FI FTH DI VI SI ON

M CFA DDEN, P. J.

, M CM I LLI A N and GOSS, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

A pr i l 10, 2019



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A0 66 5 . CORNELL v . THE STATE.

M C F A D D E N , Pres id i n g J u d g e.

Th e i s su e i n t h i s ap peal i s wh et h er a c ri m i n al d efen d an t ’ s ri g h ts u n d er t h e

C o n fro n tat i o n Cl au s e of t h e Si x t h Am en d m en t were v i o lat ed w h en t he t ri al c o u r t

ad m i t t ed h ears ay t es t i m o n y co n cern i n g o ut -o f-co urt st at e m e n t s m ad e b y t h e m i n o r

v i ct i m

. Becau s e t he v i c t i m t es t i fi ed at t ri al an d was s u b ject t o cro s s -ex am i n at i o n,

t h ere w as n o Co n fro nt at i o n Cl au s e v i o l at i o n. Acco rd i n g l y , we affi rm t h e ju d g m en t

.

1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e.

Cl ay t o n Co rn el l was ch arg ed b y i n di ct m en t wi t h ag g rav at ed s ex u al b at t ery ,

ag g rav at ed ch i l d m o l es t at i on , ag g rav at ed s o d o m y , t wo co u nt s of ch i l d m o l es t at i o n,

an d t wo co u n t s o f cru el t y t o ch i l d ren

. Th e s t at e fi l ed n o ti ce o f i ts in t en t t o o ffer ch i ld

h ears ay s t at em en t s o f th e m i n o r v i ct i m , G

. W

., p urs u an t t o OCGA § 24 -8 -8 2 0

. Th ecas e p ro ceed ed t o a j u r y t ri al at wh i ch G

. W

. t es ti fi ed

, as d i d v ari o u s wi t n es s es to

wh o m G. W

. h ad m ad e s tat em en t s ab o ut hav i n g b een s ex u al ly ab u s ed b y Co rn el l

, h er

u n cl e. W i t n es s es fo r t h e s t at e t es t i fi ed

, am o n g o t h er t h i n g s , t h at fi v e-y ear-o l d G. W

.

h ad rep o rt ed t h at Co rn el l h ad t ou ch ed h er vag i n a wi t h h is fi n g ers an d h ad m ad e h er

l i ck h i s p en i s

.

Th e ju ry fo u nd C o r n e l l g u i l t y o f al l th e ch arg es ex cep t fo r ag g rav at ed ch i ld

m o les t at i o n

. Th e t ri al co urt m erg ed s o m e o f t h e o ffen s es fo r s en t en ci n g , an d i m p o s ed

a to t al s en t en ce o f l i fe, wi t h 2 5 y ears t o b e s erv ed i n co nfi n em en t an d th e rem ai n d er

t o b e s erv ed on p ro b at i on

. Aft e r t h e t r i al co urt d en i ed Co rn el l’ s m o ti o n fo r a n ew

t ri al , h e fi l ed t h i s ap p eal

.

2

. Co n f r o nt a t i o n Cl a u se.

Co rn el l cl ai m s t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred i n ad m i t ti n g h ears ay s t at em en t s o f t h e

v i ct i m i n v i o l at io n o f t he Co n fro n t at i o n Cl au s e o f t h e Si x th Am en d m en t

. Th e cl ai m

i s wi t h o u t m eri t

.

As an i n i t ial m at t er, we n o t e th at Co rn el l h as n o t ch al l en g ed t h e ad m i s s i b i l i t y

o f G. W .’ s ou t -o f-co u rt s t at em en t s u n d er th e ch i l d h ears ay s t at u te. T h at s t at u t e,

OCGA § 2 4 -8 -8 2 0 , p ro v i d es :

2A s t at em en t m ad e b y a ch i l d y o u n g er t h an 1 6 y ears of ag e d es cri b i n g

an y act o f s ex u al co n t act o r p hy s ical ab u s e pe r f o r m e d w i t h o r o n s u ch

ch i l d b y an o t h er o r wi t h o r o n an o t h er i n th e p res en ce o f s u ch ch il d sh al l

b e ad m i s s ib l e in ev id en ce b y t h e tes t im on y o f t h e p ers on t o wh o m m ad e i f t h e p ro p on en t o f s u ch s t at em en t p ro v i d es n o ti ce t o t h e ad v ers e p art y

p ri o r t o t ri al o f t h e i n ten t i o n t o u s e s uch ou t -o f-co u rt s tat em en t an d s u ch

ch i l d t es t i fi es at t h e tri al

, u n l es s t h e ad v ers e p art y fo rfei t s o r w ai v es s u ch

ch i l d ’ s t es t i m o n y as p ro v i d ed i n t h i s t i tl e, an d

, at t h e ti m e o f th e

t es t i m o n y reg ard i n g t h e o u t -o f-co u rt s t at em en t s , t h e p ers o n t o wh o m th e ch i l d m ad e s u ch st at em en t i s s ub ject to cro ss -ex am i nat i o n reg ard i n g th e

o u t -o f-co u rt s t at em en t s

.

Th e reco rd i n t h is cas e s h o w s t h a t t h e s t at e p ro v i d ed no t i ce o f i t s i n ten t t o u s e t h e

v i ct i m ’ s o u t -o f-co u rt s t at em en t s , t h e v i ct im t es t i fi ed at t ri al

, an d t h e p ers o n s t o wh o m

t h e v i ct i m m ad e t h e s t at em en t s were s u b ject t o cro ss -ex am i nat i o n at tri al

. Th u s , t h e

“ o u t -o f-co u rt s t at em en t s m ad e b y [G. W .] t o t h e h e a r s a y w i t n es s es ab o u t act s o f

s ex u al ab u s e co m

m i t t ed b y [Co rn el l ]

. . . were ad m i s s i b l e u n d er OCGA § 2 4 -8 -8 2 0.”

