Court Opinion

ID: 9690425
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 19:12:32.472473+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:56:21.730444
License: Public Domain

Carlson, Judge,
dissenting.
The majority concludes that the record fails to show that Jeffrey intended to intimidate the victim, given that Jeffrey called the victim names, threw food at her, and on at least one occasion pushed a chair toward her for his own juvenile amusement. I disagree. The fact that Jeffrey found his behavior amusing does not justify the conclusion that Jeffrey did not intend to intimidate the victim. Rather, Jeffrey’s words and actions, the extensive nature of Jeffrey’s conduct, and the victim’s reactions to Jeffrey’s behavior all clearly show that Jeffrey intended to intimidate the victim.
At trial, the victim testified that on multiple occasions, Jeffrey yelled at her and her friends in front of other students at school. Specifically, the victim stated that in a mean voice, Jeffrey called her and her friends “fat ass[es]” approximately 75 to 100 times, “whores” and “fat penguins” approximately 25 times each, and “fat bitch[es]” approximately 10 times. The victim testified that Jeffrey appeared to engage in this behavior for his own joy and pleasure. Additionally, the victim testified that Jeffrey pushed a chair out in front of her in order to trip her and that Jeffrey threw food at her in the cafeteria, hitting her on 9 or 10 occasions. The evidence shows that these incidents occurred in a 3-month time period — September, October, and November 2004.
The victim also testified that given Jeffrey’s repeated actions, she and her friends sat at a different table in the cafeteria, in addition to completely changing their paths inside school “[t]o get away from all of it. So it would make less chance of him embarrassing us in front of everybody.” The victim further testified that Jeffrey’s behaviors had impacted her quite negatively, “[ejmotionally, very badly,” and that she felt “very put-down.”
After reviewing these facts, the juvenile court held that Jeffrey intended to intimidate the victim, specifically finding that Jeffrey had “engaged in a course of conduct, a pattern and practice calculated to intimidate [the victim] herein, daily, verbal put-downs, denigrating statements to her causing himself amusement.” (Emphasis supplied.) As the majority notes, Jeffrey’s state of mind is a question of fact and may be proved by circumstantial *827evidence. See State v. Peterson, 236 Neb. 450, 462 N.W.2d 423 (1990).
On this record, I cannot say that the trial court’s finding that Jeffrey intended to intimidate the victim was erroneous. Under the law, we are required to give great weight to the trial court’s factual findings, given that the trial court heard and observed the witnesses. See In re Interest of Anthony P., 13 Neb. App. 659, 698 N.W.2d 457 (2005). Therefore, I would affirm Jeffrey’s adjudication, finding that the State adduced sufficient evidence to find Jeffrey guilty of stalking under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-311.03 (Cum. Supp. 2004).