Terry Van Slaton v. State of Alabama

Annotate this Case

Download PDF

REL: 4/8/11 Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e Reporter of Decisions, Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may be made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS OCTOBER TERM, 2010-2011 2091154 T e r r y Van S l a t o n v. State o f Alabama Appeal from J e f f e r s o n C i r c u i t (CC-85-3769) Court PER CURIAM. Terry Van Slaton appeals from an order denying h i s amended m o t i o n t o expunge h i s a r r e s t r e c o r d a n d t o o r d e r t h e Alabama C r i m i n a l J u s t i c e I n f o r m a t i o n C e n t e r ("the A C J I C " ) and the N a t i o n a l Crime I n f o r m a t i o n C e n t e r ( " t h e N C I C " ) t o expunge 2091154 Slaton's r e c o r d . We a f f i r m . As a r e s u l t o f an i n v e s t i g a t i o n b y t h e A l a b a m a D e p a r t m e n t o f Human R e s o u r c e s , a g r a n d j u r y i n J e f f e r s o n C o u n t y i n d i c t e d S l a t o n on a c h a r g e o f f i r s t - d e g r e e sodomy i n 1985. S l a t o n s u b s e q u e n t l y a r r e s t e d on December was 1 0 , 1985. On M a r c h 4, 1 9 8 6 , a j u r y f o u n d S l a t o n n o t g u i l t y o f f i r s t - d e g r e e sodomy. On F e b r u a r y 6 , 2 0 0 9 , S l a t o n moved t h e J e f f e r s o n Circuit C o u r t t o expunge h i s a r r e s t r e c o r d . On F e b r u a r y 1 7 , 2 0 0 9 , t h e State objected to Slaton's law d i d not a u t h o r i z e motion a circuit on t h e g r o u n d court t h a t Alabama t o expunge a c r i m i n a l r e c o r d . On J u n e 3 , 2 0 1 0 , S l a t o n amended h i s m o t i o n t o expunge h i s a r r e s t r e c o r d . The J e f f e r s o n C i r c u i t C o u r t d e n i e d amended m o t i o n Slaton's on J u l y 2 0 , 2010. On J u l y 2 7 , 2 0 1 0 , S l a t o n a p p e a l e d t o t h e A l a b a m a C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s . On S e p t e m b e r 13, 2010, t h a t c o u r t , c i t i n g Ex p a r t e T e a s l e y , 967 So. 2d 732 ( A l a . C r i m . App. 2 0 0 7 ) , f o r the p r o p o s i t i o n t h a t t h i s c o u r t has j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r a p p e a l s orders denying the transferred Slaton's expungement appeal to t h i s of criminal from records, court. The f a c t s m a t e r i a l t o t h i s a p p e a l a r e n o t i n d i s p u t e , and we a r e p r e s e n t e d w i t h a p u r e q u e s t i o n 2 of law. T h e r e f o r e , our 2091154 review 1020 i s de novo. See Boutwell v. State, 988 So. 2d 1015, ( A l a . 2007). S l a t o n c o n c e d e s t h a t § 41-9-646, A l a . Code 1 9 7 5 , does n o t 1 a u t h o r i z e t h e expungement o f h i s a r r e s t r e c o r d . See Blane, 9-646 985 So. 2d 384, authorizes accurate a i f they 387-88 circuit are ( A l a . 2007) court inaccurate State (holding that § to make criminal but does not 2d 491, 492 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2008). 