Bartholomew London v. State , 333 Ga. App. 332 ( 2015 )

FIRST DIVISION
DOYLE, C. J.,
PHIPPS, P. J., and BOGGS, J.
NOTICE: Motions for reconsideration must be
physically received in our clerk’s office within ten
days of the date of decision to be deemed timely filed.
http://www.gaappeals.us/rules/
July 16, 2015
In the Court of Appeals of Georgia
A15A0751. LONDON v. THE STATE.
PHIPPS, Presiding Judge.
Bartholomew London was convicted of child molestation and two counts of
aggravated child molestation involving his then-15-year-old stepdaughter, C. S. He
appeals from the denial of his motion for new trial, contending, among other things,
that the trial court erred when it denied his motion to suppress a recording of a
telephone conversation between him and the child. Because the state failed, pursuant
to OCGA § 16-11-66 (b), to obtain consent for the recording by order of a judge of
a superior court upon written application, we reverse.
While the trial court’s findings as to disputed facts in a ruling on
a motion to suppress will be reviewed to determine whether the ruling
was clearly erroneous, where the evidence is uncontroverted and no
question regarding the credibility of witnesses is presented, the trial
court’s application of the law to undisputed facts is subject to de novo
appellate review.1
On March 16, 2010, an indictment was returned filed against London. Counts
1 and 2 of the indictment alleged that London committed the crime of aggravated
child molestation “by placing his mouth on [C. S.’s] vagina”; Count 3 alleged that
London committed the crime of child molestation “by placing his finger into [C. S.’s]
vagina[.]” The offenses were alleged to have been committed “on or between” August
1, 2009 and October 1, 2009.
At trial, C. S. testified that London was married to her mother and that they all
lived together on the dates at issue. C. S. testified that sometime in late August 2009,
London went into her bedroom and put his mouth on her “privates.” London also
inserted his finger in C. S.’s “private part.” C. S. told London that “it hurt” and
London stopped. C. S. testified that on another occasion in early September 2009,
London entered her bedroom and put his mouth on her “private.” Around October 1,
2009, C. S. disclosed the incidents to her mother, who took C. S. to the police station
the following day.
1
Vansant v. State, 264 Ga. 319, 320 (1) (443 SE2d 474) (1994) (citations
omitted).
2
A detective interviewed C. S. and videotaped the interview. C. S. testified that
the detective asked her to call London “[t]o get him to admit what he did,” but C. S.
could not reach London at that time. C. S. went back to the police station two days
later; her mother was with her initially, but she had to leave and was not present when
C. S. called London from the police station that day. The detective recalled
specifically that police had “decided for C. S. to come back in and [C. S.] agreed to
. . . come back in . . . October the 4th, and [C. S.] attempted to make another call to
[London].” This time, London answered the phone; police conducted what the
detective referred to as a “reverse phone call,” recorded the conversation with a video
device, and reduced the recording to a DVD format.2
2
In arguing against the admissibility of the DVD of the “reverse phone call,”
London’s counsel explained, without objection, the process by which C. S.’s
telephone conversation with London had been recorded: “[C. S.] was at the police
department in the presence of [the detective]. Now, the recording that I’ve been
served notice with, is not a recording from her phone, but it’s actually a video
recording in which [the detective] was recording the phone call made by [C. S.] to
Mr. London.” The prosecutor did not dispute defense counsel’s statements, and
pertinently responded that “[C. S.] transmitted [the conversation] over her
speakerphone device and it was subsequently recorded,” and that C. S. had consented
to the recording, which consent OCGA § 16-11-66 (a) permitted as an exception to
obtaining a warrant. Again, without objection, defense counsel later reiterated that
“the conversation took place . . . on [C. S.’s] cell phone, which was put on speaker
phone and then recorded by a video device by the police department.”
3
The court allowed the state to introduce into evidence the DVD, which was
played for the jury. The court also allowed the state to introduce a transcript of the
conversation that had been recorded and preserved on the DVD. C. S. testified that
the transcript was made as she watched the video and that the transcript was true and
accurate to the best of her knowledge. Therein, at one point C. S. informed London
that she had an impending doctor’s appointment, and she wanted to ask London
whether he thought the doctor would “find anything.” Particularly incriminating to
London was the following excerpt.
