Opinion ID: 2332526
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Third Charge

Text: [¶ 10] The third assault charge was based on the following testimony: Q. Okay. Was there another incident that happened while you were at your dad's? A. Yes. Q. Can you talk about that? A. It was kinda at the last quarter of the time I spent with my dad. And we were on Martin Point Bridge, on the Portland side, and we were parked waiting for the rain to stop to go fishing. And I was talking about a movie that we saw the night before that. And he said I was over exaggerating, so he grabbed me on thehe putgrabbed me on the mouthover my mouth and said Shut up. And he squeezed like he usuallylike he did the first two timesenough to make a bruise. Q. Okay. How did it feel when he squeezed your mouth? A. It made me angry, and it hurt. Q. Can you show the Judge how he grabbed you with your own hand? Can you show where he put his hand? A. Well, he reached over and he put his hand like that. Q. Okay. And you said that it bru your face bruised? A. Yes. Q. Where were the bruises? A. The bruises werethere were four fingers over this side and one big thumb over there. Q. Howwhen did you first notice those bruises? A. I didn't notice those bruises. My mother pointed them out to me. Q. After you got home? A. Yes. [¶ 11] Describing the third assault charge in its brief, the State asserts: Appellant claimed that [his son] was exaggerating, then grabbed [the boy] on his mouth, squeezed and said[,] `Shut up.' [¶ 12] Thus, in each of the three incidents, when Wilder grabbed his son, he caused transient pain and minor, temporary bruises. [¶ 13] When the son returned home he was questioned by Bernice Landry, as was her regular practice, as to whether he had been hit by his father. She also asked him about a bruise on his face. Initially the boy gave his mother another explanation for the bruise because he was concerned that Landry would respond to the bruises by attempting to have Wilder jailed; I thought my mom would put him in jail. [¶ 14] Responding to her observations, Landry called the Department of Human Services, went to Westbrook Hospital, contacted the Cumberland Police, and reported the events to a school counsellor. The incident was investigated by a Cumberland police officer, who took a report from the boy. The matter was then presented to the District Attorney's Office, and prosecution on three counts of assault was initiated. [¶ 15] The case was tried in the District Court in November 1998. At the close of the State's case, and again at the close of all of the evidence, the defense requested acquittal arguing that the justification for parents using physical force to prevent or punish misconduct by their children, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 106(1), [2] prevented conviction by proof beyond a reasonable doubt on the available evidence. [¶ 16] In its findings at the close of trial, the court concluded that the elements of assaultintentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injuryhad been proven beyond a reasonable doubt for each of the three incidents. The court also ruled that the parental control justification does not apply here. The court determined that: There is no evidence of misconduct in this record, or a reasonable inference that could be drawn from the evidence in this record as to misconduct. I don't find that excessive talking and exaggerating, in and of themselves, without some further evidence, would rise in any way to a level of misconduct as it's plainly defined. [¶ 17] The court found Wilder guilty on each charge. He was sentenced on one charge to 364 days in the county jail with all but 90 days suspended and a year's probation. On the other two charges he was given a consecutive sentence of 364 days, all suspended and a year's probation, for a total sentence of 728 days, all but 90 days suspended and 2 years probation. [3] One of the conditions of probation, also a bail condition, was that Wilder have no contact with his son. The record indicates that the sentence was motivated, in part, by the court's concern that Wilder had been convicted of gross sexual assault against a daughter a number of years in the past. [¶ 18] This appeal followed Wilder's unsuccessful appeal to the Superior Court.