145 results for 'cat:"Evidence" AND cat:"Child Victims"'.
J. Hixson finds the trial court properly convicted defendant for the sexual assault of his 12-year-old daughter. A detective testified to interviewing the mother and daughter on allegations of the father's committing sexual assault. Sufficient evidence, including forensic interview and statements made by defendant involving keeping secrets supports the conviction. Defendant's challenge of evidence sufficiency is not preserved for review, and the trial court properly denied his request for directed verdict. The victim testified that her father touched her "private area," which can be construed as having been done for sexual gratification. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Hixson , Filed On: May 15, 2024, Case #: CR-23-611, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Pirtle finds the trial court properly convicted defendant for negligent child abuse. Defendant's 15-year-old daughter testified that her father whipped her on the backs of her legs with a phone charging cord after she refused to give him her phone out of fear that he might break it like he had done before. During the altercation and the daughter's attempts to escape, the father also puncher her in the face and sexually assaulted her. Sufficient evidence, including family testimony and the consistency of the victim's injuries supports the conviction. No abuse of discretion is found. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Pirtle , Filed On: May 14, 2024, Case #: A-23-255, Categories: evidence, Assault, child Victims
J. McShan finds that the lower court properly convicted defendant of predatory sexual assault against a child and sexual abuse involving three alleged victims. Defendant contends the children's delay in disclosing the alleged abuse suggested fabrication, but they testified they were afraid of defendant, and expert witnesses credibly testified about the reasons minors may delay in reporting abuse. Affirmed.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: McShan, Filed On: May 9, 2024, Case #: 110741, Categories: evidence, Experts, child Victims
J. Hixson finds the trial court properly convicted defendant for the first-degree murder of his 3-year-old son. Defendant's girlfriend testified defendant punished the child by whipping him on his back with a belt and wooden spoon for peeing on himself and cussing, also saying this instance was more violent than previous punishments. After leaving the room, the girlfriend returned when things got quiet to see the child lying motionless on the floor. The child died later that day after receiving medical attention. Sufficient evidence, including forensic/medical photographs, the belt, an extension cord and the broken wooden spoon demonstrate defendant knew his conduct of repeated blunt-force trauma to the child's head and torso was deadly. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Hixson , Filed On: May 8, 2024, Case #: CR-23-196, Categories: evidence, Murder, child Victims
J. Thyer finds the trial court properly convicted defendant for sexual assault. Defendant's charge of rape against his 9-year-old daughter was reduced to second-degree sexual assault on the victim's testimony that she was petting her dog after a bad dream when defendant entered the room, pulled her off the bed and put his penis between her "butt cheeks." The mother witnessed the assault, and friends and other family were told about it before police were called. The testimony does not need to be corroborated and sufficient evidence supports the conviction. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Thyer , Filed On: May 8, 2024, Case #: CR-23-410, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
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J. Boomgaarden finds that the lower court properly convicted defendant of sexual abuse and other sex crimes against a minor. Defendant claims there was not enough evidence entered on the record to convict him, but the state brought forward witnesses and other exhibits that all supported a jury being able to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that he acted knowingly and with intent. Affirmed.
Court: Wyoming Supreme Court, Judge: Boomgaarden, Filed On: May 2, 2024, Case #: S-23-0268, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Hudson finds the trial court properly convicted defendant for child sexual abuse and rape, sentencing him to 25 years in prison. Nothing in defendant's confession video suggests coercion or involuntariness, and he fails to show the court's decision to allow it into evidence was erroneous. All evidence supports the conviction and nothing in the record suggests the judge considered extraneous allegation when sentencing. Affirmed.
Court: Oklahoma Courts Of Appeal, Judge: Hudson , Filed On: May 2, 2024, Case #: F-2022-620, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Pirtle finds the trial court properly dismissed defendant's petition for postconviction relief without an evidentiary hearing. The 9-year-old victim reported defendant had sexually abused her when she was 3 or 4 years old, saying her mother made her available to defendant in exchange for drugs. Though information shared by the victim over several forensic interviews was not entirely consistent, defendant was not prejudiced by his counsel's not interviewing a previous forensic interviewer or another individual the victim had mistaken for defendant. The information would have been cumulative. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Pirtle, Filed On: April 23, 2024, Case #: A-23-230, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Dowd finds that the lower court properly convicted defendant of rape of a 17-year-old victim, and sentenced him to seven years in prison. The court did not err by allowing the victim to testify she felt intimidated at her deposition after defendant impeached her with her deposition testimony. Further, the prosecutor was permitted to highlight the age difference between defendant and the victim during closing arguments. Affirmed.
