Court Opinion

ID: 9588222
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:31:32.123148+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:00:57.772268
License: Public Domain

*55TYSON, Judge
dissenting.
The majority’s opinion erroneously: (1) reverses defendant’s first-degree sexual offense conviction and (2) grants defendant a new trial on the issue of indecent liberties. I disagree and find no error in defendant’s convictions. I respectfully dissent.
I. First-Degree Sexual Offense
Defendant argues and the majority’s opinion agrees that the trial court erred by denying defendant’s motions to dismiss the first-degree sexual offense charge at the close of the State’s evidence and again at the close of all the evidence. Defendant asserts the State failed to meet its burden under the corpus delicti rule, which requires the introduction of independent substantial evidence tending to establish the trustworthiness of defendant’s extrajudicial confession. State v. Parker, 315 N.C. 222, 229, 337 S.E.2d 487, 491 (1985). I disagree.
A. Standard of Review
The standard for ruling on a motion to dismiss is whether there is substantial evidence (1) of each essential element of the offense charged and (2) that defendant is the perpetrator of the offense. Substantial evidence is relevant evidence which a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion. In ruling on a motion to dismiss, the trial court must consider all of the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, and the State is entitled to all reasonable inferences which may be drawn from the evidence. Any contradictions or discrepancies arising from the evidence are properly left for the jury to resolve and do not warrant dismissal.
State v. Wood, 174 N.C. App. 790, 795, 622 S.E.2d 120, 123 (2005) (internal citations and quotations omitted).
B. Analysis
A person is guilty of a sexual offense in the first degree if the person engages in a sexual act:
(1) With a victim who is a child under the age of 13 years and the defendant is at least 12 years old and is at least four years older than the victim[.]
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-27.4(a)(l) (2001).
*56A “sexual act” is defined as:
cunnilingus, fellatio, analingus, or anal intercourse, but does not include vaginal intercourse. Sexuál act also means the penetration, however slight, by any object into the genital or anal opening of another person’s body: provided, that it shall be an affirmative defense that the penetration was for accepted medical purposes.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-27.1(4) (2001). The majority’s opinion holds the State failed to present any corroborating evidence beyond defendant’s confession that established the victim (“K.L.C.”) performed fellatio on defendant.
In support of its holding, the majority’s opinion states, “[w]hen the State relies on a defendant’s extrajudicial statement to establish guilt, the extrajudicial statement alone is not sufficient to sustain a conviction.” See Parker, 315 N.C. at 229, 337 S.E.2d at 491 (“Our research reveals that the rule is quite universal that an extrajudicial confession, standing alone, is not sufficient to sustain a conviction of a crime.”).
The historical justifications for the corpus delicti rule include:
first, the shock which resulted from those rare but widely reported cases in which the “victim” returned alive after his supposed murderer had been convicted...; and secondly, the general distrust of extrajudicial confessions stemming from the possibilities that a confession may have been erroneously reported or construed . . ., involuntarily made . . ., mistaken as to law or fact, or falsely volunteered by an insane or mentally disturbed individual . . . and, thirdly, the realization that sound law enforcement requires police investigations which extend beyond the words of the accused.
Id. at 233, 337 S.E.2d at 493 (citation omitted).
In Parker, our Supreme Court enunciated a more flexible version of the corpus delicti rule applicable in North Carolina:
We adopt a rule in non-capital cases that when the State relies upon the defendant’s confession 'to obtain a conviction, it is no longer necessary that there be independent proof tending to establish the corpus delicti of the crime charged if the accused’s confession is supported by substantial independent evidence tending to establish its trustworthiness, including facts that *57tend to show the defendant had the opportunity to commit the crime.
We wish to emphasize, however, that when independent proof of loss or injury is lacking, there must be strong corroboration of essential facts and circumstances embraced in the defendant’s confession. Corroboration of insignificant facts or those unrelated to the commission of the crime will not suffice. We emphasize this point because although we have relaxed our corroboration rule somewhat, we remain advertent to the reason for its existence, that is, to protect against convictions for crimes that have not in fact occurred.
