State v. Johnson, A-98-1203.
| Decision Date | 19 October 1999 |
| Docket Number | No. A-98-1203.,A-98-1203. |
| Parties | STATE of Nebraska, appellee, v. Robert R. JOHNSON, appellant. |
| Court | Nebraska Court of Appeals |
Arthur C. Toogood, Adams County Public Defender, Hastings, for appellant.
Don Stenberg, Attorney General, and Susan J. Gustafson, Lincoln, for appellee.
Robert R. Johnson was charged by information with first degree sexual assault to which he entered a plea of not guilty. After a jury trial in August 1998 in the Adams County District Court, Johnson was convicted and sentenced to not less than 3 nor more than 5 years' imprisonment. Johnson now appeals to this court.
Johnson was charged by an information filed in the Adams County District Court with first degree sexual assault of M.L.H. on or between December 22 and 23, 1995.
M.L.H. first became acquainted with Johnson in August 1994 when she was dating Dave Wolz, Johnson's friend and roommate. M.L.H. dated Wolz for about 6 months and socialized with Johnson and his girl friend, Kelly Fielder, during this time period. Fielder was M.L.H.'s best friend at that time. After M.L.H. and Wolz stopped dating, M.L.H. continued to socialize with Johnson and Fielder.
M.L.H., Johnson, and Fielder took a trip to Kansas City, Missouri, in July 1995. The three shared a hotel room, with Fielder and Johnson sharing one bed and M.L.H. in another. On this trip, M.L.H. testified that Johnson unlocked the bathroom door while she was taking a shower, which made her uncomfortable. Johnson made the suggestion that M.L.H., Fielder, and he should have a "threesome," to which M.L.H. said no and that she did not want to do anything with him of such a nature. Both M.L.H. and Johnson testified that Johnson flirted with M.L.H. and repeatedly asked her to have sex with him, and that she always said no. M.L.H. stated that she was not attracted to Johnson and testified that Johnson's advances got to the point that they did not bother her.
On December 22, 1995, Fielder and Johnson picked M.L.H. up in Johnson's car, and the three went to a bar together. At the bar, the three danced and had drinks. M.L.H. drank five to six drinks and testified that Johnson probably had more. At about 11:30 p.m., the three left and returned to Johnson and Fielder's apartment. After staying there for approximately 10 minutes, M.L.H. stated that she did not feel well and wanted to go home. Johnson told Fielder that he would take M.L.H. home and that Fielder should stay there at the apartment. Johnson and M.L.H. then got in Johnson's car to go to M.L.H.'s home, where she lived with her parents, which was approximately four blocks away. From this point forward, the testimony is in conflict.
M.L.H. testified that on the way to her house, Johnson did not turn when she expected him to, but, rather, drove another block, turned left, and parked the car. At this time, Johnson turned toward M.L.H., grabbed her left leg, and pulled it over to the side between the back of the seat and his body. M.L.H.'s head was caught by the door. She told Johnson that she wanted to go home, but he did not let her leave. Johnson unbuttoned and pulled down her pants, pulled her shirt and bra up, lifted her right leg, and performed oral sex on her. M.L.H. tried to push him away, but could not because her legs were caught, as was her head. Johnson then had intercourse with M.L.H. and stopped after a few minutes. M.L.H. stated that Johnson stopped "because he said he didn't want to get me pregnant." M.L.H. testified that she did not want to have intercourse with Johnson and communicated that to him by telling him no during the incident. She stated at trial that "[d]uring the whole thing I was saying no and trying to push him off, and I was crying and said I wanted to go home." Afterward, Johnson pulled up his pants and told M.L.H. to put her clothes back on. Johnson then drove M.L.H. home. When they arrived at M.L.H.'s home, Johnson told her to quit crying.
Johnson's testimony describes a consensual sexual encounter. He testified that M.L.H. had kissed him on the lips prior to that night and that during the drive to M.L.H.'s house, he gave her a kiss and she "French" kissed him. According to his testimony, Johnson then parked the car, things progressed, and M.L.H. helped him take one of her shoes off and her jeans off one of the legs. Johnson stated that he performed oral sex on her and that then, they had consensual sexual intercourse. He also testified that during the encounter, M.L.H. was giggling, did not say no or stop, and did not try to hit, push, or kick him. Johnson stated that he stopped having intercourse with her when she began to cry because she was afraid she would get pregnant. M.L.H. denies that this is how the incident occurred.