41¬ records authorize c i r c u i t c o u r t t o expunge t h e m ) ; see a l s o J a c k s o n v. S t a t e , So. v. a 993 However, S l a t o n a r g u e s t h a t , b e c a u s e h i s a r r e s t r e s u l t e d f r o m an i n v e s t i g a t i o n by the Alabama Department not 1 Section o f Human R e s o u r c e s 41-9-646 and he was found provides: " S h o u l d t h e [ c r i m i n a l ] r e c o r d i n q u e s t i o n be f o u n d t o be i n a c c u r a t e , i n c o m p l e t e o r m i s l e a d i n g , t h e c o u r t s h a l l o r d e r i t t o be a p p r o p r i a t e l y p u r g e d , m o d i f i e d o r s u p p l e m e n t e d by an e x p l a n a t o r y n o t a t i o n . Each agency or i n d i v i d u a l i n the s t a t e w i t h custody, possession o r c o n t r o l o f any such r e c o r d shall p r o m p t l y c a u s e e a c h and e v e r y c o p y t h e r e o f i n h i s custody, p o s s e s s i o n o r c o n t r o l t o be a l t e r e d i n accordance w i t h a court order. N o t i f i c a t i o n of each s u c h d e l e t i o n , amendment and s u p p l e m e n t a r y n o t a t i o n s h a l l be p r o m p t l y d i s s e m i n a t e d t o any i n d i v i d u a l s o r a g e n c i e s t o w h i c h t h e r e c o r d s i n q u e s t i o n have b e e n c o m m u n i c a t e d , i n c l u d i n g t h e A C J I C , as w e l l as t o t h e individual whose r e c o r d s have b e e n o r d e r e d so altered." 3 2091154 guilty Ala. o f t h e c h a r g e f o r w h i c h he was a r r e s t e d , § 2 6 - 1 4 - 3 ( e ) , Code 1975, a u t h o r i z e s the c i r c u i t court t o order the expungement o f t h e r e c o r d o f h i s a r r e s t . S e c t i o n 2 6 - 1 4 - 3 ( a ) , A l a . Code 1975, p r o v i d e s : "All hospitals, clinics, sanitariums, doctors, p h y s i c i a n s , surgeons, medical examiners, coroners, d e n t i s t s , osteopaths, optometrists, c h i r o p r a c t o r s , p o d i a t r i s t s , n u r s e s , s c h o o l t e a c h e r s and o f f i c i a l s , peace officers, law enforcement officials, pharmacists, s o c i a l w o r k e r s , day care workers o r e m p l o y e e s , m e n t a l h e a l t h p r o f e s s i o n a l s , members o f t h e c l e r g y as d e f i n e d i n R u l e 505 o f t h e A l a b a m a R u l e s o f E v i d e n c e , o r a n y o t h e r p e r s o n c a l l e d upon t o render a i d o r m e d i c a l a s s i s t a n c e t o any c h i l d , when t h e c h i l d i s known o r s u s p e c t e d t o be a v i c t i m o f c h i l d a b u s e o r n e g l e c t , s h a l l be r e q u i r e d t o r e p o r t , o r c a u s e a r e p o r t t o be made o f t h e same, o r a l l y , e i t h e r by telephone or d i r e c t communication immediately, f o l l o w e d by a w r i t t e n r e p o r t , t o a d u l y constituted authority." (Emphasis added.) Section 26-14-1(4) defines a "duly constituted authority" a s : "The chief of p o l i c e of a municipality or m u n i c i p a l i t y and county; o r t h e s h e r i f f , i f the o b s e r v a t i o n o f c h i l d a b u s e o r n e g l e c t i s made i n an u n i n c o r p o r a t e d t e r r i t o r y ; o r t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f Human R e s o u r c e s ; o r any p e r s o n , o r g a n i z a t i o n , c o r p o r a t i o n , group, o r agency a u t h o r i z e d and d e s i g n a t e d by t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f Human R e s o u r c e s t o r e c e i v e r e p o r t s o f c h i l d abuse a n d n e g l e c t ; p r o v i d e d , t h a t a ' d u l y c o n s t i t u t e d a u t h o r i t y ' s h a l l n o t i n c l u d e an a g e n c y involved i n the acts or omissions of the reported c h i l d abuse o r n e g l e c t . " S e c t i o n 26-14-3(e) provides: 4 2091154 "Any p r o v i s i o n o f t h i s s e c t i o n t