Higgins v. State, A01A1096.

• Decision Date: 10 August 2001
• Docket Number: No. A01A1096.,A01A1096.
• Citation: 554 S.E.2d 212,251 Ga. App. 175
• Parties: HIGGINS v. The STATE.
• Court: Georgia Court of Appeals

554 S.E.2d 212

251 Ga. App. 175

HIGGINS v. The STATE.

No. A01A1096.

Court of Appeals of Georgia.

August 10, 2001.

Johnson, Prioleau & Kenison, Theodore Johnson, Atlanta, for appellant.

Paul L. Howard, Jr., Dist. Atty., Christopher M. Quinn, Asst. Dist. Atty., for appellee.

ELLINGTON, Judge.

A Fulton County jury convicted Lewis Higgins of three counts of aggravated sodomy, OCGA § 16-6-2(a), two counts of aggravated child molestation, OCGA § 16-6-4(c), and three counts of child molestation, OCGA § 16-6-4(a). The trial court granted Higgins' motion for an out-of-time appeal, and Higgins filed his appeal with this Court. Higgins contends his trial counsel was ineffective, the trial court erred in denying his motion for a continuance and in admitting certain evidence, and the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions. Finding no error, we affirm.

1. On appeal from his criminal convictions, Higgins no longer enjoys the presumption of innocence, and we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the jury's verdict. Bethel v. State, 232 Ga.App. 82, 83(1), 500 S.E.2d 595 (1998). So viewed, the record reveals that shortly after Higgins began living with his girlfriend, Deborah Nolen, his eight-year-old daughter, T.H., moved in with them. T.H. had been living with her paternal grandmother in Tennessee. On December 5, 1989, Nolen caught Higgins in the act of performing oral sex on T.H. Nolen testified that shortly after she told Higgins she planned to shower and then go to bed, she walked through the living room and saw T.H. sitting on the couch, her gown pushed up and her underpants pulled down. Higgins was crouched between T.H.'s legs, his mouth on her genitals. Nolen testified that she froze in horror, dropped the lotion bottle she had been holding, and said, "Oh, my God." Higgins told Nolen that he wanted her to catch him so that she would force him to get help. Nolen agreed to give Higgins a month to seek professional help. During that period, Nolen, and a neighbor in whom she confided, ensured that Higgins was never alone with T.H. Higgins never sought psychological help.

On January 1, 1990, Nolen confronted Higgins when he attempted to discipline T.H. by whipping her. Higgins became enraged and irrational. He began breaking things, "flicking" a knife back and forth, and threatening to kill himself. Two days after this incident, Nolen told Higgins she had "had it," that something had to be done about the situation with T.H. That night, while Nolen and T.H. watched television in bed, Higgins began fondling Nolen's breasts. Nolen told him to stop, but he refused. Nolen, herself a victim of child sexual abuse, testified that she was so frightened, she felt frozen in a state of shock. Higgins straddled Nolen and ordered T.H. to suck Nolen's breast. The frightened child complied. Higgins also pushed T.H.'s head toward his penis and ordered her to orally sodomize him while he orally sodomized Nolen. Nolen started to leave, but, Higgins ordered her back into the bedroom. Higgins pushed Nolen's face between T.H.'s legs while he began to have anal sex with Nolen. When Nolen refused Higgins' command to perform oral sex on T.H., Higgins began to fondle T.H.'s genitals and to orally sodomize her. Again, Nolen tried to leave, but, Higgins ordered her back, saying: "You know that's the best sex we've ever had since we've been together." A few days after this incident, Nolen confided in her neighbor and the two called the police.

Although T.H. later recanted her testimony, she initially told investigators and her paternal grandmother that Higgins molested her. Immediately after the police arrested Higgins, T.H. whispered in a detective's ear that her father "made her suck" Nolen's "boobs." A detective testified that during a videotaped interview, T.H. used anatomically correct dolls to illustrate the events of December 5 and of January 3. The videotaped interview was also played for the jury.

We find this evidence sufficient to support Higgins' convictions for child molestation, aggravated child molestation, and aggravated sodomy beyond a reasonable doubt. See McCorkle v. State, 245 Ga.App. 505, 507(1), 538 S.E.2d 161 (2000); Mann v. State, 244 Ga.App. 756, 757-758(1), 536 S.E.2d 608 (2000).

2. In his first two enumerations of error, Higgins contends the trial court erred in admitting the child victim's videotaped statement into evidence. Higgins argues he was not given proper notice of the State's intent to use the videotape nor was he afforded ample time to prepare his defense once the videotape was admitted.

The record reveals that on March 12, 1990, Higgins filed "Consolidated Motions and Demands" for discovery.¹ While under former OCGA § 17-7-210,² Higgins was entitled to a copy of his in-custody statements ten days prior to trial, he was not entitled to a copy of the victim's videotaped statement. See e.g., Osborn v. State, 233 Ga.App. 257, 259-260(2)(a), 504 S.E.2d 74 (1998). In fact, discovery rules in effect in 1990 did not require the disclosure of non-exculpatory witness statements. Walter v. State, 256 Ga. 666, 668(1), 352 S.E.2d 570 (1987); see also State v. Lucious, 271 Ga. 361, 362(1), 518 S.E.2d 677 (1999). Further, because the trial court found (and Higgins concedes) that the videotape contained no exculpatory evidence, the State was not required to produce it under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). McCoy v. State, 174 Ga.App. 621, 624(4), 330 S.E.2d 746 (1985).

Even though Higgins was not entitled to a copy of the videotape prior to trial, the trial court did allow him the opportunity to review the tape prior to its introduction since the prosecutor had said in a pretrial hearing that he did not plan to use the videotape. The record shows that the prosecutor made the tape available to Higgins a full day before it was admitted. Moreover, the trial court recessed early to allow Higgins a chance to study the tape. Further, the prosecutor made Higgins a copy of the tape so that it might be evaluated by any expert Higgins chose to retain. We find no evidence that Higgins was prejudiced by the prosecutor's statement that he did not intend to use the videotape at trial. The record shows that despite this statement, Higgins subsequently asked for and received funds from the State to retain an expert to assist in assessing the victim's mental state, in cross-examining the State's witnesses, and in generally preparing a defense. We find no error.

3. In parts (3) and (3)(a) of that section of his brief entitled "Preservation of Errors," Higgins asserts he was denied the effective assistance of counsel. To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must show that his counsel's performance was deficient and that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense. Smith v. Francis, 253 Ga. 782, 783(1), 325 S.E.2d 362 (1985) (citing Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984)).

In enumeration (3)(a), Higgins asserts that trial counsel was ineffective for...