Johnson delivered M.L.H. to her house. When M.L.H. entered her home, her mother was still up. The mother testified that while she noticed nothing unusual about her daughter's clothes or hair, she thought her daughter looked upset. M.L.H. told her mother that she was going to take a bath and go to bed, but did not tell her about what had happened with Johnson. M.L.H.'s mother testified that her daughter complained, after that night, of a stomach ache and was not eating very well. M.L.H. did not seek medical treatment after the encounter with Johnson.
On December 23, 1995, M.L.H. visited Fielder and Johnson at their apartment, where M.L.H., Fielder, and Johnson exchanged Christmas gifts. M.L.H. then followed Fielder and Johnson in her car to a bar, where the three stayed for approximately 2 hours. M.L.H. then drove herself home. On December 26, M.L.H. told a few friends, including Fielder, about the incident that had occurred with Johnson. She then reported it to the police and also informed her mother about what had happened with Johnson.
On December 26, 1995, when M.L.H. told Fielder about the incident, Fielder moved out of the apartment she shared with Johnson. However, she moved back in after a while, and Johnson was still her boyfriend at the time of the trial.
Johnson and Fielder both testified that when Johnson arrived back at his and Fielder's apartment, he told Fielder that he and M.L.H. had consensual sex. However, when Fielder was interviewed by police several days after the incident between M.L.H. and Johnson, she stated that when Johnson returned home, he told her that nothing had happened.
At Johnson's trial, the prosecution asked M.L.H. if she and Wolz had had sexual intercourse during their relationship, in an apparent foundational effort to show that M.L.H. knew what sexual intercourse was and that thus, she understood and could testify that the incident with Johnson involved sexual intercourse. Johnson attempted to cross-examine M.L.H. further regarding her sexual relationship with Wolz. The prosecution objected, relying on Nebraska's rape shield law, Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-321 (Reissue 1995). The district court sustained the objection because Johnson had not given the required statutory 15 days' notice concerning this line of inquiry and because such evidence was irrelevant.
Johnson thereafter made an offer of proof. Johnson intended to question M.L.H. about an incident that allegedly occurred while she was dating Wolz. Johnson alleges that while M.L.H. and Wolz were having sexual intercourse, they called Johnson and Fielder into the room to watch them. Johnson asserts that he should have been allowed to cross-examine M.L.H. about this incident to show that M.L.H.'s testimony that she felt uncomfortable when Johnson walked into the bathroom in Kansas City while she was taking a shower was untrue.
Johnson assigns five errors. The district court (1) erred in failing to grant Johnson's motion for a directed verdict at the close of all the evidence, (2) erred in failing to grant his motion for a new trial because the verdict entered is contrary to law, (3) abused its discretion in refusing to place him on probation, (4) abused its discretion in imposing a sentence which was excessive and disproportionate to the severity of the offense when considered with his background and prior record, and (5) erred in failing to allow him to fully cross-examine and confront the witnesses against him.
Denial of Motion for Directed Verdict.
Johnson first argues that his motion for a directed verdict at the close of all the evidence should have been granted by the trial court.
Whether a trial court should have granted a motion for directed verdict at the close of the State's case is a question of law. State v. McBride, 250 Neb. 636, 550 N.W.2d 659 (1996). On a question of law, an appellate court is obligated to reach a conclusion independent of the determination reached by the court below. State v. Arnold, 253 Neb. 789, 572 N.W.2d 74 (1998); State v. McBride, supra.
Regardless of whether evidence is direct, circumstantial, or a combination thereof, and regardless of whether the issue is labeled as failure to direct a verdict, insufficiency of evidence, or failure to prove a prima facie case, the standard of review is the same: In reviewing a criminal conviction, an appellate court does not resolve conflicts in the evidence, pass on the credibility of the witnesses, or reweigh the evidence; such matters are for the finder of fact, and a conviction will be affirmed, in the absence of prejudicial error, if the properly admitted evidence, viewed and construed most favorably to the State, is sufficient to support the conviction. State v. Larsen, 255 Neb. 532, 586 N.W.2d 641 (1998); State v. Jacob, 253 Neb. 950, 574 N.W.2d 117 (1998); State v. Becerra, 253 Neb. 653, 573 N.W.2d 397 (1998).
A directed verdict in a criminal case is proper only when there is a complete failure of evidence to establish an essential element of the crime charged or the evidence is so doubtful in character and lacking probative value, that a finding...
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State v. Johnson
...less than 3 nor more than 5 years' imprisonment. Johnson appealed to this court, and we affirmed his conviction in State v. Johnson, 8 Neb.App. 762, 602 N.W.2d 253 (1999). Johnson filed a motion for rehearing, which we have granted, and now we decide the appeal anew. Therefore, we withdraw ......