STATE OF OHIO v. DARIUS CLARK
No. 96207
Court of Appeals of Ohio, EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT, COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA
December 22, 2011
2011-Ohio-6623
JAMES J. SWEENEY, JUDGE
Criminal Appeal from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Case No. CR-536300. JUDGMENT: REVERSED AND REMANDED.
Robert Tobik, Esq.
Chief Public Defender
By: Nathaniel McDonald, Esq.
Assistant Public Defender
310 Lakeside Avenue, Suite 400
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
William D. Mason, Esq.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor
By: Jennifer A. Driscoll, Esq.
Mark J. Mahoney, Esq.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys
The Justice Center
1200 Ontario Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
{1} Defendant-appellant Darius Clark (“defendant“) appeals his multiple convictions for felonious assault, child endangerment, and domestic violence regarding his girlfriend‘s two children, and his associated 28-year prison sentence. After reviewing the facts of the case and pertinent law, we reverse and remand for a new trial.
{2} During the time pertinent to this case, defendant was living with his girlfriend (“mother“) and her two children, L.P., who was born on September 26, 2006, and A.T., who was born on May 17, 2008. From March 8 through March 12, 2010, the children were under the care of defendant while mother was staying with a friend. On
{3} On March 17, 2010, L.P.‘s preschool teachers noticed bruises on him and reported possible abuse to the authorities. On March 18, 2010, a social worker found the children at defendant‘s mother‘s house, where they were being looked after by two teenagers. After awhile, defendant‘s mother arrived at the house, and eventually, the social worker took the children to the hospital. According to the doctor who examined the children, L.P. had multiple bruises in various stages of development and abrasions consistent with being whipped with a belt. A.T. had multiple bruises and burn marks, a swollen hand, and a pattern of sores at her hairline consistent with braids being ripped out of her head. The doctor suspected child abuse and estimated that the injuries occurred between February 28 and March 18, 2010. In response to questions from several adults, L.P. stated that “Dee did it.” It is undisputed that defendant‘s nickname is “Dee.”
{4} On April 15, 2010, defendant and mother were charged with the following: five counts of felonious assault in violation of
{5} On November 16, 2010, the court held a hearing and found four-year-old L.P. incompetent to testify. The court also summarily denied defendant‘s motion in limine requesting that evidence of L.P.‘s out-of-court statements identifying defendant be
{6} Defendant appeals and raises nine assignments of error for our review. We address the assignments of error out of order where appropriate, starting with assignments of error three and four.
{7} III. “The trial court violated Mr. Clark‘s confrontation clause rights pursuant to the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 10 of the Ohio Constitution by admitting prejudicial out-of-court statements by [L.P.].”
{8} IV. “The trial court violated Mr. Clark‘s confrontation clause rights pursuant to the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 10 of the Ohio Constitution when it erroneously found that the requirements of Ohio Rule of Evidence 807 had been satisfied.”
{9} In the instant case, the court denied defendant‘s motion in limine and ruled admissible L.P.‘s out-of-court statements that “Dee did it.” Seven witnesses testified as to what L.P. stated: Cleveland police detective Jody Remington; Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services [CCDCFS] social worker Sarah Bolog; CCDCFS social worker Howard Little; L.P.‘s assistant preschool teacher Ramona
{10} Defendant argues that the court erred by admitting L.P.‘s statements at trial, because the statements were testimonial in nature, L.P. was declared incompetent to testify, and defendant did not have the opportunity to cross-examine L.P.
The Confrontation Clause
{11} We review issues concerning Confrontation Clause violations under a de novo standard. State v. Babb, Cuyahoga App. No. 86294, 2006-Ohio-2209. Pursuant to the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, out-of-court statements that are testimonial in nature are inadmissible unless the declarant is unavailable and the defendant was given a prior opportunity for cross-examination. Crawford v. Washington (2004), 541 U.S. 36, 52, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177. This test does not apply to nontestimonial hearsay. Id. See, also, Michigan v. Bryant (2011), 562 U.S. ___, 131 S.Ct. 1143, 1167, 179 L.Ed.2d 93 (holding that the statements at issue were not testimonial and “leav[ing] for the [state] courts to decide on remand whether the statements’ admission was otherwise permitted by state hearsay rules“).
