Opinion ID: 1162550
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: State v. Albert Coburn

Text: Albert Coburn was charged with three counts of indecent liberties; each count arose out of incidents involving a different child. The complaining witness in count 1 testified that Mr. Coburn touched her private spot with his hands and tongue on 5 to 10 separate occasions. Other witnesses testified to circumstances surrounding several of the alleged incidents. For example, a cousin refuted the victim's testimony that Mr. Coburn also tried to touch the cousin. The complaining witness in count 3 testified that Mr. Coburn touched her private spot on more than one occasion. Her testimony was impeached by statements made in a prior interview wherein she asserted that Mr. Coburn only touched the outside of her clothing and her breasts. Other witnesses offered alternative reasons why the victim was upset at those times Mr. Coburn allegedly touched her; for example, one witness explained that the victim was upset because she feared that her grandfather would fall from a footstool. Mr. Coburn denied both victims' allegations, and the jury heard testimony pertaining to his reputation in the community for truth, veracity and good morals. The jury was instructed that in order to convict under count 1, it must find that during the period between July, 1983, and October 30, 1983, the defendant knowingly caused [the child] to have sexual contact with the defendant. Report of Proceedings, at 252. The court gave a similar instruction for count 3 encompassing the period of November 1982 to May 1983. On March 12, 1984, a jury found Mr. Coburn guilty of counts 1 and 3. We transferred Mr. Coburn's appeal in its entirety from the Court of Appeals. C