Id. at 236, 337 S.E.2d at 495 (emphasis supplied).
Here, in response to KL.C.’s rape allegation, defendant gave a voluntary statement to Cleveland County Sheriff’s Detective Debbie Arrowood (“Detective Arrowood”). Defendant stated that on the night of 27 December 2002 defendant drove himself, K.L.C., and his child to his residence in order to obtain diapers and formula. Defendant stated he told K.L.C. to stay inside the vehicle with the child, but K.L.C. did not comply with his request and brought the child inside the residence. Defendant stated that he was only inside the residence for approximately ten minutes and vehemently denied having any sexual contact with K.L.C.
Approximately two hours later, Detective Arrowood interviewed defendant a second time. Defendant stated that a few days prior to 27 December 2002 he had consumed alcohol at K.L.C.’s brother’s (“J.J.”) residence and laid down in J.j.’s bed. K.L.C. came into the room, removed her pants, and laid .down beside defendant. Defendant stated K.L.C. wanted him to perform oral sex on her, but defendant refused. K.L.C. unzipped defendant’s pants and attempted to perform fellatio on him. Defendant was unable to obtain an erection due to his consumption of alcohol so K.L.C. stopped. Defendant specifically stated to Detective Arrowood, “Yes, it was a stupid mistake and it has ruined my life.”
The majority’s opinion argues the State failed to introduce sufficient corroborating evidence to establish the trustworthiness of defendant’s extrajudicial and voluntary confession. I disagree.
At trial, J.J., the victim’s brother, testified that he accompanied defendant to the police station because he did not believe “[his] Mend would have done something like that[.]” J.J. specifically testi*58fied to the events that occurred after defendant had finished his interview and provided his confession to Detective Arrowood:
[ADA]: What happened on that day that changed your mind? Did he talk to you about what happened?
[J.J.]: He just admitted that he had let [K.L.C.] give him oral sex.
[ADA]: That’s what he said to you?
[J.J.]: Yes, ma’am.
[ADA]: What else did he say?
[J.J.]: That was it. We didn’t speak much more after that. I just went back to [his] house and got my stuff and went home.
[ADA]: I mean, how did that conversation take place? Did he— was he upset?
[J.J.]: He was upset when he come [sic] out of Ms. Arrowood’s office.
[ADA]: And did you ask him a question? Did he say something to you?
[J.J.]: I asked him what happened, you know, and he told me that he had, you know, failed, and he admitted to having oral sex with [K.L.C.].
[ADA]: Did he say anything like he was sorry or he shouldn’t have done that?
[J.J.]: He said he was sorry, that it wasn’t right, but it still don’t [sic] change the fact.
(Emphasis supplied).
The majority’s opinion states, “[J.J.’s] testimony as to what defendant told him after defendant left the office of Detective Arrowood was not “independent of defendant’s confession,” . . . therefore it has no more probative value than the more detailed statement which defendant gave to Detective Arrowood and does nothing to corroborate defendant’s statement[.]” I disagree.
Defendant was under no duty or obligation to tell J.J. what had transpired during his interview with Detective Arrowood. The fact that defendant: (1) admitted he allowed K.L.C. to perform fellatio on *59him; (2) had a somber demeanor after the interview; and (3) apologized to J.J. for his behavior, tends to establish the trustworthiness of and corroborate defendant’s extrajudicial confession.
Further, although defendant changed his version of the events that had occurred at trial, he testified to the same time, place, and circumstances surrounding the incident. Defendant testified that on the night of 26 December 2002 at approximately 8:00 p.m., he arrived at J.J.’s residence in order to “continue drinking.” By the end of the evening defendant had allegedly consumed twenty-four beers and was unable to walk by himself. At approximately 10:00 p.m., J.J. helped defendant up the stairs and defendant “passed out” in J.J.’s bed. Defendant testified:
[Defendant]: Yes, I was awakened. I was awakened a couple of hours after I had passed out.
[Defense Attorney]: Tell the jury, if you will, what awakened you.