Court: Missouri Court Of Appeals, Judge: Dowd, Filed On: April 23, 2024, Case #: ED111691, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Ebel finds that the lower court properly convicted defendant of sexual abuse against a minor. Defendant claims on appeal that the lower court improperly allowed a 50-minute video recording of a forensic interview with the child victim, which defendant says violated the rules regarding hearsay. The interview in question, however, was supported by "sufficient guarantees of trustworthiness" and had enough value to the proceedings to outweigh any evidence-related issues. Affirmed.
Court: 10th Circuit, Judge: Ebel, Filed On: April 23, 2024, Case #: 22-7033, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Alley finds a lower court erred in granting a defendant’s motion to suppress his confession to sexually abusing his daughter. While defendant referenced that he would get a lawyer while being questioned by detectives, he continued to speak to them regardless, and as he “was not in custody and was free to terminate the interrogation,” his confession should not have been suppressed. Reversed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Alley, Filed On: April 18, 2024, Case #: 08-23-00077-CR, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Egan finds the trial court properly convicted defendant, after a jury trial, for 30 sexual offenses committed against his stepson. “Because the jury heard evidence of other crimes, the prosecutor had reason to ensure that the jury found defendant guilty on each count based on the evidence that corresponded with each charge.” Affirmed.
Court: Oregon Court of Appeals, Judge: Egan, Filed On: April 17, 2024, Case #: A177520, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Soto finds a lower court did not err in convicting defendant of continuous sexual abuse of a child. Defendant raised a number of purported issues with his conviction, including disputing evidentiary rulings made by the court, and while the lower court did indeed err by allowing the victim’s mother and two detectives to testify as outcry witnesses based on discrepancies in their testimonies, the errors “did not have a substantial and injurious effect” given the overall evidence against defendant. Affirmed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Soto, Filed On: April 12, 2024, Case #: 08-23-00162-CR, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Wood finds the trial court properly convicted defendant for the first-degree battery of his 6-month-old daughter based on sufficient evidence. The hospital discovered 12 to 15 fractures throughout the child's body, a black eye and skin abrasions after defendant took her in for medical care when he found her arm was swollen. Forensic investigators said the injuries were consistent with abuse. Defendant also admitted no other adult was alone with the child. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Wood , Filed On: April 10, 2024, Case #: CR-23-539, Categories: evidence, Battery, child Victims
J. Ahlers finds that the lower court properly prevented defense counsel from introducing evidence about defendant's agreement to be interviewed by police in his trial for sexually abusing a child because the state would have been entitled to provide evidence that risked significant prejudice during rebuttal. Affirmed.
Court: Iowa Court Of Appeals, Judge: Ahlers, Filed On: April 10, 2024, Case #: 22-1593, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Benton finds a lower court properly denied a defendant's motion for a new trial. The defendant, who was charged on one count of attempted enticement of a minor, argued that he is entitled to relief for prosecutorial misconduct. However, the government sufficiently showed in court that the prosecutor's jury instructions did not violate his credibility for untrue facts. Affirmed.
Court: 8th Circuit, Judge: Benton, Filed On: April 4, 2024, Case #: 23-2203, Categories: evidence, Fair Trial, child Victims
J. Abele finds defendant's decision to leave loaded weapons in an unlocked gun cabinet was undoubtedly a contributing factor in the death of the victim in an accidental shooting during a sleepover and, therefore, satisfied the necessary elements for the jury to convict him of involuntary manslaughter. Although defendant may not have intended his children or the victim to retrieve the guns, it was not out of the "realm of possibility" or an unforeseeable consequence of his decision to leave the cabinet unlocked. Affirmed.
