FI FTH DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, RI CKM A N, P. J.

, and SENI OR A PPELLA T E JUDGE PHI PPS

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

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June 9, 2021



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 1 A0 47 2 . KUPRIAN v . THE STATE.

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

J o s ep h K u pri an ap p eal s fro m h i s co n v i ct i on s o f sex u al o ffen s es co m m i t t ed

ag ai n s t h i s m i n o r s t ep d au g h t er, ch al l en gi n g t he ad m i s s i o n o f ev i d en ce o f o t h er s ex u al

o ffen s es an d t h e effect iv en es s o f h i s t ri al co u n sel

. Bu t t h e t ri al co u rt d i d n o t ab u s e i t s

d i s cret i o n i n ad m i t t i ng t h e ev id en ce an d t ri al co u n s el ’s p e r f o rm an ce was n o t b o th

d efi ci en t an d p reju d ici al , s o we affi rm

.

1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e.

Ku p ri an was ch arg ed b y i n d i ct m en t wi th m u l t i p l e co u nt s of ch i l d m o l es t at i o n

an d o t h er s ex u al o ffen s es ag ai n s t h i s two m i n o r s t ep d au gh t ers

, E. H. an d E. B. H. He

p l ed n o t g u i l t y t o t h e ch arg es an d was t ri ed b efo re a ju ry

. At t ri al

, E. H

. t es t i fi ed t h at

K u p r i a n w as her co ach at a ch eerl ead i n g cam p wh en s h e was 1 4 y ears ol d; t h at h em arri ed h er an d E. B. H.’ s m o t h er; an d t h at aft er t h e m arri ag e, wh i le t h e m o t h er was

away wo rk i n g as a tru ck d ri v er, Ku p r i a n s e xu al l y ab u s ed E. H. b y t o u ch i n g h er

v ag in a an d b reas t s

, p u t t i n g h i s m o u t h o n h er v ag i n a, p u t t i n g h i s p en i s i n h er m o u t h,

an d h av i n g s ex u al i n terco u rs e wi t h h er.

Th e ju ry fo u n d Ku p ri an gu i l t y o f fi v e co u n t s o f ch i l d m o l es t at i o n o f E

. H., t wo

co u nt s o f ag g rav at ed ch i ld m ol es t at i o n of E. H., an d o n e co u n t o f i n ces t ag ai ns t E. H.,

b u t fo u n d h i m n o t g u i l t y o f t h e ch arg es i nv o l v i n g E. B. H

. T h e t ri al co u rt i m p o s ed a

t o t al s en t en ce o f l ife p l u s 1 5 0 y ears

. Ku p ri an ’ s m ot i o n fo r a n ew t ri al was d en i ed an d

t h i s ap p eal fo l l o wed

.

2

. Ot h er a ct s o f mo les ta ti o n

.

Ku p ri an co n t en ds th at u n d er OC G A § 2 4 -4 -4 0 4 (b ) t h e t ri al co u rt erred in

al l o wi n g ev id en ce t h at he h ad al s o sex u al ly m ol es t ed h i s s t ep d au g h t ers aft er t h e

fam i l y m o v ed fro m G eo rg i a t o Ken tu ck y

. Bu t s u ch ev i d en ce was ad m i s s i b l e u n d er

OCGA § § 2 4-4 -4 1 3 an d 2 4 -4 -4 1 4

.

OCGA § 2 4 -4 -4 1 3 (a) p ro v i des : “ In a cri m i nal pro ce e d i n g in w h i ch th e accu s ed

i s accu s ed o f an o ffen s e o f s ex u al as s au l t

, ev i d en ce o f t h e accu s ed ’ s co m m i s s i o n o f

an o th er o ffen s e o f s e x ual as s au l t s h al l b e ad m i s s i b l e an d m ay b e co n s i d ered fo r i t s

b eari n g o n an y m at t er t o wh i ch i t i s rel ev an t.” An d O CGA § 2 4 -4 -4 1 4 (a) p ro v i d es :

2“ In a cri m i n a l p ro ceed i n g i n wh i ch t h e accu sed i s accu s ed of an offen s e o f ch i ld

m o les t at i o n

, ev id en ce o f t h e accu s ed ’ s co m m is si o n o f an o t her offen s e o f ch i ld

m o les t at i o n s h al l b e ad m i s s i b l e an d m ay b e co n s i d ered fo r i ts b eari ng o n an y m at t er

t o wh ich i t i s rel ev an t .”