{12} Thus, as a threshold matter, courts must determine whether statements are testimonial before subjecting them to Crawford standards. Id. at 51-52. Testimonial statements are, among other things, “statements that were made under circumstances which would lead an objective witness reasonably to believe that the statement would be available for use at a later trial.” Id. (Internal citations omitted.)
{14} In Davis, the victim‘s statements to a 911 operator were found to be nontestimonial, as their primary purpose was “to enable police assistance to meet an ongoing emergency.” Id. at 828. However, the victim‘s statements to police officers who responded to the domestic-violence call were held to be testimonial, because “the primary, if not indeed the sole, purpose of the interrogation was to investigate a possible crime.” Id. at 830.
{15} The Ohio Supreme Court applied this body of law to statements made to a medical professional in State v. Stahl, 111 Ohio St.3d 186, 2006-Ohio-5482, 855 N.E.2d 834. The Stahl court distinguished Davis, and held that a rape victim‘s statements to a nurse practitioner during a medical examination were nontestimonial, because the primary purpose was receiving medical treatment. Id. at ¶25. “In determining whether a statement is testimonial for Confrontation Clause purposes, courts should focus on the expectation of the declarant at the time of making the statement; the intent of a questioner
{16} In State v. Siler, 116 Ohio St.3d 39, 2007-Ohio-5637, 876 N.E.2d 534, ¶30, the Ohio Supreme Court further addressed this issue, holding that “to determine whether a child declarant‘s statement made in the course of police interrogation is testimonial or nontestimonial, courts should apply the primary-purpose test” enunciated in Davis. The court also stated that the objective-witness test found in Stahl applies when the interrogator is not in law-enforcement. Siler at ¶28. The distinction between the two tests is “based on the identity of the interrogator and the purpose of the questioning.” Id. Additionally, the court concluded that “the age of a declarant is not determinative of whether a testimonial statement has been made during a police interrogation.” Id. at ¶41.
{17} The issue of child victims’ testimony was addressed most recently by the Ohio Supreme Court in State v. Arnold, 126 Ohio St.3d 290, 2010-Ohio-2742, 933 N.E.2d 775, ¶11, where the court determined the following: “whether, in a criminal prosecution, the out-of-court statements made by a child to an interviewer employed by a child-advocacy center violates [sic] the right to confront witnesses * * *” Arnold recognized that the child advocate who interviewed the victim worked in a “dual capacity,” such that the questioning “might produce both testimonial and nontestimonial statements.” Id. at ¶41. The court explained the child advocate‘s dual capacity as follows: “she was both a forensic interviewer collecting information for use by the police
{18} Arnold concluded that statements regarding “medical diagnosis and treatment are nontestimonial and are admissible without offending the Confrontation Clause. * * * We further hold that statements * * * that serve primarily a forensic or investigative purpose are testimonial and are inadmissible pursuant to the Confrontation Clause when the declarant is unavailable for cross-examination at trial.” Id. Additionally, the court held that the “forensic statements” were subject to a harmless error review. Id.
{19} In the instant case, L.P.‘s statement to Detective Remington that “Dee did it” was primarily investigative or forensic in nature, as the detective was clearly a member of law enforcement. Detective Remington testified about her interaction with L.P. as follows: “As long as we played, he was okay. He was pretty enamored with my badge, like most little boys are. So I gave him the badge, and I told him I‘m the police, and I‘d like to help you. I‘d like to make sure nobody ever hurts you like this again. Can you tell me who hurt you?” There is no suggestion that L.P.‘s identification of defendant as the abuser was elicited for medical purposes or to assist an ongoing police emergency. Therefore, this testimony was improperly admitted at trial.