Court: Ohio Court Of Appeals, Judge: Abele, Filed On: April 2, 2024, Case #: 2024-Ohio-1330, Categories: evidence, Manslaughter, child Victims
J. Hoyle finds the trial court properly convicted defendant for three counts of aggravated assault of a child, sentencing him to life in prison. Defendant makes no argument the denial of his motion for continuance would have been error. His belief the mother’s lack of testimony is the reason for the hung jury at first trial is speculation. The record indicates defendant was able to present his defensive positions the victim fabricated the sexual assault claim and that the house was under construction, thereby undermining the victim’s account. Affirmed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Hoyle , Filed On: March 28, 2024, Case #: 12-23-00119-CR, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Brown finds the trial court properly convicted defendant for raping his girlfriend's daughter. The victim said she was 10 years old when she first made accusations against him, but she later recanted and was returned home after defendant pressured her. Her aunt then read diary entries detailing events of rape, as well as defendant's having bought her a sex toy. Contrary to defendant's argument, the state is not required to prove specifically when and where each act occurred. Furthermore, certain testimony detailing events that occurred outside Arkansas were properly admitted under the pedophile exception. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Brown , Filed On: March 27, 2024, Case #: CR-23-387, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Emas finds defendant's habeas corpus petition in his case alleging two offenses of lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor under the age of 12 must be granted. In part because the child victim did not testify in person at defendant's adversary preliminary hearing, the child's two out-of-court statements prosecutors submitted at the hearing were improperly allowed as evidence by the trial court, as they qualify as inadmissible hearsay given the circumstances. No other evidence was brought to establish probable cause, so defendant must be released on recognizance.
Court: Florida Courts Of Appeal, Judge: Emas, Filed On: March 14, 2024, Case #: 24-0331, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. Gallagher finds testimony provided by each of the victims was sufficient to support defendant's rape and gross sexual imposition convictions despite some inconsistencies. Each victim spoke about a specific series of events to establish the elements of the crimes, while the amount of time that passed between the assaults and defendant's trial was likely to blame for any confusion regarding the dates of the crimes. Affirmed in part.
Court: Ohio Court Of Appeals, Judge: Gallagher, Filed On: March 14, 2024, Case #: 2024-Ohio-954, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. McKeig affirms the defendant's conviction for knowingly permitting a minor to ingest methamphetamine. The state provided sufficient evidence, including the defendant's relationship with the child's host family and regular contact with the child and her friend, both 14, to make the hypothesis that the defendant knew the children were under 18 the only rational one. Affirmed.
Court: Minnesota Supreme Court, Judge: McKeig, Filed On: March 13, 2024, Case #: A22-0200, Categories: Drug Offender, evidence, child Victims
J. Motz finds the lower court properly sentenced the defendant for crimes related to his production and possession of child pornography. The defendant filmed multiple minor boys masturbating. The defendant argues web searches from his phone are irrelevant because they don't involve the victims of his child porn production. The web searches, including searches for "selfies boy masturbating," reveal his interest in depictions of minor boys masturbating, the same sort of conduct underlying the charged offenses. Affirmed.
Court: 4th Circuit, Judge: Motz, Filed On: March 12, 2024, Case #: 22-4322, Categories: evidence, child Victims, Child Pornography
J. Bock finds the child victim's testimony was sufficient to establish all the elements of the rape offenses with which defendant was charged. While there were some inconsistencies between her statements to investigators and testimony at trial, none of her trial testimony contradicted any previous claims and the jury was in the best position to determine her credibility. Meanwhile, although the doctor's statement at trial that there was a "high likelihood that abuse has occurred" was inappropriate vouching for the victim, the error was harmless because the state did not mention the comment at any point during trial and there was other, overwhelming evidence to support defendant's convictions. Affirmed.
Court: Ohio Court Of Appeals, Judge: Bock, Filed On: March 8, 2024, Case #: 2024-Ohio-851, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims
J. McShan finds that defendant was properly convicted of criminal sexual act and course of sexual conduct against a child for allegedly performing oral sex on five boys each under the age of 13 over a protracted period because the weight of the evidence supported the verdict, including testimony from the boys and defendant's own confessions. Affirmed.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: McShan, Filed On: March 7, 2024, Case #: 110875, Categories: evidence, Sex Offender, child Victims