[Defendant]: When I came to, I felt something on me. I didn’t know what it was, who it was. I panicked. I was frightened, shocked, and all in one motion, I rose up and kicked. And when I kicked, I looked in [sic] the floor and it was [K.L.C.] sitting in [sic] the floor. I jumped up and I asked her what the h-11 she was doing. I zipped my pants up. I remember rubbing my eyes, rubbing my head, trying to collect myself and still, still drunk, not collected, hung over, and she was begging me not to say anything to her mother: “Please don’t tell mama; please don’t tell Cassie; please don’t tell [J.J.].”....
It was a feeling that — it’s not like being tapped on the shoulder. It’s a feeling not being tapped on your forehead, being shook. It’s a private position — a private place that’s a sensitive area, and I felt something on my penis.
By defendant’s own testimony, it is undisputed that: (1) defendant was lying in J.J’s bed on the night in question; (2) K.L.C. came into the bedroom and unzipped defendant’s pants; and (3) defendant “felt something on [his] penis.”
Although defendant’s testimony does not exactly mirror his earlier confession, these variances do not warrant a reversal of his first-degree sexual offense conviction and the issue was for the jury to decide. Our Supreme Court has adopted a flexible corpus delicti rule: *60“we need not adhere to our strict rule requiring independent proof of the corpus delicti in order to guard against the possibility that a defendant will be convicted of a crime that has not been committed.” Id. at 235, 337 S.E.2d at 494 (emphasis supplied). All that is required is “substantial independent evidence tending to establish [the] trustworthiness [of defendant’s extrajudicial confession], including facts that tend to show the defendant had the opportunity to commit the crime.” Id. at 236, 337 S.E.2d at 495.
Based upon J.J.’s and defendant’s own testimony at trial, the State presented sufficient evidence to meet its burden under the corpus delicti rule. This is not a case where a defendant’s confession was “erroneously reported,” “involuntarily made,” or “falsely volunteered by an insane or mentally disturbed individual.” Id. at 233, 337 S.E.2d at 493.
This case involves a young adult male who made a bad decision to involve himself sexually with a minor female. An alleged rape victim’s decision not to testify about a prior incident in which she voluntarily performed a sexual act on her alleged attacker does not establish a lack of trustworthiness of defendant’s confession. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, the trial court properly denied defendant’s motions to dismiss. Defendant’s first-degree sexual offense conviction should be sustained.
II. Indecent Liberties
Defendant argues the trial court erred by denying his motions to dismiss the indecent liberties charge. I disagree.
The majority’s opinion holds that the evidence presented at trial supports defendant’s conviction for indecent liberties based upon: (1) defendant undressing K.L.C. and (2) exposing his penis to her at his residence. However, the majority’s opinion awards defendant a new trial on the issues of indecent liberties and states:
Since the State itself did not even identify the evidentiary basis which we have found for the indecent liberties conviction, but instead was relying upon an act of fellatio which we have determined is not a proper basis for conviction under the corpus delicti rule, we conclude that the jury was also confused by the instructions and contentions.
Because the “act of fellatio” was a proper basis for defendant’s first-degree sexual offense conviction, it is also a proper basis for *61defendant’s indecent liberties conviction. See State v. Lawrence, 360 N.C. 368, 375, 627 S.E.2d 609, 613 (2006) (“[A] defendant may be unanimously convicted of indecent liberties even if: (1) the jurors considered a higher number of incidents of immoral or indecent behavior than the number of counts charged, and (2) the indictments lacked specific details to identify the specific incidents.”). The trial court properly denied defendant’s motions to dismiss.
III. Conclusion
Based upon J.J.’s and defendant’s own testimony at trial, the State presented substantial independent evidence tending to establish the trustworthiness of defendant’s extrajudicial confession to meet its burden under the corpus delicti rule. Parker, 315 N.C. at 229, 337 S.E.2d at 491. The trial court properly denied defendant’s motions to dismiss his first-degree sexual offense and indecent liberties charges. I find no error in defendant’s convictions and respectfully dissent.