{20} Bolog testified that she is an investigator for CCDCFS. Her primary duties are to “gather information to determine if, according to the Ohio Revised Code, there is substantial evidence for child abuse or neglect or dependency issues.” She testified that
{21} “The first time was in [defendant‘s mother‘s house] and it was right before the commotion * * * and, you know, the police were there and everything was going on. * * * I was showing him pictures of my dogs, and we were trying to gain that trust. And in talking about things non-related, we would throw in a question about the investigation. So it was like fun question, fun question, fun question, how did you get this mark on your face? And his body language changed. * * * And he said—he put his head down and he said, Daddy did it. Dee did it. And he just said Dee did it.
{22} “And then the second instance where he said it in front of me was at the hospital. Detective Remington and her partner had come in. * * * And [L.P.] was very interested in her badge and handcuffs, you know. * * * And at this point, she had a picture of [defendant]. And she asked [L.P.] if he knew who this was, and he said, you know—looked at it and * * * turned his head and said, It was daddy. It was Dee. So when asked * * * how did you get these marks? What happened? And he said again, Dee did it.”
{23} We analyze L.P.‘s statements to Bolog under the framework of Arnold, insomuch as Bolog, as a social worker, acted in a dual capacity. In Arnold, the court found that some of the victim‘s statements to the child advocate were made with a primary purpose to “gather forensic information to investigate and potentially prosecute a
{24} The Arnold court reasoned that the statements “involved a description of past events,” specifically concerning the abuse, the victim had been discharged from the hospital and there was no medical emergency, and “the interview was rather formal, more akin to the videotaped, planned interview of Crawford than to the frantic 9-1-1 call or the sequestered but spur-of-the moment interview recounted in Davis.” Id. at ¶35.
{25} The court additionally determined that other statements made during the same interview were “medically necessary,” because, for example, certain information can trigger the administration of a rape kit or a test for sexually transmitted diseases. Id. at ¶39. See, also, In re J.M., Pike App. No. 08CA782, 2011-Ohio-3377, ¶39 (holding that a child-victim‘s statement that the incident occurred on July 3, 2007 was not testimonial because “placing [the] injury in a temporal context served a medical-diagnostic purpose“).
{26} Upon review, we find that Bolog was acting as an agent of law enforcement when L.P. identified defendant as the person who abused him. This information established defendant as a suspect in the investigation. Furthermore, although removing victims from abusive situations may fall under Bolog‘s duty to keep children safe, under the circumstances of the instant case there was no evidence of an ongoing police
{27} Little testified that he is an intake social worker at CCDCFS, and his job duties are “to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect, dependency, [and] emotional maltreatment.” Asked what he talked to L.P. about when he arrived at the daycare, Little testified as follows:
{28} “I talked to L.P. basically about how did he receive the bruising that was on his left facial area and also about basically trying to get more information about who was * * * Dee.
{29} “* * *
{30} “[L.P.] mentioned that Dee was his father, that he lived in the home. He had mentioned that—first that he had sustained some marks and bruises from falling down the stairs. But when I re-questioned him and tried to make him feel a little bit more comfortable, he later stated that the bruises came because he didn‘t put his toys back up and they were thrown all over the floor. So that‘s why he got a spanking for that.”
{31} Upon review, we find that Little‘s discussion with L.P. was part of the preliminary investigation to aid law enforcement. There is no indication that L.P.‘s statements were made in the midst of a police emergency. Additionally, there is no evidence that the statements were made in the context of medical treatment or diagnosis. Accordingly, L.P.‘s statements to Little were testimonial and inadmissible at trial.
{33} Ramona Whitley, who was L.P.‘s assistant preschool teacher at the time the abuse was discovered, testified that on March 17, 2010, she noticed that L.P.‘s eye was bloodshot and he had “welt marks” on his face. Whitley testified that as part of her job, she is “supposed to always observe [the children], look for different things, what‘s going on with them.” Whitley brought L.P.‘s injuries to the attention of a co-worker. Whitley was instructed to make “the 696 call,” which she explained is “a number that you call if a child is in need for some sort of service, if the child is hurt, being physically abused, sexually abused, there‘s a number that we call to make sure everything‘s okay.” Whitley testified that she is a “mandatory reporter,” meaning that “by law I have to report what is going on when it comes to the safety of a child.” Whitley testified that when she asked L.P. what happened, he gave three different answers: that he fell; that he did not know; and that “Dee did it.” Additionally, Whitley made a statement to the Cleveland police two to three days later.
