagreement with the jurors' weighing of the evidence does not require special deference accorded verdicts of acquittal, i.e., invocation of the double jeopardy clause as a bar to relitigation. Id. at 43. Upon application of the standards enunciated in Tibbs, the court in State v. Martin (1983),
{¶ 24} The Martin court stated: "The court, reviewing the entire record, weighs the evidence and all reasonable inferences, considers the credibility of the witnesses and determines whether in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the jury clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed and a new trial ordered." Id.
{¶ 25} Appellant was convicted of rape and gross sexual imposition, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 26} Viewed in a light most favorable to the prosecution, the state produced sufficient evidence on both charges that the victim was forced to submit to sexual conduct with appellant.
{¶ 27} Appellant also argues that the verdicts were against the manifest weight of the evidence. He contends that there was "a complete lack of physical
{¶ 28} evidence" and suggests that the sexual act between him and the girl, if it occurred at all, was consensual. He also argues that the victim's failure to report the incident immediately to her mother or to the police makes her testimony so inconsistent that any conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence. We disagree.
{¶ 29} Smith testified that at least one sperm head was found in the vaginal swab taken from the victim. No other explanation was given for this positive result *Page 11 for sexual contact. Also, the court heard all the evidence, including alleged inconsistencies in the victim's testimony. Appellant argues that the victim's explanation of the events, including such descriptions as "he messed with me," "he humped me," and "he raped me," renders her testimony unreliable. We do not find that appellant's argument supports reversal by this court. These terms are not so unusual or unprecedented when used to describe sexual contact, and we defer to the trial court's ability to weigh the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses to reach its verdict.
{¶ 30} Furthermore, we are not persuaded by appellant's argument that the victim was lying simply because she was unable to tell the police what allegedly happened. She testified that she was afraid she had done something wrong, a common response from children who experience abuse. She was also confronted, unannounced, by four male police officers at her front door. The testimony from the victim and the female social worker, whose job it is to deal with cases of abuse, were consistent with the story the victim told her mother the day before the police arrived at her house. We do not find that the trial court lost its way in reaching guilty verdicts on the charges of rape and gross sexual imposition.
{¶ 31} With respect to the charge of kidnapping, appellant argues that the state failed to present evidence of "force, threat or deception"4 sufficient to allow the trial court to return a guilty verdict on Count four. We disagree. *Page 2
{¶ 32} The state must only present evidence on one of the three elements: force, threat, or deception. Here, the state produced evidence that appellant deceived the victim by suggesting that they "wrestle," not that they have sexual intercourse. In addition, "[f]orce need not be overt and physically brutal, but can be subtle and psychological."State v. Eskridge (1988),
{¶ 33} The victim testified that she was afraid of appellant; therefore, she took off her clothes when he demanded it. She testified that she felt threatened by him and so she acquiesced. See State v.Fowler (1985),
{¶ 34} We also find that the state produced sufficient evidence that appellant "restrained [the victim's] liberty." The testimony of the victim showed that appellant locked the doors and shut the windows, and then followed her upstairs, at which time he got on top of her for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. The lower court did not err when it denied appellant's Crim. R. 29 motions. *Page 13
{¶ 35} We also find that the court's verdict was not against the manifest weight of the evidence. The court heard the victim's testimony and found it credible. She testified that she thought appellant wanted to wrestle with her, the way he sometimes did with her brothers. She testified that she ran away from appellant when he got up to lock the doors and windows. She testified that she did what appellant told her to do because she was afraid of him.5 Finally, she testified that she attempted to "lock" herself in the bathroom using an extension cord as soon as appellant went downstairs to answer the door.
{¶ 36} We do not believe that the court lost its way in reaching a guilty verdict on the charge of kidnapping. Clearly, the court found the victim's testimony credible as it related to appellant's forcible restraint on her liberty.
{¶ 37} We find that the state presented sufficient evidence on the charges of rape, kidnapping, and gross sexual imposition to support appellant's convictions, and it properly denied appellant's Crim. R. 29 motions. We also find that the court did not lose its way in returning guilty verdicts on the three charges; therefore, we overrule appellant's first and second assignments of error.
{¶ 39} In his third assignment of error, appellant argues that the court erred by not dismissing his case on the basis of a speedy trial violation. Appellant filed a pro se motion to dismiss on May 8, 2006, claiming that the time the state had in which to bring him to trial had expired under R.C.
{¶ 40} The
{¶ 41} It is well established that the Ohio speedy trial statute constitutes a rational effort to enforce the constitutional right to a public speedy trial of an accused charged with the commission of a felony or misdemeanor and shall be strictly enforced by the courts of this state. State v. Pachay (1980),
{¶ 42} Once the statutory limit has expired, the defendant has established a prima facie case for dismissal. State v. Howard (1992),
{¶ 43} We agree with the state that, pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 44} If the court charges these numerous requests for continuances to appellant, the state was well within its 270-day limit in bringing him to trial; however, a defendant may successfully challenge a violation of his speedy trial rights on constitutional grounds. InBarker, supra, the United States Supreme Court established certain factors which, when analyzed, aid the court in determining whether there has been a constitutional violation of a defendant's speedy trial rights. These four factors are the length of delay, the reason for the delay, the assertion by the defendant of his right, and the amount of prejudice to the defendant. Id.
