Opinion ID: 2779737
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Underlying Criminal Trial

Text: In August 1996, Stoddard was charged by information with one count of attempted second-degree murder (Count 1); one count of kidnaping (Count 2); two counts of sexual battery (Counts 3 and 10); six counts of sexual battery by use or threat of a deadly weapon (Counts 4-9); and two counts of battery (Counts 1112). A jury trial was held in May 1997. At trial, the testimony showed that Stoddard and the victim, Dawn Lahood, met in a drug treatment center in 1996 and began a consensual, dating relationship 2 Case: 13-10700 Date Filed: 02/17/2015 Page: 3 of 28 thereafter. They lived together for a short period, but Lahood ended the relationship because Stoddard had become possessive. Stoddard then moved into his parents’ house before the events giving rise to this case. On July 31, 1996, Stoddard knocked on Lahood’s door and threatened to use crack or commit suicide if she did not let him inside. Lahood made clear that she no longer had romantic feelings for Stoddard, but she agreed to accompany him to meet an acquaintance whose car Stoddard had borrowed. After meeting with the acquaintance and having lunch, during which Stoddard expressed his desire to get back together with Lahood, Lahood and Stoddard drove the car to Norman’s, a bar in Cocoa, Florida. They had several drinks, and Stoddard became intoxicated. Lahood drove them to pick up the acquaintance from work, and after that, Lahood allowed Stoddard to return to her apartment until he was sober enough to go to his parents’ house. According to Lahood, nothing romantic had occurred that day. She was angry at Stoddard, and she had not acted in a flirtatious, romantic, or sexually inviting manner towards him. When Lahood and Stoddard arrived at Lahood’s apartment, Stoddard immediately took off all of his clothes and “crawled in” Lahood’s bed. Lahood made two calls to Stoddard’s sister about Stoddard. During the second call, Stoddard grabbed the telephone and “smashed” it on the floor. Lahood attempted 3 Case: 13-10700 Date Filed: 02/17/2015 Page: 4 of 28 to leave the apartment, but Stoddard immediately grabbed the back of her shirt, pulled her back inside, locked the door, and threw her onto the sofa-bed. Following this, according to the state post-conviction court, Defendant gagged Lahood, put his mouth on her vagina, put his fingers into her vagina, and put his penis into her vagina. He tied her to the bed with her stockings. Lahood convinced the Defendant to let her go to the bathroom, where she locked herself in, but the Defendant kicked the door in. When the Defendant entered the bathroom, he choked her. The Defendant next pushed her onto the couch, and then penetrated her vagina with his penis and two candles. He penetrated her anus with a hair brush. At some point between when Lahood was gagged and when she went to the bathroom, Stoddard cut the gag from her mouth with a knife. He then told Lahood “that he could just cut himself and then put [Lahood’s] fingerprints on the knife and then stab [her] and kill [her] with it and then call the police and say that it was just self-defense.” Lahood further testified that, later in the evening, Stoddard wanted something to drink, and Lahood suggested that they go to a store. They left Lahood’s apartment barefoot, but the store was closed, so Lahood and Stoddard went to a nearby bar instead. Lahood eventually called the police from a pay phone outside the bar. After a police officer arrived, Lahood accompanied the officer to her apartment and then to a hospital. 4 Case: 13-10700 Date Filed: 02/17/2015 Page: 5 of 28 The state trial court admitted dozens of photographs taken at the hospital on July 31 showing injuries to Lahood’s face, neck, shoulder, chest, breasts, back, stomach, hips, legs, and feet, including scratches, bruises, bite marks, and cigarette burns. In addition, an emergency-room doctor, who examined Lahood early in the morning following the night of July 31, testified that Lahood had injuries consistent with non-consensual intercourse, such as redness, abrasions, and slight blood around the openings of her vagina and anus. According to the doctor, Lahood also had bruises on her body that were less than 24 hours old. The prosecution introduced a videotaped interview between Stoddard and a detective following Stoddard’s arrest that same night, in which Stoddard claimed that the sex was consensual and that he and Lahood had previously engaged in “kinky” or “rough” sex involving Stoddard’s tying up of Lahood and insertion of objects into her vagina. Stoddard did not testify or present any witnesses in his defense. After the state rested its case, Stoddard’s trial counsel, Robert Segal, told the court that the defense had subpoenaed Olivia McCready and that both parties had some difficulty contacting her. Segal had learned the previous evening that McCready had a chemotherapy treatment earlier that morning, and, as a result, was unable to testify. He said that McCready was “a very important witness for the defense” and explained that McCready would have testified that Lahood told her that Lahood 5 Case: 13-10700 Date Filed: 02/17/2015 Page: 6 of 28 had “engaged in and enjoyed rough sex.” Following a recess, Segal stated that he had been unable to secure McCready’s presence. During closing arguments, defense counsel argued that the sexual encounter between Stoddard and Lahood was consensual and that Lahood had fabricated the accusations to get rid of Stoddard and in retaliation for threatening to have her daughter kept from her, being a financial burden on her, and trying to control her. The jury returned a verdict as follows: Count 1 (attempted murder), not guilty; Count 2 (kidnaping), guilty of the lesser-included offense of false imprisonment; Counts 3 and 10 (sexual battery), guilty; Counts 4-7 and 9 (sexual battery by use or threat of a deadly weapon), guilty of the lesser-included offense of sexual battery; Count 8 (sexual battery by use or threat of a deadly weapon), not guilty; and Counts 11-12 (battery), guilty. Stoddard was sentenced to prison for a total term of 52 years, which was subsequently reduced to a total term of 25 years’ imprisonment and 15 years’ probation. After sentencing, Stoddard filed a direct appeal, and the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal affirmed without a written opinion. Stoddard v. State, 711 So. 2d 560 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1998).