{34} Debra Jones, who was L.P.‘s lead preschool teacher, testified that on March 17, 2010, Whitley brought L.P.‘s injuries to her attention. Jones took L.P. out of the classroom and asked him what happened. L.P. looked “bewildered * * * he almost looked uncertain, but he said, Dee did it.” Jones testified that she took L.P. to her supervisor‘s office and Whitley called 696-KIDS because “we saw enough to make the
{35} Upon review, we find that the primary purpose of Jones and Whitley questioning L.P. was to report potential child abuse to law enforcement. Both teachers testified that their obligation to report is mandatory. We additionally find that it is reasonable for an objective witness to expect that statements made to a teacher while she is reporting suspected child abuse may be used at a later trial. Therefore, we conclude that L.P.‘s statements to Whitley and Jones were testimonial and improperly admitted at defendant‘s trial.
Evid.R. 807
{36} Out-of-court statements that are not testimonial in nature are considered hearsay, which is generally inadmissible at trial, unless it falls within one of many exceptions to the rule against hearsay and is “sufficiently reliable for admission.” See State v. Muttart, 116 Ohio St.3d 5, 2007-Ohio-5267, 875 N.E.2d 944, ¶25. We review the admissibility of relevant evidence under an abuse of discretion standard. State v. Sage (1987), 31 Ohio St.3d 173, 510 N.E.2d 343. At issue are L.P.‘s statements to grandmother and great aunt. Asked if she ever talked to L.P. “about who did this to him,” great aunt testified that “[h]e laid in my lap, and he told me Dee did it.” Asked “did you ever find out who caused those injuries to the children,” grandmother testified that “[L.P.] told me Dee.”
{38} “An out-of-court statement made by a child who is under twelve years of age at the time of trial or hearing describing * * * any act of physical violence directed against the child is not excluded as hearsay under
{39} “(1) The court finds that the totality of the circumstances surrounding the making of the statement provides particularized guarantees of trustworthiness that make the statement at least as reliable as statements admitted pursuant to
{40} “(2) The child‘s testimony is not reasonably obtainable by the proponent of the statement.
{41} “(3) There is independent proof of the sexual act or act of physical violence.
{43} Defendant essentially argues that, under the circumstances in the instant case, L.P.‘s statements were not reliable under the first element of
{44} In State v. Silverman, 121 Ohio St.3d 581, 2009-Ohio-1576, 906 N.E.2d 427, ¶34, the Ohio Supreme Court held that “a hearsay statement of a child declarant can be admitted under
{45} In Silverman, the child victim was killed; thus, the court did not determine whether she was competent to testify. Silverman limited the holding in State v. Said (1994), 71 Ohio St.3d 473, 644 N.E.2d 337, which required a finding of competency prior to admitting a statement under
{46} The instant case is distinguishable from Silverman and Said, because, after a hearing, the court found L.P. incompetent to testify.
{47} “Counsel, * * * I believe — I‘ve heard enough out of — this child is not competent to testify. Watching the — he‘s gone already. Watching his demeanor on
{48} In applying the circumstances of the case at hand to
{49} We turn to the third element of
{50} “In the instant case, L.B.‘s taped statements contained the only evidence that she had been raped by Mr. Gaston. While there was physical evidence that L.B. had been the victim of sexual abuse, the physical evidence did not support an inference that Mr. Gaston was the perpetrator. The denial of the right to cross-examine L.B. had a substantial and injurious effect on the jury‘s verdict. Accordingly we conclude that the trial court‘s errors were not harmless.” Gaston v. Brigano (C.A. 6, 2006), 208 Fed.Appx. 376, 392.
