Court Opinion

ID: 9715990
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 06:22:45.911461+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:40.325549
License: Public Domain

GIVAN, Justice,
concurring and dissenting.
I concur with the majority opinion in the reversal of appellant's conviction as to the molestation of J.T. I think the majority is correct in its observation and application of the Patterson rule.
However, I respectfully dissent from the majority in reversing appellant's conviction as to A.G. As stated in the majority opinion, the trial court did not err in admitting a videotape of an interview with A.G. because of A.G.'s testimony during the trial. Thus there was compliance with the requirements of the Patterson rule. Accept ing this observation by the majority opinion, I am foreed to disagree with their ultimate conclusion that statements by adult witnesses concerning their interviews with A.G. so prejudiced appellant that his conviction as to A.G. must be reversed. When one accepts the testimony of A.G. coupled with the properly-admitted videotape of her prior statements, there is sufficient evidence to sustain appellant's conviction as to A.G.
Even if we assume that the admissions of additional statements made by the adults, as set forth in the majority opinion, were improper, they nevertheless are cumulative to the evidence which was properly presented under the theory of the majority opinion. I therefore would not reverse the conviction as to A.G.