### We h ave rep laced th e mino rs’ names w ith p seud onyms. 1 I N T H E SUPR EM E C O UR T O F M I SS I SS I PPI NO. 2 0 0 9 - KA- 0 0 6 6 8 - S CT M ICHAEL EA S

LEY
v. STATE OFM

I SS I SS I PPI
D A T E O F JU D G M E N T : 03/ 20/ 2009 TRI AL J UD GE: HO N. W
. ASH LEY H I NES COURT F ROM W HI CH APP EAL ED: LE F LORE COUNTY CI RCUI T COURT ATT ORNEY F OR APP EL LANT: W
. S
. S TUCKEY, J R. AT T OR NE Y F OR AP P E L L E E : OF F I CE OF T HE AT T OR NE Y GE NE RA L BY: LAURA H. TE DDER DI S T RI CT AT T OR NE Y: W I L L I E DW AYNE RI CH AR DS ON NAT UR E OF T HE CA S E : CR I M I NAL - F E L ONY D I SPO SI T I O N : A FFIRM E D - 10/ 28/ 2010 M OT I ON F OR RE HE AR I NG F I L E D: M ANDAT E I S S UE D:

B E F O R E G R A V E S, P . J. , L A M A R A N D K I T C H E N S, JJ. LAM AR, J UST I CE, FOR TH E COU RT: ¶1. T hi s c as e i nvol ves the s exual a bus e of tw o s i s t er s , T ayl orand Sonya, and thei r cous i n, C hr i s t i na, by M i chae l E as l ey. E as l ey, the boyf r i end of Tayl orand Sonya’ s m other , w as 1 i ndi ct ed and c onvi ct ed of tw o count s of s t atut ory r ape a nd tw o count s of f ondl i ng. Fi ndi ng
n o a rg u a b le is su e to ra ise o n a p p e a l, E a sle y ’s a tto rn e y f ile d a b rie f in c o m p lian c e w ith

### Eas le y was charge d unde r Mi ss is sippi CodeSec ti ons 97- 3-65( 1)(b) ( st at utor y ra pe 2 

### of vi ctim under age fourtee n), 97-3- 65(1) (a) ( st at utor y ra pe of vic tim be twe en the ages of fourteen an d six teen), an d 9 7-5 -23 (1) (fo nd ling ). See Mis s. Code Ann. §§ 97-3- 65, 97- 5-23 (Re v. 2006)
. 2 L indse y v. State, 

### 939 So. 2d 743 ( Mis s. 2005) . A fte r th o ro u g h ly re v iew in g th e re c o rd in th is
cas e, w e f

i nd no r ever s i bl e err or , and w e af f i r m E as l ey’ s convi ct i on and s ent ence . P ROCE DURAL HI S TORY ¶2. A gr and j ury r eturned an i ndi ctm entw i t h four charges ag ai nstE as l ey: ( 1) on or 2 betw een D ece m ber6, 2004, and M ay 2007, the s t atut ory r ape of Sonya, a f

emal e underthe age of f our t een, bei ng t w enty- f ouror m or e m onths youngerthan Easl ey; ( 2) on orbetw een M ar ch 1, 2003, and M ar ch 31, 2003, the s t atut ory r ape of T ayl or , a f

emal e atl eas tf

our t een year s butundersi xt een yea r s , and bei ng thi r ty- s i x orm or e mont hs youngerthan Easl ey; ( 3)
on orbetw een M ar ch 1, 2003, and M ar ch 31, 2003, t he f ondl i ng of

T ayl or , a chi l d underthe age of s i xt een; and ( 4) on orbetw een J anuary 2007 and M ay 31, 2007, the fondli ng of C h ri s tin a , a c h ild u n d e r t h e a g e o f s ix te e n . ¶3. Pr i ort o tr i al , E as l ey moved t o s everC ount s II and II I ( thos e i nvol vi ng T ayl or ) , bas ed
o n the tim e sp an b etw ee n T ay lor’s all eg ed ab u se a n d that o f S o n y a a n d C h ri sti n a. In
res po nse, the S t at e argued that al l charges shou l d b e tri ed tog ethe r, becau se there w as a patt ern of

abus e aga i ns tthe f

emal e chi l dr en l i vi ng i n the apa r t m ent . T he St at e ar gued that E as l ey pr eyed upon t he ol des tfe m al e, T ayl or , unt i l she m oved outof the apart m ent . O nce T ayl orm oved, E as l ey then bega n t o abus e Sonya. A nd E as l ey abus ed C hr i s t i na w hen s he
s pentthe ni ghtw i th Sonya. T he tr i al c our tde ni ed the m ot i on t o s ever , f i ndi ng m er i tw i th the S ta te ’s th e o ry o f a n o n g o in g p a tte rn o f a b u s e .

