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Moorer v. State

The trial court did not err in allowing expert testimony on the cyclical pattern of domestic abuse.

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A jury found Lawrence Moorer guilty of aggravated assault and false imprisonment for offenses committed against his girlfriend. Moorer was acquitted of rape and aggravated sodomy charges. He appeals, challenging the trial court’s admission of expert testimony concerning the cycle of domestic violence, and the court’s refusal to allow him to introduce testimony that the victim allegedly worked as a prostitute. His contentions are without merit, so we affirm the convictions. Viewed in a light most favorable to the verdict,1 the evidence shows that the victim was living with Moorer, her boyfriend, at the time the charged offenses occurred. The victim testified that over the course of their relationship, Moorer became more possessive, aggressive, and controlling. He would not allow her to work, shop on her own, or visit friends or relatives. He would become upset if she left their home without telling him. On one occasion about two weeks before the charged offenses occurred, Moorer hit the victim in the back of her head with a metal lamp. She could not recall what caused him to do it, but stated that it was “something that didn’t make sense.” The injury caused the victim’s head to bleed, but she neither reported the assault nor sought medical attention.

On June 3, 2004, the victim went shopping without telling Moorer. When she returned, she and Moorer argued and went into their bedroom. Moorer closed the door, struck the victim with his fist and choked her. Moorer held the victim down and would not let her leave the room.2 The assault began after midnight and lasted as long as an hour. That morning, while Moorer was asleep, the victim got dressed and ran to a friend’s apartment. Her face was badly swollen. She told the friend what happened, laid down for a while and, around 1:00 p.m., called police to report the incident. The victim then went to the hospital emergency room.

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