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Stevenson v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Apr 3, 1989
381 S.E.2d 393 (Ga. Ct. App. 1989)

Opinion

A89A0002.

DECIDED APRIL 3, 1989.

Aggravated sodomy. Clayton Superior Court. Before Judge Ison.

T. Michael Martin, for appellant.

Robert E. Keller, District Attorney, Deborah C. Benefield, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.


Walter Stevenson appeals from his conviction of two counts of aggravated sodomy. The victim was his wife's niece, a seventeen-year-old Vietnamese refugee who had lived in this country for less than two years.

1. When the defendant was asked by the trial judge if he had any objections to the jury charge, his counsel objected to certain portions of the charge, but did not object to the charge on force and capacity to consent. As he did not object to those portions of the charge which are asserted as error on appeal, he waived his right to later object. Cameron v. State, 256 Ga. 225, 226 ( 345 S.E.2d 575) (1986); Ford v. State, 255 Ga. 81, 86 ( 335 S.E.2d 567) (1985).

2. The evidence showed that Stevenson was the victim's sponsor in this country and that she and a younger brother resided with him and her aunt. On the day in question, he interrupted her while she was doing her homework and requested that she accompany him to the bathroom. Although she feared what was going to happen, and was very frightened, she complied. He ordered her to remove her clothing and committed oral sodomy upon her and forced her to commit oral sodomy upon him. The victim testified that she did not consent to these acts and that he had previously made unwanted sexual advances upon her. There was also evidence that the victim had recently received a letter from her mother in Vietnam cautioning her to always be obedient to her sponsors. After the bathroom incident occurred, the victim's English teacher noticed a dramatic change in her behavior and personal hygiene. After several days, she reluctantly confided in the teacher, who immediately reported the incident to a caseworker with the Department of Family and Children Services, who placed her in protective custody. From the evidence adduced at trial a rational trier of fact could find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Humphrey v. State, 252 Ga. 525 ( 314 S.E.2d 436) (1984).

Judgment affirmed. Birdsong and Benham, JJ., concur.

DECIDED APRIL 3, 1989.


Summaries of

Stevenson v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Apr 3, 1989
381 S.E.2d 393 (Ga. Ct. App. 1989)
Case details for

Stevenson v. State

Case Details

Full title:STEVENSON v. THE STATE

Court:Court of Appeals of Georgia

Date published: Apr 3, 1989

Citations

381 S.E.2d 393 (Ga. Ct. App. 1989)
381 S.E.2d 393