Opinion ID: 885077
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Sufficiency of the Evidence on Count II

Text: ¶ 79 Although Southern admits that the evidence, when viewed in a light most favorable to the State, is sufficient to sustain a guilty verdict on the charge of kidnaping (Count I) which occurred on November 2, 1996, he argues that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction for sexual intercourse without consent against that victim (Count II) because the only evidence that supports the conviction was the victim's testimony. In addition, Southern argues that, since this victim's vaginal swabs contained only female DNA, the victim's credibility as to whether she was raped is suspect. Moreover, Southern claims that Anita Matthews (Matthews), a DNA expert, and Jim Streeter (Streeter), a forensic scientist at the Montana State Crime Lab, testified that the DNA from this victim excluded Southern as a the perpetrator. ¶ 80 The testimony of one witness is sufficient to establish a fact. Section 26-1-301, MCA. See also State v. Ahmed (1996), 278 Mont. 200, 212, 924 P.2d 679, 686, cert. denied (1997), 519 U.S. 1082, 117 S.Ct. 748, 136 L.Ed.2d 686(citation omitted). Thus, despite Southern's argument, the victim's testimony was sufficient to establish that Southern raped her. Moreover, the record shows that there was other corroborating evidence, such as Southern's footprints at the crime scene, that, when viewed in a light most favorable to the prosecution, could have led a rational trier of fact to find Southern guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. ¶ 81 In addition, the record shows that neither Matthews nor Streeter testified that the DNA evidence from this victim's vaginal swab excluded Southern as the perpetrator. Rather, Matthews testified that the DNA which her company tested was consistent with the victim's DNA. Matthew's went on to explain that this result did not mean that no sexual intercourse occurred; it only meant that there was no cellular material foreign to the victim on the vaginal swab that was submitted for testing. Matthew's explained that, if sexual intercourse occurred, the assailant either left no cellular material or that it was left in an area other than the area from which the vaginal swab was taken. Thus, contrary to Southern's claim, Matthews did not testify that the DNA evidence from this victim excluded Southern as the assailant. Similarly, even though Streeter testified that Southern could be excluded as the source of the DNA which was tested, Streeter did not say that Southern could be excluded as the assailant. Therefore, the results of the DNA tests did not exclude Southern as the assailant. These results only determined that Southern was not the source of the DNA which was tested. Finally, even if the DNA evidence had brought this victim's credibility into issue, it is the fact finder, in the instant case the jury, which determines a witness' credibility; this Court will not set aside a jury's credibility determinations on appeal. Ahmed, 278 Mont. at 212, 924 P.2d at 686 (citations omitted). ¶ 82 In sum, having reviewed the record, we hold that there was sufficient evidence for a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt that Southern committed the offense of sexual intercourse without consent as charged in Count II.