Opinion ID: 2790827
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Modified Trustworthiness Standard

Text: The defendant stands convicted of aggravated sexual battery, which, as charged in this case, is defined as “unlawful sexual contact with a victim by the defendant or the defendant by a victim . . . less than thirteen (13) years of age.” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-504 (a)(4) (2014). “‘Sexual contact’ includes the intentional touching of the victim’s, the defendant’s or any other person’s intimate parts, or the intentional touching of the clothing covering the immediate area of the victim’s, the defendant’s, or any other person’s intimate parts, if that intentional touching can be reasonably construed as being for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification.” Id. § 39-13-501(6) (2014).11 The defendant’s challenge to the sufficiency of the convicting evidence is based on the long-established common-law rule that a person cannot be convicted of a crime solely on the basis of an uncorroborated extrajudicial confession. State v. Bishop, 431 S.W.3d 22, 61 (Tenn. 2014). To determine whether an extrajudicial confession has been sufficiently 11 The current statutory definitions of aggravated sexual battery and sexual contact are identical to the definitions in effect when the defendant was charged. Thus, citations are to the current statutes. -10- corroborated, Tennessee follows the “modified trustworthiness standard.” Id. at 59-60. Under this standard: When a defendant challenges the admission of his extrajudicial confession on lack-of-corroboration grounds, the trial court should begin by asking whether the charged offense is one that involves a tangible injury. If the answer is yes, then the State must provide substantial independent evidence tending to show that the defendant’s statement is trustworthy, plus independent prima facie evidence that the injury actually occurred. If the answer is no, then the State must provide substantial independent evidence tending to show that the defendant’s statement is trustworthy, and the evidence must link the defendant to the crime. Id. at 60. Crimes that lack a tangible injury may include inchoate crimes, certain financial crimes, status crimes, “and sex offenses lacking physical evidence and a victim who can testify.” Id. at 59 n. 28 (emphasis added). “Prima facie” evidence is “[e]vidence that will establish a fact or sustain a judgment unless contradictory evidence is produced.” Clark, 452 S.W.3d at 280 (quoting Black’s Law Dictionary 638-39 (9th ed. 2009)). “Substantial evidence” is “[e]vidence that a reasonable mind could accept as adequate to support a conclusion; evidence beyond a scintilla.” Id. (quoting Black’s Law Dictionary 640 (9th ed. 2009)). “A statement made under oath in open court, however, requires no independent corroboration.” Bishop, 431 S.W.3d at 61. Moreover, a defendant’s testimony in open court can serve as corroboration for an extrajudicial statement. Id. In the instant case, we need not even apply the modified trustworthiness test set out in Bishop because the defendant testified in open court and under oath that his earlier written statement was accurate and voluntary. Although he later disclaimed the portion of his extrajudicial statement regarding rubbing M.B.’s vagina, it is within the province of jurors to evaluate the defendant’s testimony and decide, what, if any, of his proffered testimony they choose to believe. Moreover, even if the modified trustworthiness test applies, its requirements are satisfied in this case. Because this is a sex offense lacking physical evidence but involving a victim who testified, we apply the standard for tangible injury crimes. Clark, 452 S.W.3d at 280. The defendant acknowledged and confirmed almost all of his extrajudicial statement during his in-court testimony. Specifically, he admitted that on at least one occasion, while Ms. Balogh was away from home and while he and M.B. were watching television alone together in the bedroom of M.B.’s residence, M.B. touched the clothing covering his penis, and he touched the clothing covering M.B.’s vagina. Ms. Balogh’s testimony that she occasionally left M.B. alone at her residence with the defendant while she went out to pick -11- up food or groceries and that he and M.B. usually watched television together in her bedroom on these occasions corroborated certain details of the defendant’s statement. Ms. Clift’s testimony that M.B. gave a history of the defendant touching her vagina with his finger, in addition to his penis, corroborated the defendant’s statement as well. Thus, even if the trustworthiness test applies, the record contains substantial independent evidence tending to show that the defendant’s extrajudicial statement is trustworthy. We affirm the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals and hold, therefore, that the evidence is sufficient to support the defendant’s conviction of aggravated sexual battery. B. Deviations from Rule 24 Jury Selection Procedures The defendant next contends that he is entitled to a new trial because the trial court willfully deviated from the jury selection procedures prescribed by Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 24. The State acknowledges that the trial court did not comply with Rule 24 but argues that the defendant has failed to establish any prejudice resulting from the noncompliance.12 1. Standard of Review Trial courts enjoy considerable discretion in jury selection to question jurors regarding their qualifications to serve, to conduct individual or group voir dire, and to determine whether jurors should be excused for cause. Tenn. R. Crim. P. 24(b), (c); State v. Sexton, 368 S.W.3d 371, 390-91 (Tenn. 2012). In reviewing such decisions, this Court typically applies an abuse of discretion standard. Id. at 391. Although this is a deferential standard of appellate review, it “does not . . . immunize a lower court’s decision from any meaningful appellate scrutiny.” Lee Med., Inc. v. Beecher, 312 S.W.3d 515, 524 (Tenn. 2010). Even when making discretionary decisions, trial courts “must take the applicable law and the relevant facts into account.” Id. A trial court abuses its discretion when it “causes an injustice by applying an incorrect legal standard, reaches an illogical result, resolves the case on a clearly erroneous assessment of the evidence, or relies on reasoning that causes an injustice.” Gonsewski v. Gonsewski, 350 S.W.3d 99, 105 (Tenn. 2011); Culbertson v. Culbertson, 393 S.W.3d 678, 683 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2012). 