### Je rom e Mc Cas kil l, a dete ctivewho inve stigate d theal le gations , t es ti fi ed that Eas le y 3 

### was b ornonMarch21 , 19 71
. 3 ¶4. T he j ury f

ound E as l ey gui l ty of

al l f ourcount s , and the tr i al courtpol l ed the j ury. T he
courtthen hel d a s ent enci ng hear i ng, atw hi ch the St at e i nf or m ed the courtt hatE as l ey had been cha r ged i n 2007 w i th sexua l l y as s aul t i ng anotherthi r t een- year - ol d gi r l
. T hr ough a pl ea agr eement , he had r ece i ved pr obat i on f orthi s 2007 char ge. T he tr i al j udge s ent ence d E as l ey t o l i f e f orC ountI , thi r ty year s f orC ountI I , f

i f t een ye ar s f

orC ountI I I , and f

i f t een ye ar s f

or C ountI V , w i th al l s ent ence s t o run cons ecut i vel y. FACTS ¶ 5
. T a y l o r wa s b o rn Ap r i l 2 , 1 9 8 7
. S h e me t E a s l e y wh e n s h e wa s f i f t e e n y e a r s o l d
. At 3 thatt i m e, h e w as the mai nt enanc e man atthe apa r t m entcompl ex w her e s he l i ved w i th her
m o th e r a n d s ib lin g s. E a sle y d e v e lo p e d a re latio n sh ip w ith h e r m o th e r a n d b e g a n to liv e w ith th e m in th e ira p a rt m e n t. ¶6
. O ne ni gh t , w hi l e s he w a s s i t t i ng i n the l i vi ng r oo m w a t c hi ng t e l e vi s i on , Eas l ey s at T ayl oron hi s l ap and t ouched he rbutt ocks a nd br eas t s . E as l ey eventual l y began t o have s ex
w i t h T ayl or , al w ays atni ghtw hen herm otherw as as l eep. T ayl orcoul d notr emem ber sp e c ific d a tes w h e n th e se in c id e n c e s o c c u rre d , b u t sh e sta ted th a t th e las t ti m e o c c u rre d in M a rc h 2 0 0 3 . T a y lo r w a s fi ft e e n in M a rc h 2 0 0 3
. ¶7
. In A u g u st 2 0 0 3 , T ay lor m o v ed o u t of h er m o ther’s a p artm en t an d w en t t o li v e w ith herf ather
. B ef

or e s he moved out , s he t ol d herm otherab outthe abus e, butherm other
re fu s e d to b e lie v e h e r.

### 4

¶ 8
. S o n y a w a s b o rn o n D e c e m b e r 6 , 1 9 9 3
. S h e tes tified th a t E a sle y first in a p p ro p ria tely
ru b b e d h e r b u tto c k s, b u t th a t sh e c o u ld n o t re m e m b e r w h e th e r T a y lo r h a d m o v e d o u t a t th is t i m e. O ne night , C hr i s t i na s pentthe ni ghtw i th her , and Easl ey aw akene d the gi r l s i n the mi dd l e o f

the n i gh t . Son ya a nd Chr i s t i na wer e s l e e pi ng i n the s a me b e d, when Eas l ey t ouc he d Son ya ’ s b utt oc ks a nd p ul l e d do w n he ru nd e rw e a r . H e the n un di d hi s pant s and p lace d h is pe n is i n h er v ag ina. S o n y a w as th irteen at th e ti m e E asley rap ed h er. ¶9. A f

t er r api ng Sonya, E as el y w ent t o C hr i s t i na’ s s i de of t he bed
. E as l ey t ouched he r b e tw e e n th e le g s w ith h is h a n d . H e tu rn e d h e r o v e r o n to h e r s to m a c h a n d tried to p lac e h is peni s i n herbut t ocks , buthe w as unabl e t o compl et e pene tr at i on. C hri st i na w as thi r t een a t th e tim e o f t h is in c id e n t. ¶10. A pr i l B ow m an, T ayl orand S on ya’s m other , t es t i f i ed thats he hea r d of

the al l eged
a b u s e a ta f

a mi l y b a rb e q u e . S h e c o n f r o n t e d Ea s l e y a b o u tth e a l l e g a t i o n s , b u th e d e n i e d th e m. B o w m a n s ta te d th a t s h e d o e s n o t b e lie v e th a t E a s le y a b u s e d a n y o f t h e c h ild re n . DI S CU S S I ON ¶11. T hi s appeal i s governed by L indse y v. State, 939 So. 2d 743 ( M i s s . 2005)
. I n L indse y , t hi s Courts e tf