{¶ 45} The first factor, the length of the delay, is a "`triggering mechanism,' determining the necessity of inquiry into the other factors. * * * [O]ne year is generally considered enough." State v. Triplett,
{¶ 46} We find that it is both the second and fourth factors that cut against appellant. A review of the docket shows that the reason for the lengthy delay until trial was a result of appellant's own actions. He made numerous requests for continuances of pretrial and trial dates; he changed attorneys at least twice; and he *Page 17
failed to respond to the state's discovery requests. What is particularly notable in this case is that even after appellant moved to dismiss his case for a speedy trial violation on May 8, 2006, he continued to request continuances of his trial date. He cannot now complain that the state or the court below failed to preserve his constitutional rights under the
{¶ 47} Finally, we reject appellant's argument that the 20-month delay between the alleged crime and the trial caused him prejudice. The only eyewitness to the alleged crimes, with the exception of appellant himself, was the victim. The rape kit results were documented within two days of the alleged sexual abuse. The testimony of the social worker and the police detective was bolstered by the notes each took during their interviews with the victim.
{¶ 48} We find that the court did not err in failing to grant appellant's motion to dismiss for speedy trial violation; therefore, we overrule appellant's third assignment of error.
{¶ 50} In his fourth assignment of error, appellant argues that his sentence was contrary to law because the court sentenced him to the maximum penalty. *Page 18 Specifically, he argues that he "never exercised abuse, cruelty, he never threatened [the victim] * * *, and he never injured her or left traceable marks on her body * * *." (See appellants' brief, page 16.) We are not persuaded by these assertions in light of appellant's rape and kidnapping convictions.
{¶ 51} R.C.
{¶ 52} R.C.
{¶ 53} "The appellate court may increase, reduce, or otherwise modify a sentence that is appealed under this section or may vacate the sentence and remand the matter to the sentencing court for resentencing. The appellate court's standard for review is not whether the sentencing court abused its discretion. The appellate court may take any action authorized by this division if it clearly and convincingly finds either of the following: (a) That the record does not support the sentencing court's findings under division (B) or (D) of section
{¶ 54} After the Ohio Supreme Court's decision in State v.Foster,
{¶ 55} Appellant was convicted of rape, kidnapping, and gross sexual imposition of a 13-year-old girl. The victim was the daughter of appellant's girlfriend and, at the very least, she was entitled to trust appellant as an adult member of her household. While he may not have left external physical scars on the victim, the victim's own testimony supports a finding that she was afraid of appellant and only acquiesced to his demands out of fear.
{¶ 56} During sentencing, the court stated on the record that it had considered the purposes and principles of sentencing, as required by the sentencing statutes. Furthermore, the sentence imposed by the court was within the statutory range; therefore, we overrule appellant's fourth assignment of error.
{¶ 58} In his fifth assignment of error, appellant argues that his rape and kidnapping convictions are allied offenses of similar import; therefore, the court erred in imposing multiple sentences for the two offenses.
{¶ 59} R.C.
{¶ 60} "The applicable test for deciding that issue is as follows: If the elements of the crimes `correspond to such a degree that the commission of one crime will result in the commission of the other, the crimes are allied offenses of similar import.' If the elements do not so correspond, the offenses are of dissimilar import and the court's inquiry ends — the multiple convictions are permitted. R.C.
{¶ 61} "In establishing whether kidnapping and another offense of the same or similar kind are committed with a separate animus as to each pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 62} Appellant argues that his conviction for kidnapping cannot stand because it was allied with the rape offense. We do not agree. The victim's testimony at trial supports a finding that appellant kidnapped and raped her. Appellant deceived the victim by telling her that he wanted to wrestle with her. He also shut the doors and locked the windows of the room in which he initiated sexual conduct with the victim. This is a separate act rather than just restraining her liberty incidental to the actual rape. *Page 22
{¶ 63} Furthermore, the victim indicated through her testimony that she was initially shut in her mother's room with appellant; then he followed her up to her brother's room; and, finally, she "locked" herself in the bathroom to get away from him. She testified that she was only able to leave the house after appellant had gone downstairs. From this evidence, the trial court could find that the victim was restrained for a prolonged period of time. Also, appellant's restraint of the victim was secretive since he was alone in the house with her, and he had shut and locked the windows and doors.
{¶ 64} We find that the court did not err when it found appellant guilty of the separate crimes of kidnapping and rape; therefore, we overrule appellant's fifth assignment of error and affirm the kidnapping conviction.
Judgment affirmed.
It is ordered that appellee recover of appellant costs herein taxed.
The Court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this court directing the common pleas court to carry this judgment into execution. The defendant's conviction having been affirmed, any bail pending appeal is terminated. Case remanded to the trial court for execution of sentence.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
COLLEEN CONWAY COONEY, P.J., and KENNETH A. ROCCO, J., CONCUR.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State of Ohio v. Darnell Pate
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Unpublished