Th es e p ro v i s i o n s s u p ers ed e t h e p ro vi s i o n s of OCGA § 2 4-4 -4 0 4

(b ) i n s ex u al as s au l t an d ch i l d m o l es t at io n cas es

. . . an d creat e a ru l e o f

i n cl u s i on

, wi t h a s t ro n g p res u m p ti o n i n fav o r o f ad m i s s i b i l i t y a s e ach

p ro v i d es t h at s u ch ev id en ce s h al l b e ad m i s s i b l e. T h u s

, t h e [ s ] t at e can

s eek to ad m i t ev i d en c e u n d e r t h es e p ro v i s i o n s fo r an y rel ev an t

p u rp o s e[.]

D i x o n v. S t a t e

, 3 4 1 Ga. Ap p

. 2 5 5

, 2 5 8 (1 ) (a) (8 0 0 SE2 d 1 1 ) (2 0 1 7) (ci t at i o n s

,

p u n ct u at i o n , an d fo o tn o t e o m i t t ed ).

Here, as Ku p ri an n ot es , t h e t ri al co u rt i n s t ru ct ed t h e ju ry t h at t h e ev id en ce o f

o t h er al l eg ed act s o f m o l es t at i o n i n Ken t u ck y co u l d b e co ns i d ered fo r t he rel ev an t

p u rp o s e s o f s h o wi n g i n t en t o r m o t i v e. “ A s th ere h as b een n o s h owi n g t h at t h e t ri al

co u rt i m p ro perl y fo u n d t hat t h e p ro b at i v e v a l u e o f t h e ev i d en ce o u t wei g h ed t h e

d an ger o f u n fai r p reju d i ce, w e h o l d th at t he t ri al co u rt di d no t ab u s e it s d i s cret i o n in

ad m i t t i ng t he o t h er act s o f ch i l d m o l es t at io n ev id en ce o n t h i s g ro u n d .” Fr a dy v. S t a t e

,

_ _ _ Ga. Ap p

. _

_ _ (2 ) (8 5 7 SE2 d 2 6 0 ) (2 0 2 1 ) (ci t at i o n an d p un ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

3

. In ef f ect i ve a s s i s t a n ce o

f co u n s el

.

3K

u p ri an cl ai m s t h at h i s t ri al co u ns el was i n effect iv e i n fai li n g t o o b j e c t t o

t es t i m o ny t h at h e co m

m i t t ed act s o f v i o l en ce t o ward E. B. H., t h at h e fai l ed t o p ay

h o u s eh o l d b i l ls an d wro t e h im s el f a ch eck fo r $ 1 ,7 0 0

, an d t h at h e di d n o t rep ay

m o ney b o rro wed f

r o m h i s fo rm er b o s s

. To p rev ai l o n t h es e cl ai m s

, Ku p ri an “ m u s t

s h o w b o t h t h at h i s co u ns el ’ s p erfo rm an ce was p ro fes s i o n al l y d efi ci en t an d t h at

, b ut

fo r t he u n p ro fes s i o n al p erfo rm an ce, th ere i s a reas o n ab le p ro b ab i li t y th at t h e o u t co m e

o f t h e p ro ceed i n g wo u l d h av e b een d i fferen t

. W e need n o t rev i ew b o t h p art s o f t h i s

t es t i f [Ku p ri an ] fai ls t o pro v e o n e o f t h em .” S t. Ger ma in v. St a t e

, 3 5 8 Ga. A p p

. 1 6 3

(1 ) (8 5 3 SE2 d 3 94 ) (2 0 2 1 ) (ci t at i o n an d p un ct u at io n om i t t ed ). Ku pri an h as fai l ed to

s h o w t h at h i s co u n s el ’ s p erfo rm an ce was b ot h d efi ci en t an d p reju d i ci al

.