[C. S.]: I was just thinking with the fingering and stuff like that they -
LONDON: No.
[C. S.]: -may find something.
LONDON: No.
[C. S.]: Or in the -
LONDON: No. Whenever I did stick my finger inside you, it hurt. You
understand me?
[C. S.]: or with the saliva or whatever.
LONDON: There ain’t gonna be nothing, [C. S.]. You wash. Excuse me.
You wash every day. Every day. So, it won’t wash with soap every day,
and your finger, finger went inside of your coochie, too, when you wash
sometimes. So, don’t worry about none of that. You good. Excuse me.
I miss you. I know it, I miss you.
4
Throughout the conversation, London attempted to assure C. S. that a medical
examination would not reveal evidence of “fingering” or of his saliva.
London took the stand, testifying in his own defense. He denied having
committed the charged offenses. He also disputed the accuracy of the state’s
transcript of the reverse phone call recording.
“OCGA § 16-11-62 (4) prohibits any person from intentionally and secretly
intercepting a telephone call by use of any device, instrument or apparatus.”3
However, a party to the conversation is not prohibited from recording it.4 “OCGA §
16-11-66 (a) provides [another] exception to OCGA § 16-11-62 that allows such an
interception where one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent.”5
“OCGA § 16-11-66 (b) requires that consent for the recording or divulging of the
conversations of a child under the age of 18 years conducted by telephone or
3
Smith v. State, 254 Ga. App. 107, 108 (2) (a) (561 SE2d 232) (2002).
4
See Fetty v. State, 268 Ga. 365, 367 (3) (489 SE2d 813) (1997); Malone v.
State, 246 Ga. App. 882, 883 (541 SE2d 431) (2000); Bishop v. State, 241 Ga. App.
517, 519 (1) (526 SE2d 917) (1999) (acknowledging that “OCGA § 16-11-66
provides two specific exceptions [to OCGA § 16-11-62] which allow such
interception,” the first exception being that a person who is a party to the
communication may intercept it); OCGA § 16-11-66 (a).
5
Smith, supra.; see Hill v. State, 306 Ga. App. 663, 665 (1) (703 SE2d 98)
(2010); Bishop, supra.
5
electronic communication shall be given only by order of a judge of a superior court
upon written application.”6 More specifically, “OCGA § 16-11-66 (b) provides that
the telephone conversations of a child under 18 years of age may be recorded and
divulged if, upon written application by a private citizen, law enforcement agency,
or prosecutor’s office, a judge of a superior court and the child consent to such
taping.”7
OCGA § 16-11-66 (b) pertinently provides as follows.
After obtaining the consent required by this subsection, the telephonic
conversations or electronic communications to which a child under the
age of 18 years is a party may be recorded and divulged, and such
recording and dissemination may be done by a private citizen, law
enforcement agency, or prosecutor’s office. Nothing in this subsection
shall be construed to require that the recording device be activated by
the child. Consent for the recording or divulging of the conversations of
a child under the age of 18 years conducted by telephone or electronic
communication shall be given only by order of a judge of a superior
6
Hill, supra. The exception provided in OCGA § 16-11-66 (b) authorizing a
parent or guardian to give consent does not apply here, where the recording did not
take place in the family home. See OCGA § 16-11-66 (d).
7
Bishop, supra (emphasis omitted); see Gavin v. State, 292 Ga. App. 402, 405
(664 SE2d 797) (2008) (“the legislature outlined in OCGA § 16-11-66 (b)
circumstances under which a child’s telephone conversation or electronic
communications may be recorded.”).
6
court upon written application, as provided in subsection (c) of this
Code section, or by a parent or guardian of said child as provided in
subsection (d) of this Code section.
London contends that there was no evidence that C. S. had consented to the
conversation being recorded; that the recording clearly had been obtained at the
behest of law enforcement and not C. S.; and that because the state had failed to
follow the procedure outlined in OCGA § 16-11-66 (b) (which required police to
obtain the consent for the recording by order of a judge of a superior court upon
written application), the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the
recording. Analogizing this case to Malone v. State,8 upon which the trial court in the
instant case based its ruling denying London’s motion for new trial, the state replies
that because the telephone conversation was recorded with C. S.’s full knowledge and
participation, there was no violation of OCGA § 16-11-66 (b).
