Thornton v. State

Ottis Thornton was convicted for the first degree sodomy of a nine-year-old child and sentenced to thirty years' imprisonment. Two issues are raised on this appeal from that conviction.

I

The trial court properly prevented defense counsel from cross-examining the victim about statements she made to a clinical psychologist for the Department of Human Resourcesin this particular case. Defense counsel was using a report of a psychological evaluation of the victim prepared by a psychologist for prior juvenile court proceedings in an effort to show that the child "is a habitual liar" and to show…