Com. v. Cutler

Decision Date24 June 1969
PartiesCOMMONWEALTH v. Roy D. CUTLER.
CourtUnited States State Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts Supreme Court

Robert A. Novick, Boston (Reuben Goodman, Boston, with him), for defendant.

Barry M. Haight, Asst. Dist. Atty., for Commonwealth.

Before WILKINS, C.J., and WHITTEMORE, CUTTER, SPIEGEL, and REARDON, JJ. WHITTEMORE, Justice.

This is an appeal under G.L. c. 278, §§ 33A--33G, from a conviction for manslaugter. The victim was the defendant's three-year old son, Lawrence A. Cutler. The defendant argues error in the admission in evidence of a statement made by him, of a statement made by another to him concerning his prior treatment of his son and his reply, and of photographs of the interior of his house.

1. At the trial, Officer Ward of the Waltham police testified that on July 10, 1967 (Monday), about 1:45 A.M. he received a call to go to the defendant's house in Waltham. The defendant was waiting, outside the house, and led Officer Ward and another officer inside. Officer Ward saw a child lying on the sofa, picked him up, and took him to the emergency room of the Waltham Hospital. When the child was undressed in the emergency room, Officer Ward observed several bruises on the lower part of his body. He then went out into the lobby and asked the defendant how the bruises occurred. The reply, received subject to objection and exception, was that they occurred while the child was out playing. In cross-examination Officer Ward testified that before he spoke with the defendant he had telephoned his superiors 'relative to at least further investigation.' No motion to strike was made.

The defendant's answer to Officer Ward was inconsistent with the defendant's later admissions to the police that he had 'licked' the child.

We rule that Officer Ward's question and the defendant's answer were admissible. The inquiry was a general inquiry; it had not focused on the defendant as an accused. Compare Escobedo v. Illinois, 378 U.S. 478, 490--491, 84 S.Ct. 1758, 12 L.Ed.2d 977; Commonwealth v. Guerro, 349 Mass. 277, 281--282, 207 N.E.2d 887. The atmosphere at the hospital was not custodial. The defendant had not been deprived of his freedom in any way when this natural preliminary question was asked. Compare Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694; Orozco v. Texas, 394 U.S. 324, 89 S.Ct. 1095, 22 L.Ed.2d 311). See as to the reasonable application of the Miranda rule, Commonwealth v. Wilbur, 353 Mass. 376, 382--383, 231 N.E.2d 919, and Commonwealth v. Fisher, Mass., 238 N.E.2d 525. a The child was still alive at the time. Sometime later that day, the defendant was told he was not then a suspect. That Officer Ward had called the police station is not conclusive. That evidence does not show that he recognized this as a 'battered child syndrome' nor that his report to the station was other than his usual report made after responding to a radio call. We cannot assume that Officer Ward had focused on the defendant as a criminal suspect.

2. The defendant's wife's stepfather testified on March 1, 1968, without objection, that he had known the deceased child two years, and on two or three occasions had seen marks on his body. He testified that 'a little over a year' prior to the time of his testimony he had spoken to the defendant about it and (subject to objection and exception) that he had said to the defendant that he should not hit Larry 'because he bruises easy. And, he told me--he didn't exactly tell me to mind my own business, but he said he will take care of it. I says, okay. That's all I said and I just walked out of the room.' The judge instructed the jury that the evidence was not admitted as proof of any act by the defendant as charged but 'merely for the purpose of showing what his disposition may have been with respect to this child. It's just a general attitude, evidence as to a general attitude rather than a specific point.'

Detective Lieutenant Cronin of the State police had already testified that the defendant said that on a Saturday evening, July 8, 1967, he had given his child the 'most severe licking I ever gave him in my life, it was very severe.' The defendant had said that neither he nor his wife physically punished the child on Sunday evening, July 9 (although his wife had said that the child had messed his pants and 'should get a licking'), but that he saw the child out of his bed some time after 12:15 A.M. Monday, and told him to get back in bed, and that he heard a 'thump' as the child ran back to bed. He then said he heard the child moaning and told his wife to check him. Mrs. Cutler did so, and came and told him the child did not look well. The defendant looked at the child and decided to call the ambulance.

There was corroboration, in other police testimony, of the defendant's admissions.

There was medical testimony that the child had multiple bruises (about eighty-four), some inflicted recently and others of longer duration. An autopsy revealed a recent rupture or splitting of the liver and it was stated that the child could have survived with this liver condition for 'a couple of hours, or less.' There was further medical testimony that such an injury to the liver would require a 'rapid blunt blow of great intensity,' and it was consistent with a beating with hands or feet or an instrument and that a fall from bed or otherwise would be an insufficient cause. Death occurred because of the ruptured liver and consequent intra-abdominal bleeding. It was 'a battered child syndrome as a result of homicide.'

Where the only relevance of prior conduct is to show that the person charged has a disposition to do acts of a certain kind it is not admissible to prove that he did such an act. Commonwealth v. Stone, 321 Mass. 471, 473--474, 73 N.E.2d 896; Commonwealth v. Welcome, 348 Mass. 68, 70, 201 N.E.2d 827 (citing Stone, The Rule of Exclusion of Similar Fact Evidence: England, 46 Harv.L.Rev. 954, 965--966). See idem. 976; Stone, The Rule of Exclusion * * * America, 51 Harv.L.Rev. 988, 1031--1037; Leach and Liacos, Handbook of Massachusetts Evidence, 302. Such evidence may have other relevance and hence be admissible. See Wigmore on Evidence (3d ed.) §§ 218, 363, 416. Thus it may show a continuing hostility to or resentment because of frustrated passion toward a murder victim and be relevant on the issue of motive or intent. Commonwealth v. Bartolini, 299...

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