Court Opinion

ID: 9560017
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 17:40:55.550425+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:11:58.994912
License: Public Domain

Benton, J.,
dissenting.
Because the evidence does not negate an attempt by Gregory Kubacki to bribe Sarah MacGuffy Wood into withdrawing her criminal complaint, the Commonwealth did not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Wood attempted to extort money from Kubacki. The evidence in this case, in fact, established that it was the defendant Wood who was the victim of Kubacki’s unlawful attempt to bribe her. Kubacki, whom Wood had known for seven years, was in Wood’s apartment late one evening with Wood and other friends of Wood. As her friends began to leave, in the early morning, Wood asked two of her female friends not to leave because Kubacki, who had consumed a lot of beer, was still in the apartment. They stayed for a while but then left Wood in the apartment with Kubacki. Wood testified that after her friends left her apartment she talked with Kubacki about her boyfriend, who was in jail. She further testified that Kubacki attempted to kiss her and raped her after she rebuffed him. Kubacki testified that they engaged in consensual sexual intercourse.
After Kubacki left, Wood called the rape hot line and talked to a counselor. Later that day she talked twice more to a counselor and then called the police to report the rape. Wood testified that she requested to speak to a detective or female officer. A patrolman, William Stevens, arrived and spoke with Wood about the details of the incident. Stevens told her “that she would have to get up in court and testify exactly what happened, describe exactly what happened.” After he told Wood about the defense of consent, Wood told him that she wanted to talk to her father. Stevens also testified that he offered to send a detective to speak to Wood.
*565Later that evening, at the urging of a male friend, Wood telephoned Kubacki and asked him to come to her apartment. Kubacki arrived at Wood’s apartment shortly thereafter with a paper bag in his hand. According to Wood, when Kubacki arrived, he apologized for having raped her and asked her not to call the police. Wood “told him that [she] already had.” Wood testified that Kubacki asked her not to call the police again and asked the amount of the bail for her boyfriend. Wood testified that she told him that the bail was $700 and he offered to give her that amount. According to Kubacki, Wood accused him of rape in the presence of two of her male friends, who blocked the door, and she stated that she needed $700 to get her boyfriend out of jail.
When Kubacki left the apartment, Wood called the police to make a formal complaint. Upon leaving Wood’s apartment Kubacki was pursued by two of Wood’s male friends. Kubacki testified that he used a stick to ward them off. One of Wood’s male friends testified that Kubacki pulled a gun from the bag and threatened to shoot. Kubacki called the police when he reached home and spoke with patrolman Brightwell. Later that evening Brightwell and Stevens, who had received a report of Wood’s call to file a formal complaint, went to Kubacki’s residence. With Brightwell listening on an extension, Kubacki called Wood. Brightwell testified as to the substance of the conversation:
At first he told her that he couldn’t get the money until he could see his boss, I believe it was on Monday, and borrow the money from him. I was writing notes to Mr. Kubacki telling him what to ask her and what to tell her during the conversation. I wrote him a note to ask her what she wanted the money for. He asked her that. She said to get her boyfriend out of jail. Then Mr. Kubacki asked her what she would do if he wouldn’t pay her the money. He said that’s a lot of money, what if I can’t pay it. And, she said, well, the police officer is still going to be working until 2:00 o’clock or 3:00 o’clock and I will call him back and make a report.
The indictment charged that Wood “did feloniously and unlawfully threaten injury to the character of Gregory E. Kubacki thereby did attempt to extort money from Gregory E. Kubacki.”
“Whenever the evidence leaves indifferent which of several hypotheses is true, or merely establishes only some finite probability *566in favor of one hypothesis, such evidence does not amount to proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.” Sutphin v. Commonwealth, 1 Va. App. 241, 248, 337 S.E.2d 897, 900 (1985).
It is well settled . . . that to justify conviction of a crime, it is not sufficient to create a suspicion or probability of guilt, but the evidence must establish the guilt of an accused beyond a reasonable doubt. It must exclude every reasonable hypothesis except that of guilt. The guilt of a party is not to be inferred because the facts are consistent with his guilt, but they must be inconsistent with his innocence.
Cameron v. Commonwealth, 211 Va. 108, 110-11, 175 S.E.2d 275, 276 (1970) (citations omitted).
Based on this evidence the proof of extortion does not rise to the level of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Although Kubacki disputes that he initiated the subject of money with Wood when he returned to her apartment at her request, Wood and two other persons who were in the apartment when the conversation occurred testified unequivocally that Kubacki offered Wood money and asked that she not contact the police. Kubacki also denied that he told Wood anything about the money while the police officer was listening to his telephone conversation with Wood. He stated, “I did not tell her nothing about the money. ... I didn’t say I would get it or I wouldn’t get it.” However, the police officer who listened during Kubacki’s telephone conversation testified that Kubacki initiated the conversation concerning the money. These facts are not inconsistent with Wood’s innocence. Accordingly, I would reverse the conviction.