Opinion ID: 2424396
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: A Jury Convicts Fritzinger and Fritzinger Appeals.

Text: Fritzinger's trial lasted six days. The jury convicted him on ten of the charges, and he received a sentence of life plus 65 years in prison. On appeal, Fritzinger claims that the Superior Court erred in six specific respects. First, he alleges that the judge improperly denied him the opportunity to obtain and then present evidence to the jury of Mary's previous sexual contact with other persons. Pursuant to 11 Del. C. § 3508, Fritzinger moved to gather and present evidence to the jury regarding Mary's sexual contact with others. That was important to Fritzinger's defense, to show that Mary could have developed her sexual knowledge from a source other than him. The trial judge did not permit Fritzinger to obtain or present that evidence. She also denied his request for an instruction that the jury could not infer from Mary's knowledge of sexual acts that her knowledge derived from Fritzinger's conduct. Fritzinger now argues that the judge committed reversible error by denying him (i) the right to present this evidence to the jury, (ii) a hearing on the motion, and (iii) a jury instruction on the matter. Fritzinger also argues that the trial judge erred by denying his two Motions to Dismiss. He filed the first motion in response to the State's failure to follow the Superior Court's order to produce all discovery materials by April 22, 2009. He filed the second on the fourth day of trial after he learned that the State had failed to disclose the videotape of Tina's SANE examination. These denials of access to relevant information, he claims, prevented him from receiving a fair trial. Third, Fritzinger contends the trial judge erred when she referred to Mary and Tina as victims while instructing the jury. During the State's closing argument, the prosecutor asked the jury to have courage to support two children.... [3] Fritzinger's counsel promptly objected. The judge sustained the objection, denied Fritzinger's Motion for a Mistrial, and delivered an instruction to the jury that included the language: You are not to decide this case based on the age or any other characteristics of the victims. [4] Fritzinger argues the reference to victims was unlawful commentary by the court on the evidence and constituted reversible error. Fourth, Fritzinger argues it was reversible error for the trial judge to deny his Motion for a Mistrial when Tina suffered a seizure while testifying in front of the jury. He contends that Tina's slumping to the floor and the jurors having to step around her while leaving the courtroom was unfairly prejudicial to his right to a fair trial, and required the judge to grant a mistrial. Fifth, Fritzinger contends that the trial judge erred by denying Fritzinger's request to display a unique tattoo to the jury that ran from his groin area halfway down his thigh. According to Fritzinger, evidence of the tattoo was exculpatory, since the girls would have recognized it had their allegations been truthful. The judge denied the request, but permitted him to submit a photograph of the tattooed leg to the jury. Fritzinger argues that a picture is a legally inadequate substitute for a live display because of modern technology like Photoshop. He contends the jury would suspect that an image may have been digitally altered. Consequently, he argues, the judge's denial of his request to display the tattoo live in the courtroom amounted to a legally erroneous exclusion of relevant evidence that prejudiced his right to a fair trial. Finally, Fritzinger argues it was reversible error for the trial judge to deny his Motion for Recusal. The primary basis for Fritzinger's motion was that the chief investigating officer in this case, who sat alongside the prosecutor throughout the entire trial and testified for the State, was the same chief investigating officer in an earlier rape case that involved the judge's former sister-in-law. Fritzinger also claims that after the trial he learned that Marvin Dallas, one of the persons who Mary claimed had sexually abused her before Fritzinger, was the same man convicted by a jury of raping the trial judge's former sister-in-law. No one made Fritzinger aware of this information at trial, and upon learning about it he could not move for recusal because the trial was over. Fritzinger claims that all these facts create the appearance of partiality and that the judge should have recused herself.