Opinion ID: 1548296
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motion to Dismiss and Motion to Set Aside the Verdict

Text: At the conclusion of the State's case, the defendant moved to dismiss based upon insufficient evidence and lack of territorial jurisdiction. He also moved to set aside the verdict, asserting that the evidence was insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the offenses. The court denied each of the motions. Our standard for review of the trial court's denial of a defendant's motion to dismiss based upon the sufficiency of the evidence is well established ... State v. Flodin, 159 N.H. 358, 362, 986 A.2d 470 (2009). To prevail upon his challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, the defendant must prove that no rational trier of fact, viewing all of the evidence and all reasonable inferences from it in the light most favorable to the State, could have found guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. When the evidence is solely circumstantial, it must exclude all rational conclusions except guilt. Under this standard, however, we still consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the State and examine each evidentiary item in context, not in isolation. Id. (quotation omitted). To succeed on his motion to set aside the verdict, the defendant has the burden of establishing that the evidence, viewed in its entirety and with all reasonable inferences drawn in favor of the State, was insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was guilty of the crime charged. State v. Kousounadis, 159 N.H. 413, 421, 986 A.2d 603 (2009). Given that this standard is the same as that applied in reviewing the denial of the motions to dismiss, we address the defendant's arguments concurrently. The defendant argues that the State failed to produce evidence that the injuries occurred in New Hampshire. The uncontroverted evidence at trial was that the only time G.F. was out of New Hampshire was when he was brought to Connecticut by the defendant's wife to visit her friends and family. All of the individuals who cared for G.F. while he was in Connecticut appeared at trial and testified that nothing improper occurred and that he was not injured while in their care. Because the jury could reasonably have accepted such testimony as true, the jury could have concluded, beyond a reasonable doubt, that G.F.'s injuries occurred in New Hampshire. The defendant also argued that the evidence was insufficient to convict him beyond a reasonable doubt. Specifically, he contends that all the evidence was circumstantial and failed to eliminate other possible causes of the child's injuries, including accidents, medical reasons, and the defendant's performance of CPR on the child. The test, however, is not whether the State ruled out all other potential causes of the injuries, but whether the State presented evidence sufficient to exclude all rational conclusions except the defendant's guilt. Flodin, 159 N.H. at 362, 986 A.2d 470. By the defendant's own admission, he was with the kids ninety-nine point nine percent of the time. The State's medical expert testified that six of G.F.'s rib fractures were at least one week but less than six weeks old from the date he was examined at the hospital. Two other fractures were aged at zero to six weeks. Given this evidence, the jury could have reasonably rejected the suggestion by the defense that the injuries occurred when the defendant accidentally fell while holding G.F. four months prior to G.F.'s hospitalization. The State's medical expert also opined that the fractures were not caused by a genetic or metabolic condition. Ultimately, the expert concluded that all the fractures were the result of abuse. There was also evidence that after learning of G.F.'s injuries, the defendant's demeanor was uncharacteristic of a parent whose child was injured by unknown causes. Upon review of the entire record, and viewing all the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, we hold that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant recklessly caused fractures to seven of G.F.'s bones.