{51} Pursuant to
{52} Upon review, we find that L.P.‘s statements lacked the “particularized guarantees of trustworthiness” outlined in
{53} Additionally, we find that the only direct evidence that defendant was the perpetrator was L.P.‘s statements identifying him. The evidence shows that when mother left L.P. in defendant‘s care, L.P. was staying at defendant‘s mother‘s house with various family members. Therefore, we conclude that L.P.‘s statements to grandmother and great aunt are inadmissible hearsay under
{54} Accordingly, defendant‘s third and fourth assignments of error are sustained.
{55} Defendant‘s first assignment of error states as follows:
{56} I. “Mr. Clark‘s convictions with respect to counts 1 and 6 are not supported by legally sufficient evidence as required by state and federal due process.”
{58} “(a) Any mental illness or condition of such gravity as would normally require hospitalization or prolonged psychiatric treatment;
{59} “(b) Any physical harm that carries a substantial risk of death;
{60} “(c) Any physical harm that involves some permanent incapacity, whether partial or total, or that involves some temporary, substantial incapacity;
{61} “(d) Any physical harm that involves some permanent disfigurement or that involves some temporary, serious disfigurement;
{62} “(e) Any physical harm that involves acute pain of such duration as to result in substantial suffering or that involves any degree of prolonged or intractable pain.”
{63} When reviewing sufficiency of the evidence, an appellate court must determine, “after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, whether any reasonable trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” State v. Jenks (1991), 61 Ohio St.3d 259, 273, 574 N.E.2d 492.
{64} Upon review, we find the following evidence in the record:
{65} Dr. Jeffrey Pennington, who is an emergency medicine physician, testified that he examined L.P. and A.T. for suspected child abuse on March 18, 2010. He
{66} At the hospital, L.P. was given an acuity ranking of three on a scale of one to five. Dr. Pennington testified that this is an “intermediate range of acuity, meaning it‘s not life-threatening, but they should be seen within a reasonable time.” L.P.‘s final assessment was multiple linear abrasions and bruising “in different stages of development indicative of non-accidental trauma.” Dr. Pennington explained that some of the bruising appeared brand-new and some of it was “days or longer older.”
{67} L.P. and A.T.‘s great-aunt, who now has custody of the children, testified that she saw them at the emergency room on March 18, 2010. L.P. had a black eye and what looked like belt marks across his stomach and his back. L.P.‘s black eye lasted “a couple of weeks,” and the bruising on L.P.‘s back made it uncomfortable for him to lay down for “a little bit over a month.” According to the great aunt, L.P. continues to have headaches and nightmares and is in counseling once a week.
{69} Defendant argues that the instant case is analogous to State v. Snyder, Cuyahoga App. No. 94755, 2011-Ohio-1062 and State v. Ivey (1994), 98 Ohio App.3d 249, 648 N.E.2d 519, in which this court found insufficient evidence of serious physical harm in relation to child abuse. Upon review, however, we find that the facts of the case at hand are distinguishable in one substantial aspect: Snyder and Ivey involved single incidents of corporal punishment, while the evidence in the instant case suggests that L.P. was the victim of recurrent abuse.
{70} Evidence in the record suggests that L.P. was whipped, hit, bit, and grabbed with enough force to leave lasting marks, some of which were located in and around his left eye. Dr. Pennington testified that L.P.‘s injuries were in various stages of development, suggesting that L.P. was abused on more than one occasion. L.P.‘s relatives testified that his bruises lingered, and the physical pain affected him for approximately one month after the injuries were inflicted. Additionally, there is evidence that L.P. suffers from nightmares and headaches, for which he receives counseling. L.P. was three and one-half years old when the abuse at issue occurred.
{71} We find that reasonable minds could have found that L.P. suffered serious physical harm as defined in
{72} Pursuant to
{73} This cause is reversed and remanded to the lower court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
It is, therefore, considered that said appellant recover of said appellee his costs herein.
It is ordered that a special mandate be sent to said court to carry this judgment into execution.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
JAMES J. SWEENEY, JUDGE
PATRICIA ANN BLACKMON, P.J., and EILEEN A. GALLAGHER, J., CONCUR