But Malone is distinguishable. In that case, several persons were involved in
the recording of a minor’s phone conversation – the alleged child molestation victim
(a minor), her mother, and her mother’s friend. Thereafter, criminal charges were
8
Supra.
7
brought against the defendant, who moved to suppress the audiotape recording.9
Citing Fetty v. State,10 this court in Malone affirmed the trial court’s denial of the
motion, and held that the recording was admissible because the child “was fully aware
that the conversation was being taped [and] . . . she voluntarily participated in the
recording of her conversation; in fact, she encouraged it.”11 This court in Malone
clearly did not construe the circumstances of that case – namely, that the idea to
record the conversation had originated with the child, the child had consented to the
taping, the mother and a friend had participated in the recording, the child knew that
her telephone conversation would be recorded and voluntarily participated in its
recording, and the recording was conducted in a home setting – as amounting to “a
third party’s interception” of the telephone conversation, which type of interception
the Supreme Court of Georgia in Fetty held was prohibited by OCGA § 16-11-66.12
And contrary to the state’s assertion, in Malone, this court stated that “their
9
Id. at 883.
10
Supra.
11
Malone, supra at 884.
12
Id.; Fetty, supra at 367 (3).
8
conversation was recorded,”13 without stating that the recording had been done by any
particular individual – the child, her mother, or her mother’s friend.14 Leggs v. State,15
upon which the trial court in the instant case relied, is also inapposite, as that case
was decided in 1993, before the legislature had amended OCGA § 16-11-66 to
include subsections (b) and (c), requiring court approval for recording the private
conversations of a minor.16
In this case, unlike in Malone, there was undeniably third party interception of
the conversation by law enforcement. The idea to record the conversation originated
with the police, C. S. went to the police station twice at the behest of the police to
make the reverse phone call, and police recorded the conversation on their equipment.
Moreover, there is no evidence that police had informed C. S. of their intent to record
the conversation, let alone evidence that they had obtained C. S.’s consent to record
it. In either event, police would still have been required to obtain consent for the
recording by a court order pursuant to OCGA § 16-11-66 (b). Notably, the judge
13
Malone, supra at 883.
14
Id.
15
207 Ga. App. 399 (428 SE2d 87) (1993).
16
See Bishop, supra at 523 (1) (iii), n. 4 (1999).
9
would have been authorized to issue such an order only upon finding probable cause
that a crime had been committed, determining that the child’s participation in the
recording would not be harmful to the child, and finding that the child understood
that the conversation was to be recorded and that the child agreed to participate.17
The DVD recording contained incriminating statements by London, and its
admission into evidence was not harmless.18 London took the stand and denied having
committed the indicted offenses, and there was no evidence that he had given police
any confession or other incriminating statement(s). Nor was there any physical
evidence connecting London to the crimes. A sample of carpet from C. S.’s bedroom
was tested for the presence of seminal fluid and the results were negative; a sexual
assault examination that was performed on C. S. on October 6, 2009, revealed no
evidence of injury or of penetration; and the nurse who had conducted the
examination made no “assault-related findings.” Moreover, during deliberations, the
jury asked to view the DVD of the telephone conversation with the transcript.
17
See OCGA § 16-11-66 (c).
18
See Dailey v. State, 313 Ga. App. 809, 816 (1) (723 SE2d 43) (2012) (“to be
successful, a claim of error requires a showing of both harm and error”) (footnote
omitted).
10
Therefore, we cannot conclude the admission of the DVD to be harmless beyond a
reasonable doubt.19
Because the state failed, pursuant to OCGA § 16-11-66 (b), to obtain a court
order giving consent for the recording, and there is a reasonable probability that the
improperly admitted evidence contributed to the jury’s verdict, we reverse. We note,
19
See generally Chapman v. California, 386 U. S. 18, 24 (III), 25 (IV) (87 SCt
824, 17 LE2d 705) (1967) (error of even constitutional magnitude may be harmless
if, considering the entire record on appeal, the reviewing court finds beyond a
reasonable doubt that the error did not contribute to the verdict). And see Vaughn v.