2. Application of Incorrect Legal Standard We agree with the parties that the trial court failed to follow the relevant jury selection procedures. Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 24(d) provides: 12 We are not required to accept concessions but agree with the State’s concession in this regard. State v. Hester, 324 S.W.3d 1, 69 (Tenn. 2010). -12- (d) Exercising Peremptory Challenge. After the court conducts its initial examination and seats a tentative group of jurors not excluded for cause, the following procedure shall be followed until a full jury has been selected from those jurors and accepted by counsel: (1) At each round of peremptory challenges, counsel shall submit simultaneously to the court either a blank sheet of paper or a sheet of paper challenging one or more jurors in the group of the first twelve (or more if additional jurors are seated under the single entity process of Rule 24(f)(2)(A)) jurors who have been seated. Neither party shall make known the fact that the party has not challenged a juror. (2) Replacement jurors will be seated in the panel of twelve (or more if additional jurors are seated under the single entity process of Rule 24(f)(2)(A)) in the order of their selection. (3) If necessary, additional replacement jurors will be examined for cause and, after passed, counsel will again submit simultaneously, and in writing, the name of any juror in the group of twelve (or more if additional jurors are seated under the single entity process of Rule 24(f)(2)(A)) that counsel elects to challenge peremptorily. Peremptory challenges may be directed to any member of the jury; counsel are not limited to using such challenges against replacement jurors. (4) Alternate jurors are selected in the same manner, unless the single entity process of Rule 24(f)(2)(A) is used. (5) The trial judge shall keep a list of those challenged. If the same juror is challenged by both parties, each party is charged with the challenge. The trial judge shall not disclose to any juror the identity of the party challenging the juror. Tenn. R. Crim. P. 24(d) (emphasis added). The commentary to this procedural rule provides the following additional explanation of how jury selection is to function in practice. Subdivision (d) permits trial judges to seat more than twelve prospective jurors for purposes of voir dire–possibly but not necessarily a number equal to twelve plus the number of peremptories to each side and the -13- number of alternates available. All of these persons in the jury “universe” could be questioned at once. Note that if the “separate entities” procedure of Rule 24(f)(2)(B) is used, challenges are initially made to only the first twelve seated. Note also that under this procedure “replacement jurors will be seated in the panel of twelve in the order of their selection.” For example, a judge might cho[o]se to impanel thirty-two prospects. Each would be assigned a number. If during the initial round of peremptory challenges jurors number 3 and 6 are excused, juror 13 would replace 3 and juror 14 would replace 6. By this method lawyers would know who is coming up next. Tenn. R. Crim. P. 24(d) advisory commission cmt. (emphasis added). Although the current version of Rule 24(d) became effective three years before the defendant’s trial,13 the record on appeal reflects that the trial court was unaware of the procedure mandated by Rule 24(d) and mistakenly asserted that the procedure utilized for the defendant’s trial was applied throughout the State. Like other procedural rules of general applicability, the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure are laws of this State “in full force and effect.” Tenn. Dep’t. of Human Servs. v. Vaughn, 595 S.W.2d 62, 63 (Tenn. 1980). “Any other construction would thwart, frustrate and emasculate” the rules, id., which are “designed . . . to ensure a ‘just determination of every criminal proceeding,’” id. (quoting Tenn. R. Crim. P. 2); see also State v. Hodges, 815 S.W.2d 151, 155 (Tenn. 1991). Suggestions and recommendations for changing the rules may be submitted to the Advisory Commission on Rules of Practice and Procedure. State v. Coleman, 865 S.W.2d 455, 458 (Tenn. 1993). Moreover, supplementary rules of criminal procedure may be adopted to address issues for which no other procedure is prescribed, so long as such rules are consistent with constitutional principles, statutes, and generally applicable procedural rules. State v. Reid, 981 S.W.2d 166, 170 (Tenn. 1998); see also Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-3-407 (2009). But ignoring or rewriting the clear mandates of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure is not an option available to trial courts. The trial court applied an incorrect legal standard by failing to comply with the clear mandates of Rule 24(d) during the jury selection of the defendant’s trial. However, this determination does not end our inquiry. Our next task is to evaluate whether this abuse of discretion caused an “injustice,” which entitles the defendant to a new trial. Gonsewski, 350 S.W.3d at 105. 13 Tenn. R. Crim. P. 24(d) (2006) (showing that the amendment became effective on July 1, 2006). -14-