Title: State v. Martin

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

State v. Martin (99-016); 170 Vt. 614; 751 A.2d 769

[Filed 22-Feb-2000]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 99-016

                             NOVEMBER TERM, 1999

State of Vermont	               }	APPEALED FROM:
                                       }
                                       }
     v.	                               }	District Court of Vermont,
                                       }	Unit No. 2, Franklin Circuit
                                       }
Scott A. Martin	                       }	DOCKET NO. 794-7-98 Frcr	

             In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Defendant Scott Martin appeals the district court's denial of his
  motion for acquittal or a new trial.  A jury convicted defendant of abusing
  his son, J.M., in violation of 13 V.S.A. § 1402.  He  argues that (1) the
  evidence is insufficient to support his conviction and (2) the court erred
  in  instructing the jury on the defense of lawful corporal punishment.  We
  affirm.

       Defendant shares custody of his two children, J.M. and C.M., with
  their mother.  On June 30,  1998, mother delivered the children to
  defendant for a two-week visit.  Defendant resides with  Christine Jacobs. 
  She testified that, on July 9, while defendant was not at home, J.M., who
  was  three years old at the time, fell off a desk and struck his buttocks
  first on a chair and then on the  floor.  At some later point, defendant
  disciplined J.M. by spanking him.

       On July 11, defendant returned the children to their mother;
  whereupon, she noticed bruising on  J.M.'s buttocks.  The bruising extended
  from his lower back to his upper buttocks.  She  eventually took him to an
  emergency room, where photographs of J.M.'s buttocks were taken. 
 
       After an investigation, the State charged defendant with wilful
  domestic assault in violation of 13  V.S.A. § 1042, later amended to
  reckless domestic assault.  Domestic assault is defined as  "attempt[ing]
  to cause or wilfully or recklessly caus[ing] bodily injury to a family or
  household  member, or wilfully caus[ing] a family or household member to
  fear imminent serious bodily  injury."  13 V.S.A. § 1042.  A jury convicted
  defendant. 

       Defendant claims that he is entitled to acquittal because the evidence
  was insufficient to sustain  a domestic assault conviction.  In reviewing a
  denial of a motion for acquittal, this Court  "determine[s] whether the
  evidence presented by the State, taken in the light most favorable to the 
  prosecution and excluding any modifying evidence, sufficiently and fairly
  supports a finding of  guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."  State v.
  Durenleau, 163 Vt. 8, 10,