State, 248 Ga. 127, 131-32 (2) (281 SE2d 594) (1981) (holding that improper
admission of defendant’s confession was not harmless and, accordingly, reversing);
Crowder v. State, 237 Ga. 141, 155 (227 SE2d 23) (1976); Thompson v. State, 313
Ga. App. 844, 848-849 (1) (723 SE2d 85) (2012). Compare Dailey, supra (“even
assuming that the trial court erred by admitting the challenged police statements . .
. , the error was harmless in light of the fact that the cited police statements were
cumulative of other unchallenged confessions by [the defendant]”); Linto v. State,
292 Ga. App. 482, 483 (1) (664 SE2d 856) (2008) (“even if the admission of
[defendant’s pre-Miranda] statement could somehow be interpreted as error, such
admission was harmless because [defendant’s] statement . . . was merely cumulative
of the admissible statement he provided police the day before”) (citations omitted);
Baez v. State, 297 Ga. App. 893, 895-896 (1) (678 SE2d 583) (2009) (“[a]ssuming
arguendo that [the defendant’s] statement to [a police officer] should have been
excluded because [the defendant] was not re-Mirandized, we find that the admission
of the statement was harmless [because] . . . . [the defendant’s] statement to [that
officer] was merely cumulative of his oral statement to [another police officer]”).
11
however, that because the evidence was sufficient to sustain his convictions,20
London may be re-tried.21
Judgment reversed. Doyle, C. J., concurs. Boggs, J., concurs specially.
20
See Hutchinson v. State, 287 Ga. App. 415, 417-418 (651 SE2d 523) (2007)
(physical evidence of the molestation was not required to support convictions for
child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, and aggravated child molestation); Fiek
v. State, 266 Ga. App. 523, 527 (4) (597 SE2d 585) (2004) (“The victims’ testimony,
standing alone, was sufficient to authorize [the defendant’s] convictions on the
eighteen counts of child molestation and three counts of aggravated child molestation
beyond a reasonable doubt.”) (citations omitted); Spradlin v. State, 262 Ga. App. 897,
898 (1) (587 SE2d 155) (2003).
21
See Thompson, supra at 849 (permitting retrial when sufficient evidence
existed, despite reversing conviction on other grounds).
12
A15A0751. LONDON v. THE STATE. BO-028
BOGGS, Judge, concurring specially.
I agree with the majority that the State failed to obtain consent for the
recording and for the divulging of the recorded conversation “by order of a judge of
a superior court upon written application” as required by OCGA § 16-11-66 (b). But
I write separately to note that the interception of the conversation by the police may
have been permissible pursuant to OCGA § 16-11-66 (a). This subsection provides:
“Nothing in Code Section 16-11-62 shall prohibit a person from intercepting a wire,
oral, or electronic communication where . . . one of the parties to the communication
has given prior consent to such interception.” The record contains some evidence that
C. S. and her mother did, in fact, consent to police listening in on C. S.’s conversation
with London, which took place while her phone was placed in speaker phone mode.
Had the officers desired to provide testimony regarding what they overheard, they
would not have been prohibited from doing so by OCGA § 16-11-66 (b). The court
order requirement applies only to the recording and the divulging of the recording
itself (or “recording and dissemination”) as is made evident by OCGA § 16-11-66 (c)
(judge must make findings regarding the child’s understanding that the conversation
is to be recorded and a true and correct copy of the recording shall be returned to the
superior court judge to keep under seal). Here, the State opted to play the DVD
recording of the call and provide the jury with a transcribed version of call, rather
than elict the investigator’s testimony as to what he overheard London say during the
call. The investigator explained only that the DVD truly and accurately depicted the
conversation.
While I agree that a court order was required for the playing of the recording,
I believe it is important to note that a court order would not be required had the State
chosen instead to elicit testimony about what the investigator overheard during the
interception. Because it chose to play the recording, we are constrained to reverse the
conviction.
2