Court Opinion

ID: 9752479
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 18:09:23.009574+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:16.717557
License: Public Domain

CAVANAUGH, Judge,
dissenting:
I dissent. At trial the appellant unequivocally denied ever having sexual relations with Miss Wilmot. The victim’s mother testified that she did not believe her husband had sexual relations with her daughter. Likewise, the victim’s sister, Marjorie, age fourteen, claimed that she had no knowledge of any sexual activity between her stepfather and sister.
In support of his denial that sexual relations occurred between his stepdaughter and himself, the appellant attempted to introduce evidence concerning the victim’s knowledge of his physical characteristics. Specifically, he attempted to question the victim as to whether she knew if appellant had been circumcised. Appellant claims he had not been circumcised. The Commonwealth objected to this line of questioning and the lower court sustained the objection, ruling it was irrelevant.
Evidence is relevant only if it tends to establish some fact material to the case or tends to make the fact at issue more or less probable. Commonwealth v. Myers, 439 Pa. 381, 266 *448A.2d 756 (1970). The trial court has wide discretion in ruling on relevancy and materiality of evidence. Commonwealth v. Kivlin, 267 Pa.Super. 270, 406 A.2d 799 (1979). Nonetheless, in a criminal case the defendant is entitled to a fair, complete and impartial hearing before judgment is entered against him and this necessarily includes the opportunity of presenting every fact which is material and relevant to issues involved. Commonwealth v. Phelan, 427 Pa. 265, 234 A.2d 540 (1967) cert. denied Phelan v. Pennsylvania, 391 U.S. 920, 88 S.Ct. 1803, 20 L.Ed.2d 657 (1968). Thus the question before us is whether the victim’s inability to correctly describe appellant’s sexual organ as being circumcised or uncircumcised would make it more probable than not that the offenses alleged did not occur.
The Commonwealth contends that the inquiry is not relevant because it does not tend to affect the probability of the occurrence of some fact material to the crime charged or to the defense central to appellant’s case. In its brief the Commonwealth states that the evidence sought to be admitted would be relevant only to the issue of whether the victim viewed appellant’s penis and not whether a rape occurred. The Commonwealth argues that such evidence would merely tend to show how observant the victim was, given that whether or not a circumcision has been performed can be readily ascertained and that such an inquiry may be potentially relevant if probative of the defense theory of mistaken identity. Likewise, the trial judge stated in his opinion that “the matter of circumcision was irrelevant as it was of no probative value as to identity of the offender or to a determination if a sexual act had actually taken place.”
However, the appellant argues that the testimony sought to be admitted goes directly to the credibility of the prosecution’s primary witness. More than showing that the victim viewed appellant’s penis, the appellant maintains that in light of the frequency of sexual encounters alleged as well as the victim’s testimony that oral sex had taken place the evidence shows that the victim should be able to determine whether or not appellant was circumcised. Therefore, ap*449pellant contends, the victim’s inability to acknowledge his lack of circumcision would discredit her prior testimony.
During the offer of proof counsel for the defendant stated:
MR. BAGINSKI: Your Honor, I believe that it is a very relevant issue. We have testimony here that indicates that various sexual acts, sexual intercourse took place over a long period of time. Basically the relevancy is that she was able to see the reproductive organ of the defendant and basically this witness should be able to tell and be able to determine whether or not he was circumcised.
THE COURT: What does that have to do with sex?
MR. BAGINSKI: Well, your Honor, the sex and the charge against this defendant deals with sexual activities as related by the victim. It was basically the use of the reproductive organ. She has had the opportunity of observing it. She knows what circumcision is because she has a seventeen month old son who has been circumcised and___
I agree with the appellant that such evidence, as bearing on the victim’s credibility, is relevant. The appellant sought to offer evidence of the victim’s knowledge of the physical characteristics of his penis. He asserts that her ability to describe these characteristics would tend to prove whether the victim is credible. The credibility of the witness is certainly relevant. The victim’s inability to state correctly that the appellant had not been circumcised, given the victim’s opportunities to observe, would make the fact at issue (the occurrence of the rape) less probable. Commonwealth v. Myers, supra. The majority notes that there is no evidence on the record as to whether the victim ever described or attempted to describe appellant’s organ and as to the actual skin structure of appellant’s organ. However, such information would not be relevant in any way unless Miss Wilmot had answered the question “Do you know what a circumcision is?” in the affirmative. This question was objected to as irrelevant and the objection was sustained. The majority makes much of the lack of foundation, but *450fails to recognize that the appellant was prevented from establishing the most fundamental fact-that Miss Wilmot was aware of the difference between circumcision and uncircumcision. Only then could defense counsel argue the relevancy of the line of questioning he wished to pursue.
Therefore, I would reverse the judgment of sentence and grant the appellant a new trial.