Opinion ID: 2123840
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Finally, Constable argues that the district court erred in overruling his motion for judgment of acquittal for insufficient evidence to support the guilty verdicts. When considering a sufficiency of the evidence challenge, this court examines the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, and considers all evidence presented at trial, not just the evidence which supports the verdict. State v. Robinson, 288 N.W.2d 337, 340 (Iowa 1980). This favorable light includes the making of any legitimate inferences and presumptions that may fairly and reasonably be deduced from the evidence in the record to support the verdict. State v. Bass, 349 N.W.2d 498, 500 (Iowa 1984); State v. Mulder, 313 N.W.2d 885, 888 (Iowa 1981). We will uphold the verdict of the jury when substantial evidence exists on the record to support the verdict. State v. Aldape, 307 N.W.2d 32, 39 (Iowa 1981). Evidence meets the threshold criteria of substantiality if the evidence would have convinced a rational fact finder that the defendant is guilty of the crime charged beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. LeGear, 346 N.W.2d 21, 23 (Iowa 1984). The defendant was convicted of five counts of sexual abuse in the second degree. Each of these five counts was based on proof that a sex act occurred with a child under the age of twelve. Iowa Code § 709.3(2) (1991). Constable does not argue that the ages of S.W. and J.H. were not proven at trial to be under twelve. Constable confines his argument to whether substantial evidence exists to find that five separate sex acts occurred within the five to ten minutes that J.W. was away from the home. Regarding the five-to-ten-minute period when the girls were alone with Constable, their testimony regarding his actions are fairly consistent and detailed. J.H. testified that Constable took S.W.'s hand and made her rub his middle thing. She said she used the term middle thing because she was not supposed to say the word. At trial, J.H. marked the genital area on drawings of the male and female body to indicate what region she was describing. J.H. also testified that under threat of spanking, Constable made S.W. kiss his middle thing. J.H. said Constable then offered S.W. money and cigarettes if she pulled her pants down and threatened to spank her if she refused. J.H. says Constable touched between S.W.'s legs with his tongue. S.W. corroborated that Constable had her touch his private spot and that he had her move her hand while holding his middle thing. S.W. also testified that three years earlier she had brought untrue allegations of sexual abuse against her father. J.H. and S.W. both testified that after contact with S.W., Constable abused J.H. J.H. testified that Constable had her touch his middle thing with her hand and that he made me do the same thing [S.W.] did, just rub up and down. J.H. testified Constable held his hand on her head so she could not get away from him. She had told S.W. to go turn off the light in her room, hoping that S.W. would contact help once away from Constable. S.W. testified that she saw J.H. touch Constable's middle thing with her hand and that then J.H. asked her turn off her light. S.W. left the room to turn off her light and then went to the bathroom. S.W. said she then wanted to go downstairs but went back in the room because J.H. was in there. Viewing this testimony in the light most favorable to the State, substantial evidence existed upon which a jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt that Constable committed five sex acts in violation of Iowa Code section 709.3(2) (1991).