Opinion ID: 844200
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Angela C.

Text: Terry Garrison‘s daughter from a prior relationship, Angela C., testified as to the conditions in her household during the four years Garrison lived ―on and off‖ with defendant. During this time, defendant and Garrison both drank alcohol and frequently would fight. Angela C. witnessed defendant slap Garrison, and she herself was physically beaten by both Garrison and defendant. Angela C. described an incident in which she and her younger sister crossed the street against defendant‘s instructions. Defendant ordered the sisters into the house and forced them to disrobe and lay facedown on the floor with their arms and legs spread apart while defendant sat behind them for a period of time. Angela C. further testified that defendant started to molest her when she was four or five years of age. The first time, defendant was lying down on the couch and he called Angela C. over to him. He placed her on top of his groin and started rotating his hips. When she began crying, defendant told her ―not to be a baby, that he knew [her] dad taught [her] how to do that, and he wanted [her] to take off [her] pants.‖ Angela C. refused and asked to call her mother. Defendant telephoned Garrison at work, telling Garrison that she needed to come home. Garrison returned from work angry, and when Angela C. told her that defendant had wanted her to take off her pants, Garrison slapped her in the face and sent her to bed. Defendant and Garrison then had an argument. On another occasion, when Angela C. was six or seven years of age, defendant was home alone with Angela C. and her sister when he instructed Angela C. to take her nightgown off and give it to her sister. Angela C. complied, but immediately put on another nightgown. Defendant ordered her to remove that nightgown as well and to come over to him. Angela did so, at which time defendant put her on his lap and raped her. When she screamed, defendant told her that he was punishing her ―for being so curious.‖ (Angela C. explained that 25 the ―so curious‖ comment referred to a prior evening when she had walked in on her mom and defendant: ―I heard some noises in the bedroom. I thought he was hitting her again, so I walked in there and they were having sex, and he made me sit on the chair [and watch] until they were done.‖) Defendant then put his finger in Angela C.‘s vagina ―to see if [she] was pregnant.‖ She began bleeding from her genital area and defendant put her in the bathtub. Garrison returned home shortly thereafter and noticed blood in the bath water. Defendant told Garrison that Angela C. had cut her foot, and thereafter Garrison and defendant had ―a big fight.‖