(a) Ot h er a ct s t o wa r d E . B. H.

On cro s s -ex am i n at i o n, d efen s e co u n s el as k ed E. B. H. ab o u t Ku pri an s p an k i n g

h er an d w h e t h er s h e h ad to l d h er m o t h er ab o u t t h e s p an k i n g s

. On re-d i rect

ex am i n at i o n

, E. B. H

. ex pl ai n ed t h at d u ri n g t h e s pan k in g s Ku p ri an was t ry i n g t o h u rt

h er, t h at h e wo u ld u s e a b el t t o s p an k h er, t h at o n e t i m e h e h el d h er face an d b eat h er

b ecau s e s h e wo u l d no t t u rn aro u n d an d l et h i m s p an k h er, an d t h at h e h ad s t ru ck h er

w i t h h i s h an ds an d o bject s

. K u p ri an co n t en d s th at h is co u n sel was i neffect i v e i n

fai l i n g to o b

j ect t o t h i s re-d i rect t es t i m o n y as b arred by

OCGA § 2 4 -4 -4 0 4 (b ). Bu t

4t h e cro s s -ex am i n at i o n of E

. B. H

. “ o p en ed t h e d o or t o t h e p ro s ecu t o r’ s q u es ti o n [s ] o n

re-d irect

, wh i ch g av e h er t he o p p o rt u n i t y t o ex p l ai n [t h e s p an ki n gs ] .” Mo o r e v. S t a t e

,

3 0 7 Ga. 2 9 0

, 3 0 0 (6 ) (b ) (8 3 5 SE2 d 6 1 0 ) (2 0 19 ). See S t ro t h er v. S t a t e

, 3 0 5 Ga. 8 3 8,

8 4 6 (4 ) (c) (8 2 8 SE2 d 3 2 7 ) (2 0 1 9 ) (al th o u g h O C G A § 2 4 -4 -4 0 4 (b ) p recl u d es t h e

a d m i s s i o n o f ex t ri n s i c ev id en ce t o p ro v e a d efen d an t ’ s ch aract er, s uch ev id en ce i s

ad m i s s i b l e o n re-d i rect ex am i n at i o n wh en d efen s e co un s el h as o p en ed t h e d o o r t o i t

d u ri n g cro s s -ex am i nat i o n ). So Ku p ri an “ h as n o t s ho wn t h at t he fai l u re t o o b ject [t o

t h e re-d i rect t es t i m o n y ] was d efi ci en t.” Mo or e , s u p ra.

(b ) Fa i l u r e t o pa

y b i l l s a n d r ep a y b o r ro wed

mo n ey.

W i t h reg ard to t es t i m o ny t h at Ku pri an h ad n o t pai d s o m e ho u s eh o l d b i l l s

, h ad

wri t ten h i m s el f a ch eck fro m a jo i n t acco u n t wi t h h i s wi fe, a n d h ad n o t rep ai d

b o rro wed m o n ey , Ku p ri an h as n o t s h o wn a reas o nab le p ro b ab il i ty t h at t h e o u t co m e

o f t h e t ri al wo u l d h av e b een d i fferen t i f c o u n s el h ad o b j ect ed t o s u ch t es t i m o n y

.

Ku p ri an “ th erefo re [h as ] f a i l e d t o s h o w p reju di ce o n t h i s cl ai m o f i n effect i v e

as s i s tan ce.” Lu

p o e v. S t a te , 3 0 0 Ga. 2 3 3 , 2 4 6 (9 ) (7 4 9 SE2 d 6 7 ) (2 0 1 6 ).

Ju d g men t a f f i rmed

. R i ckma n

, P. J

. , a n d S en i or Ap p el l a t e Ju d

g e H er b er t E.

Ph i p ps co n cu r

.

5