orth the p r oc e du r e “ t o go ve rn c a s e s wher e a pp e l l a t e c ou ns e l r e pr e s ent s an i ndi gentcr i m i nal def

endantand does notbel i eve hi s orhercl i ent’ s cas e pr es ent s any
ar guabl e i s s ues on appea l [
. ] ” I d . at748. Fi r s t , appel l at e couns el “mustf i l e and s erve a br i ef i n c om pl i ance w i th M i s s i s s i ppi Rul e of A ppel l at e Pr ocedur e 28( a) ( 1)
- ( 4) , ( 7) [
. ] ” I d . Second,
c o u n se l m u st c e rtify in h is o r h e r b rie f th a t: ther e ar e no ar guabl e i s s ues s uppor t i ng the cl i ent ’ s appea l , and he ors he has re a c h e d th is c o n c lu sio n a fte r sc o u rin g th e r e c o rd th o ro u g h ly , sp e c ifica lly exami ni ng: ( a) the r eas on f orthe arr es tand the ci r cumst ance s s urr oundi ng the

### 5

arrest; (b) a n y p o ssible v iolati o n s of th e cli en t’ s ri g h t to co u n sel; (c) the e n ti re tr i al tr ans cr i pt ; ( d) al l rul i ngs of the tr i al court ; ( e) pos s i bl e pr os ecut or i al m isc o n d u c t; (f) a ll j u ry in stru c tio n s; ( g ) a ll ex h ib its, w h e th e r a d m itt e d in to evi dence ornot ; and ( h) pos s i bl e mi s appl i cat i on of the l aw i n s ent enci ng. I d . T hi r d, c ouns el musts end a copy of hi s br i ef t o the def

endant , i nf

or m the def

endantthat
cou nsel cou l d n ot f

i nd any arguab l e i ssues, and advis e the cl i ent of the ri gh tt o fi l e a pro se b ri e f. I d. Four th, the appel l at e courtw i l l de t erm i ne, bas ed on i t s r evi ew of the r ecor d and
a n y p ro s e b ri e f f

ile d , if th e re is a n y a rg u a b le is s u e . I d. If s o , the c o u rt w ill re q u ire a p p e llate
couns el t o s ubm i ts uppl ement al br i ef i ng on thati s s ue, “r egar dl es s of the pr obabi l i t y of

the def endant ’ s s ucce s s on a ppeal
. ” I d. L ast, “ [o] n ce b ri efing is c o m p let e, th e a p p ell ate c o u rt
m us tcons i derthe ca s e on i t s m er i t s and r endera dec i s i on. ” I d. ¶ 1 2
. In th is c a se , E a sle y ’s a p p e lla te c o u n s e l c o m p lie d w ith th e p ro c e d u re se t fo rth in L in d se y v. S ta te . E a sle y fa iled to file a p ro se b rie f. W e h a v e re v iew e d th e re c o rd a n d c o u ld fi n d n o arg u ab le i ssu e w arran ti n g su p p lem en tal b ri efing
. A n d w e find n o rev ersible e rror. CO NC L US I ON ¶13. Fi ndi ng no r ever s i bl e err or , w e af f i r m E as l ey’ s convi ct i on and s ent ence . ¶ 1 4
. CO UNT I : CONVI CT I ON OF S TA TU TORY RA P E AN D S E NT E NC E OF L I F E I M P RI S ON M E NT I N T HE CU S T OD Y O F T HE M I S S I S S I P P I DE P ART M EN T OF CORRE CT I ONS , AF F I RM ED . COUNT I I : CONVI CT I ON OF S TA TU TORY RA P E A ND S E NT E NC E OF T HI RT Y ( 3 0 ) Y E AR S I N T HE C US T OD Y OF T HE M ISS ISS IP P I D E P A R T M E N T O F C O R R E C T IO N S , A F F IR M E D . C O U N T III : CONVI CT I ON OF F ONDL I NG AND S EN TE NCE OF F I F TE E N ( 1 5 ) YE AR S I N T HE C U STO D Y O F T H E M I SSI SSI PPI DE PA R TM EN T O F C O R R EC TIO N S, AF F I RMED . CO UN T I V: CO NV I CT I ON OF F ON DL I NG AN D S E NT E NC E OF F I F TE EN ( 1 5 ) YE ARS I N THE CUS TODY OF THE M I S S I S S I P P I DE P ART M EN T O F C O R R E C T IO N S , A F F IR M E D . S E N T E N C E S IN C O U N T S I, II, III A N D IV S H A L L R U N C O N S E C U T I V E L Y . W AL L E R, C. J . , CARL S ON AN D G RA VE S , P . J J . , DI CK I NS ON , RA ND OL P H, KI TC HENS , CHANDL ER AND P I ER CE , J J . , CONCUR.