o t h e contrary notwithstanding, i f any agency or authority i n v e s t i g a t e s any r e p o r t p u r s u a n t t o t h i s s e c t i o n a n d t h e r e p o r t does n o t r e s u l t i n a c o n v i c t i o n , t h e a g e n c y o r a u t h o r i t y s h a l l expunge any r e c o r d o f t h e i n f o r m a t i o n o r r e p o r t a n d any d a t a d e v e l o p e d f r o m the r e c o r d . " (Emphasis added.) S u b s e c t i o n s o f a s t a t u t e a r e i n p a r i m a t e r i a and " s h o u l d be c o n s t r u e d t o g e t h e r t o a s c e r t a i n t h e m e a n i n g a n d i n t e n t o f e a c h . " M c C a u s l a n d v. T i d e - M a y f l o w e r M o v i n g & S t o r a g e , 499 So. 2d 1378, 1382 ( A l a . 1986). "The f u n d a m e n t a l r u l e o f s t a t u t o r y c o n s t r u c t i o n i s t o a s c e r t a i n and g i v e e f f e c t t o t h e i n t e n t o f t h e l e g i s l a t u r e i n e n a c t i n g t h e s t a t u t e . Words u s e d i n a s t a t u t e must be g i v e n their natural, plain, o r d i n a r y , a n d commonly u n d e r s t o o d m e a n i n g , a n d where p l a i n language i s used a c o u r t i s bound t o i n t e r p r e t t h a t l a n g u a g e t o mean e x a c t l y what i t s a y s . I f t h e language o f t h e s t a t u t e i s unambiguous, then t h e r e i s no room f o r j u d i c i a l c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d t h e c l e a r l y e x p r e s s e d i n t e n t o f t h e l e g i s l a t u r e must be g i v e n effect." IMED C o r p . v. S y s t e m s Eng'g A s s o c s . C o r p . , 602 So. 2d 344, 346 (Ala. 1992). Construing McCausland, and, we therefore, interpreted the subsections conclude that t o mean that o f § 26-14-3 that statute of that exactly i t says. 5 see i s n o t ambiguous the language what together, statute See must IMED. be The 2091154 l a n g u a g e o f § 2 6 - 1 4 - 3 ( e ) r e q u i r e s t h a t an a g e n c y o r a u t h o r i t y that investigates a expunge "any report of child abuse neglect r e c o r d o f t h e i n f o r m a t i o n o r r e p o r t and d e v e l o p e d " as a result of the r e p o r t i f the result i n a c o n v i c t i o n . In the c a s e now arrest record of Human or i s not Resources, a which record is the the any must data r e p o r t does before us, not Slaton's Alabama Department agency or authority of that i n v e s t i g a t e d t h e a l l e g a t i o n t h a t he h a d c o m m i t t e d f i r s t - d e g r e e sodomy. T h e r e f o r e , § 26-14-3(e) d i d not a u t h o r i z e the c o u r t t o expunge S l a t o n ' s a r r e s t r e c o r d , and, a f f i r m the circuit circuit accordingly, court's d e n i a l of Slaton's amended m o t i o n t o expunge h i s a r r e s t r e c o r d . AFFIRMED. Thompson, P . J . , and P i t t m a n Thomas, J . , c o n c u r s i n t h e Moore, J . , c o n c u r s i n t h e and B r y a n , J J . , c o n c u r . result, without result, with 6 we writing. writing. 