Title: State v. Noyes

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

NOTICE: This opinion is subject to motions for reargument under V.R.A.P. 40
as well as formal revision before publication in the Vermont Reports.
Readers are requested to notify the Reporter of Decisions, Vermont Supreme
Court, 111 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05602 of any errors in order
that corrections may be made before this opinion goes to press.


                                No. 90-200



State of Vermont                             Supreme Court

                                             On Appeal from
     v.                                      District Court of Vermont,
                                             Unit No. 3, Washington Circuit

Frank W. Noyes                               February Term, 1991




John P. Connarn, J. (Ret.), Specially Assigned

Thomas M. Kelly, Deputy State's Attorney, Department of State's Attorneys,
  Montpelier, for plaintiff-appellee

Carlyle Shepperson, West Corinth, for defendant-appellant



PRESENT:  Allen, C.J., Gibson, Dooley, Morse and Johnson, JJ.



     MORSE, J.   Defendant appeals his conviction by a jury for sexually
assaulting a fifteen-year-old girl, 13 V.S.A. { 3252(a)(3), raising numerous
claims, most of which merit little discussion.  We affirm.
     Defendant was accused of sexually abusing the victim by digitally
penetrating her.  The victim lived with her mother in defendant's house.
Evidence was introduced that in addition to the incident leading to the
charge, defendant had similarly assaulted the victim many times over the
course of years.
                                 I. Trial
                                    A.
     Defendant asked the court to exclude all expert testimony on post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  The court denied the motion, relying on
State v. Catsam, 148 Vt. 366, 369-70,