Bl a ckwel l v. S t a te , 3 4 6 Ga. Ap p . 8 3 3 , 8 3 9 (3 ) (a) (8 1 5 SE2 d 2 8 8) (2 01 8 ).

Bu t ev en i f [OCGA § 2 4 -8 -8 2 0 ] au th o ri zes t h e ad m i s s io n of s u ch

ev i d en ce as an ev i d en t i ary m at t e r , i t m ay s t i ll b e i n ad m i s s ib l e as a

v i o l a t i o n o f t h e accu s ed ’ s ri g h t s u n der t h e Co n fro nt at i o n Cl au se.

. . . [T] h ere is a d i s t i n ct d i fferen ce b et w een a ch al len g e t o t h e ad m i s s i o n o f

ev i d en ce b as ed up o n t h e Co n fro n t at i o n Cl au s e an d t h at b as ed u p o n an

ex cep t i on t o t h e h ears ay

ru l e.

S t a t e v

. D a g u e , 3 2 5 Ga. Ap p

. 2 0 2

, 2 0 8 (2 ) (7 5 0 SE2 d 4 76 ) (2 0 1 3 ) (ci tat i o n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). “ Th e Si x th Am en dm en t ’ s Co n fro n tat i on Cl au s e p ro v i d es t h at

,

3i n al l cri m i n al pro s ecu t i o n s, t h e accu s ed s h al l en jo y th e ri g ht t o b e co n fro n t ed wi th

t h e w i t nes s es ag ai n st h i m .” S t at e v. S mi t h

, 30 2 Ga. 8 3 7, 8 38 (8 0 9 SE2 d 7 2 0 ) (2 0 1 8 )

(ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ). “ (T)h e [C] on fro n t a t i o n [C] l au s e i m p o s es an

ab s o lu t e b ar to ad m it t in g o u t -o f

- c o u rt s t at em en t s i n ev i d en ce wh en t h ey are

t es t i m o ni al i n n at u re, a n d wh en t h e d ef en d a n t d o es n o t h a ve an o

pp o r t u n i t y to

cr o s s -exa mi n e t h e d

ecl a r a n t

. ” Co l t o n v. S t a t e , 2 9 2 Ga. 5 0 9

, 5 1 2 (2 ) (7 3 9 SE2 d 3 8 0 )

(2 0 1 3) (ci t at i o n s an d p u n ct uat i o n o m i tt ed ; em p h as i s s u pp l ied ). Acco rd Ga y v. S t a t e ,

2 7 9 Ga. 1 8 0

, 18 1 ( 2 ) ( 6 1 1 SE2 d 3 1) (2 0 0 5 ). Bu t “ wh en t h e d ecl aran t ap p ears fo r

cro s s -ex am i n at i o n at t ri al

, t he Co n fro n t at i o n Cl au s e p l aces n o co n s trai n t s at al l o n t h e

u s e o f hi s p ri or tes t i m o n i al s t at em en t s

. T h e Cl a us e d o es n ot b ar ad m i s s i o n o f a

s t at em en t s o l o n g as t h e d ecl aran t i s p res en t at tri al t o d efen d o r ex pl ai n i t

. ” R o b i n so n

v. S t a te

, 2 7 1 Ga. Ap p

. 5 8 4

, 5 8 7 (2 ) (6 1 0 SE2 d 1 9 4 ) (2 0 0 5 ) (ci t at i on an d pu n ct u at i o n

o m it t ed ).

In t h i s cas e, t h e v i ct im t e s t i f i ed at t ri al an d was cro s s -ex am i n ed b y Co rn el l

.

W h i l e Co rn el l d i d n o t qu es t i o n t h e v i ct i m ab o u t h er o u t -o f-co u rt s tat em en t s, h e was

n o t p recl u d ed fro m

d oi n g s o. Co m

p are S o t o v. S t a te

, 2 8 5 Ga. 3 6 7

, 3 7 0 (2 ) (b ) (6 7 7

SE2 d 9 5 ) (2 00 9). Th e v i ct i m ’ s o u t -o f-co u rt tes t im o n i al s t at em en t s m i g h t hav e b een

i n ad m is s i b le “ i f [s h e h ad b e e n ] u n av ai l ab l e an d [Co rn el l h ad n o t b een ] g i v en an

4o p p o rt u ni t y t o cro s s -ex am in e [h er] .” S mi t h

, s up ra (ci t at i on o m itt ed ). Bu t “ becau s e t h e

[v i ct im was ] p res en t at t ri al an d t es t i fi ed

, . . . [Co rn el l ’ s ] co n fro nt at io n ri g h t was n ot

v i o l at ed .” Ro b i n s on , s u pra. Acco rd i n g l y , t h e t ri al co u rt di d n o t err in ad m i t t i n g t h e

ch i l d h ears ay t es t i m o n y

. See al s o Go b er v. S t a te

, 3 0 0 Ga. Ap p. 20 2

, 2 04 (1 ) (b ) (6 8 4

SE2 d 6 7 5 ) (2 0 0 9 ) (n o v i o l at io n o f Si x t h Am en d m en t ri g h t t o co n fro n t at i o n wh ere

wi t n es s t es t i fi ed at t ri al ).

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . McMi l l i a n a n d

Go s s, JJ., co n cu r.

5