Opinion ID: 2410966
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: incompetent testimony

Text: Laughlin first contends that the testimony of L.M., who was the victim in the sexual solicitation conviction, was not competent. He specifically urges that L.M. had a faulty memory and could not accurately convey what he experienced. We give this argument little credence. This court has repeatedly stated that the competency of a child, in a case involving a sexual offense, is a matter that is primarily for the trial court to decide, acknowledging that the judge is best able to assess the child's intelligence and understanding of the necessity for telling the truth. Holloway v. State, 312 Ark. 306, 849 S.W.2d 473 (1993); Jackson v. State, 290 Ark. 375, 720 S.W.2d 282 (1986); Needham v. State, 215 Ark. 935, 224 S.W.2d 785 (1949). The trial court begins with the presumption that every person is competent to be a witness. Ark.R.Evid. 601; Jackson v. State, supra . Under the guidelines set forth by this court for determining the competency of a child witness, the challenging party bears the burden of establishing that the witness lacks at least one of the following: (1) the ability to understand the obligation of an oath and to comprehend the obligation imposed by it; or (2) an understanding of the consequences of false swearing; or (3) the ability to receive accurate impressions and to retain them, to the extent that the capacity exists to transmit to the factfinder a reasonable statement of what was seen, felt, or heard. Holloway v. State, supra , citing Logan v. State, 299 Ark. 266, 773 S.W.2d 413 (1989). In support of his contention, Laughlin points to instances in which L.M. demonstrated forgetfulness or contradicted another victim's testimony. He also relies on the fact that L.M. admitted that he did not tell the police officers the truth when he was first questioned. Nevertheless, L.M., who was 12 at the time of trial, identified Laughlin and consistently testified that Laughlin touched his penis on at least two occasions. He answered questions clearly and gave sufficient detail of the acts committed by the appellant. He also exhibited an ability to recall and give accurate impressions of reality, and there were no direct conflicts or irreconcilable differences in the victim's testimony with regard to the essential elements of the case. Further, his testimony was generally responsive to the questions. All of these factors are important in assessing competency. See Jones v. State, 300 Ark. 565, 780 S.W.2d 556 (1989); Bowden v. State, 297 Ark. 160, 761 S.W.2d 148 (1988); Hoggard v. State, 277 Ark. 117, 640 S.W.2d 102, cert. denied, 460 U.S. 1022, 103 S.Ct. 1273, 75 L.Ed.2d 495 (1983). The fact that L.M.'s testimony may not have been a model of lucidity does not render him incompetent. Holloway v. State, supra ; Bowden v. State, supra . Any variances in his testimony were for the jury to resolve. Id. We cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion by declaring the witness competent. See Curtis v. State, 301 Ark. 208, 783 S.W.2d 47 (1990).