Antonio Bridges was convicted of robbery by force or intimidation, theft by taking, fleeing and attempting to elude, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, no license on person, and failure to stop at a stop sign. On appeal, Bridges’s sole claim of error is that the trial court improperly admitted certain testimony of the victim’s mother that he claims was irrelevant and improperly bolstered the victim’s testimony. Finding no reversible error, we affirm.
“On appeal from a criminal conviction, we view the evidence in the light most favorable
The victim called 911 and reported the incident. The next day, two police officers spotted Bridges in the stolen vehicle and began to pursue him after activating the blue lights and siren on their marked patrol vehicle. Failing to stop, Bridges turned down a side street and accelerated to approximately 75 miles per hour, despite the posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour. Bridges ran several stop signs, parked the car in a restaurant parking lot, and attempted to flee on foot. The officers apprehended Bridges after a foot chase. He had no driver’s license on his person. After he was informed of his Miranda rights, Bridges admitted that “he actually stole the car.”
At the jury trial, the victim and one of the pursuing officers, among others, testified to the events set out above. The audiotape of the 911 call was played to the jury. The victim’s mother also testified that she owned the car at issue and had given the victim permission to drive it on the day of the incident. The mother further testified that she was a former 911 dispatcher, that the demeanor of callers varied “from person to person,” and that some callers were quiet and calm irrespective of the type of crime being reported. In addition, the mother related that on the day of the incident, the victim called her “crying and hysterical” and told her that “he took the car and he punched me in the jaw.” According to the mother, when she later saw the victim, the victim had a swollen jaw and “was having trouble opening and closing it.”
In contrast, Bridges testified that in exchange for some marijuana, the victim gave him permission to use her mother’s car until 6:00 p.m. A private investigator hired by the defense testified that the victim told him that Bridges had taken the car “too long” and “should have brought [it] back.”
1. Although not raised by Bridges, we conclude that the evidence adduced at trial clearly was sufficient to support the jury’s verdict under the standard set forth in
Jackson v.
Virginia,
[cjonflicts in the testimony of the witnesses, including the State’s witnesses, are a matter of credibility for the jury to resolve. [Where, as here,] there [was] some competent evidence, even though contradicted, to support each fact necessary to make out the State’s case, the jury’s verdict will be upheld.
(Citation omitted.)
Lopez v. State,
2. Bridges contends that the trial court erred in admitting the mother’s testimony that she formerly worked as a 911 dispatcher, that the demeanor of persons who called 911 varied, and that some callers were quiet and calm regardless of the kind of crime being reported. Bridges argues that the testimony was irrelevant and was
an improper attempt to bolster the credibility of the victim because the victim’s voice on the
Pretermitting whether the mother’s testimony was improper, any error in its admission was harmless because the testimony was cumulative of other testimony later admitted without objection. See
Jackson v. State,
Although unclear, Bridges also appears to challenge on the same grounds the mother’s testimony that the victim was “crying and hysterical” when she spoke with the victim on the phone. However, Bridges has failed to preserve his claim of error because his sole objection to this testimony at trial was that it was hearsay. “In order to preserve an objection upon a specific ground for appeal, the objection must be made at trial upon that specific ground.” (Punctuation and footnote omitted.)
Scott v. State,
Judgment affirmed.
