Edward Huntv.The State
Edward Hunt appealed convictions on sixteen counts of criminal conduct and the denial of his motion for new trial. He challenged the sufficiency of the evidence, admission of evidence concerning child-abuse accommodation syndrome, and counsel’s failure to challenge the scientific basis of that testimony. The Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions but vacated the sentence and remanded for resentencing. The majority concluded that the evidence supported the convictions and that Hunt’s appellate argument concerning counsel’s performance was inadequately developed. It also held that the indictment alleged different dates for paired offenses, making those dates material to the charged crimes and requiring the sentencing issue to be reconsidered. The court rejected the argument that the convictions automatically authorized separate sentences on the existing record. The ruling left the guilty verdicts intact while requiring the trial court to impose a sentence consistent with the opinion. The presiding judge dissented in part, reasoning that the evidence supported the existing sentence and that the majority’s treatment of the alleged dates was unwarranted.
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