Court Opinion

ID: 9672128
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:49:21.704167+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:14.417118
License: Public Domain

John I. Purtle, Justice, dissenting. This is a sad story indeed. It all started when a little boy was going fishing with his mother’s boyfriend (the child’s present stepfather) but learned at the last minute that someone else was to take his place. The child became upset and unruly, and took his spite out on his little sister. His mother, on discovering what he had done, imposed punishment by way of a spanking. After the boy had been put in a corner, he was still unhappy about the fishing trip and at that time told his mother that her boyfriend, the appellant, had sexually molested him. The mother immediately took her child to a doctor, who decided to send him on to a hospital where he received a more complete examination and evaluation. After the initial examination at the doctor’s office, both the mother and her boyfriend returned home at about the same time. The mother, for fear of arousing the ire of the appellant, told him that the boy had to be taken to the hospital because he had not been to the bathroom in three days. The appellant, who had returned home for some item that he had forgotten, dismissed his fishing partner and insisted on carrying the boy and his mother to the hospital. Neither the mother nor the child told the appellant the real reason for their trip to the hospital. After the child indicated he did not want to go through with the examination, the appellant, who at that point did not know that he had been accused, insisted on the child being examined. On two occasions before reaching the examination room, the appellant had to employ stern language to get the boy to go through with the examination. The boy, apparently with reluctance, told the hospital personnel that the appellant had molested him. Two officers then went to the waiting room and arrested the appellant. This was his firs knowledge, according to his testimony at trial, of what was happening. The father was taken away to jail, and the boy and his mother went home. Shortly thereafter the child recanted his story. Before recanting the story, the child told a deputy sheriff, a social worker, and the examining doctor that he had been molested. The doctor found no evidence of physical or sexual abuse. At the trial the child denied that he had ever been molested by the appellant. The evidence at trial consisted solely of hearsay testimony. Generally speaking, their testimony was simply that the child had told them that the appellant had molested him. The boy freely admitted at trial that he had told the doctor and others that he had been molested, but insisted that he was mad about the fishing trip and that he made up the story. Neither the initial examination nor the examination at the hospital revealed any evidence whatsoever of physical or sexual abuse of the child. The only evidence of abuse presented at trial was the recanted story the child had given on the date he was knocked out of the fishing trip. The only other evidence of abuse presented at the trial was the testimony of the deputy sheriff that the appellant had admitted the act soon after he had been taken into custody. The appellant testified that he never admitted that he had sexually abused the child. At the trial, the alleged victim testified that he was twelve years of age and was making A’s and B’s in the seventh grade; he stated that he was vice-president of the student council, a member of the science club, starting tackle on the football team, and a church member. He very clearly explained his understanding of the oath to tell the truth and swore that the appellant had never molested him. The result in this case is yet another product of the hysteria of crime paranoia that has gripped this nation for some time. I cannot understand why this child’s original story should be believed when he made the accusations while he was upset with the appellant, and then recanted the story soon thereafter. Furthermore, this young man is a devoted member of his church and obviously comprehends the responsibilities of taking an oath. He testified under oath that he had lied on the earlier occasion and that the appellant had never molested him sexually. The only reason I can think of for the jury not believing him while he was under oath and believing him when he was not is the attitude among many citizens that a defendant in a criminal trial is guilty or he would never have been charged. An additional error by the trial court concerns the voir dire of the jury by defense counsel. It is my opinion that the voir dire was unjustifiably restricted. Counsel proposed to ask the jury the following question: “If there was not any physical or documentary evidence, would the jury disregard the prosecutor’s reference to same?” Counsel also attempted to inquire of the jury panel members concerning their attitudes on hearsay evidence as opposed to direct evidence. The court refused to allow this inquiry also. The whole purpose of voir dire is to discover if there is any basis for a challenge for cause and to intelligently exercise peremptory challenges. Sanders v. State, 278 Ark. 420, 646 S.W.2d 14 (1983). Although the scope of voir direexamination is generally vested within the sound discretion of the trial court, and we will not reverse in the absence of abuse of this discretion, the trial court nevertheless should not unduly restrict the extent of voir dire. Fauna v. State, 265 Ark. 934, 582 S.W.2d 18 (1979); and Finch v. State, 262 Ark. 313, 556 S.W.2d 434 (1977). I believe these questions were within the legitimate scope of voir dire and should have been permitted. It was prejudicial error to allow the doctor to testify in view of the fact that the boy and his mother had both given the doctor a written statement that they were not waiving the doctor-patient privilege. Their refusal to waive the privilege was reserved for objection throughout the trial. The doctor was called as a witness and testified about what the boy and his mother had told him. The objection by defense counsel was overruled, and the court stated in the presence of the jury: “Let the record indicate also that an objection has been made under the doctor-patient privilege and the court has denied that motion and you are ordered and directed to testify, doctor.” It is my belief that this was an improper comment by the judge on the privilege which had been asserted. Arkansas Rules of Evidence, Rule 512, states: COMMENT UPON OR INFERENCE FROM CLAIM OF PRIVILEGE — INSTRUCTION. (a) Comment or Inference Not Permitted. The claim of a privilege, whether in the present proceeding or upon a prior occasion, is not a proper subject of comment by judge or counsel. No inference may be drawn therefrom. (b) Claiming Privilege Without Knowledge Of Jury. Injury cases, proceedings shall be conducted, to the extent practicable, so as to facilitate the making of claims of privilege without the knowledge of the jury. Even if Arkansas Rules of Evidence Rule 803(25)(A) were valid, it is not a license to prosecute any adult upon nothing more than the hearsay statement of a minor that an adult has abused him or her. Nevertheless, under the precedent of today’s decision, a person can be convicted upon the hearsay statement of a child in spite of the fact that the child testified under oath that the statement was never made. I am of the opinion that what is called A.R.E. Rule 803(25)(A) is unconstitutional for the reasons stated in Cogburn v. State, 292 Ark. 564, 732 S.W.2d 807 (1987); Hughes v. State, 292 Ark. 619, 732 S.W.2d 829 (1987); and Johnson v. State, 292 Ark. 632, 732 S.W.2d 817 (1987). Although one would not know it from a reading of the majority opinion, this court has never expressly ruled that A.R.E. Rule 803(25) is constitutional. Had we in some previous opinion made so significant a holding — one bearing such weight with respect to the vital question of the separation of powers — surely the majority opinion would have quoted the historic language. Because, however, no such explicit approval of the General Assembly’s enactment of A.R.E. Rule 803(25) may be found in Cogburn, Hughes, Johnson, or any other decision of this court, you will search the majority opinion in vain for the magic phrase. Of course, the reason why this court has not held A.R.E. Rule 803(25) constitutional is because it realizes that this enactment, which was not included in the adoption of the Arkansas Rules of Evidence in Ricarte v. State, 290 Ark. 100, 717 S.W.2d 488 (1986), violates the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Justice Dudley, concurring in Johnson I, stated that, after our ruling in Ricarte, “[t]he Legislature later enacted Rule 803(25), but this Court has not adopted such a rule, and probably will not do so.” 292 Ark. at 652, 732 S.W.2d at 828. Yet the majority speaks of the “adoption of A.R.E. Rule 803(25)” and refers to the court as having “upheld the rule” in Johnson I, thus appearing to concede to the General Assembly by default what Justice Dudley in his “caveat” termed the “separation of powers issue.” We have never squarely addressed this important question. But in any event, the state cannot impose rules on this court. Why should we allow the trial courts to operate pursuant to a nonexistent rule, whether constitutional or not? The errors in the trial court were sufficient to require a reversal.