2091154 MOORE, J u d g e , c o n c u r r i n g Based address on the authorizes T e r r y Van the record question a circuit i n the result. in this whether court § to case, I find 26-14-3(e), no Ala. reason Code to 1975, expunge t h e arrest record in pertinent of part: Slaton. Section 26-14-3 p r o v i d e s , "(a) A l l hospitals, clinics, sanitariums, doctors, p h y s i c i a n s , surgeons, medical examiners, coroners, dentists, osteopaths, optometrists, c h i r o p r a c t o r s , p o d i a t r i s t s , nurses, school teachers and officials, peace o f f i c e r s , law enforcement o f f i c i a l s , pharmacists, s o c i a l w o r k e r s , day care workers or employees, mental h e a l t h p r o f e s s i o n a l s , members o f t h e c l e r g y as d e f i n e d i n R u l e 505 o f t h e A l a b a m a R u l e s o f E v i d e n c e , o r any other person c a l l e d upon t o r e n d e r a i d o r m e d i c a l a s s i s t a n c e t o any c h i l d , when t h e c h i l d i s known o r s u s p e c t e d t o be a v i c t i m o f c h i l d abuse o r n e g l e c t , s h a l l be r e q u i r e d t o r e p o r t , o r c a u s e a r e p o r t t o be made o f t h e same, o r a l l y , e i t h e r by t e l e p h o n e o r d i r e c t c o m m u n i c a t i o n i m m e d i a t e l y , f o l l o w e d by a w r i t t e n report, to a duly c o n s t i t u t e d a u t h o r i t y . "(e) Any p r o v i s i o n of t h i s s e c t i o n to the c o n t r a r y n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g , i f any a g e n c y o r a u t h o r i t y i n v e s t i g a t e s any r e p o r t p u r s u a n t t o t h i s s e c t i o n and t h e r e p o r t does n o t r e s u l t i n a c o n v i c t i o n , t h e a g e n c y o r a u t h o r i t y s h a l l expunge any r e c o r d o f t h e i n f o r m a t i o n o r r e p o r t and any d a t a d e v e l o p e d f r o m the r e c o r d . " By i t s plain wording, § only to r e c o r d s b a s e d on a " r e p o r t p u r s u a n t t o [§ 2 6 - 1 4 - 3 ( a ) t h a t ] ... 7 26-14-3(e) applies 2091154 does n o t r e s u l t i n a c o n v i c t i o n . " the parties s t i p u l a t e d that Resources ("DHR") investigation that, l e dto h i s arrest. was acquitted does not, Slaton's 14-3(a). The r e c o r d and t h a t also DHR's discloses on a c h a r g e o f "engage[d] i n deviate sexual a m i n o r u n d e r t h e age o f 12 y e a r s ; Slaton f o l l o w i n g a t r i a l b y j u r y i n 1986. The r e c o r d however, contain any e v i d e n c e indicating that a r r e s t r e s u l t e d f r o m a r e p o r t made p u r s u a n t t o § 262 W i t h o u t e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t i n g t h a t DHR i n i t i a t e d i t s i n v e s t i g a t i o n b a s e d on a r e p o r t abuse Slaton jury i n d i c t e d Slaton sodomy f o r h a v i n g intercourse" with level, t h e A l a b a m a D e p a r t m e n t o f Human had i n v e s t i g a t e d i n 1985, a g r a n d first-degree At the t r i a l - c o u r t or neglect o f known o r s u s p e c t e d made b y one o f t h e " m a n d a t o r y child reporters" l i s t e d i n § 2 6 - 1 4 - 3 ( a ) , t h e expungement p r o v i s i o n s o f § 26-143(e) cannot p o s s i b l y apply. 3 I n o t e t h a t § 26-14-3 was w o r d e d d i f f e r e n t l y i n 1985 a t the time o f S l a t o n ' s arrest, but that difference i s not m a t e r i a l t o t h e outcome o f t h i s c a s e . 2 I recognize that the t r i a l court c o u l d have t a k e n judicial notice of the e n t i r e t y of the p r i o r criminal p r o c e e d i n g s , s e e G a r r e t t v . G i l l e y , 488 So. 2d 1360 ( A l a . 1986), b u t n o t h i n g i n t h e r e c o r d i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e t r i a l c o u r t d i d s o o r t h a t s u c h n o t i c e w o u l d have s u p p l i e d t h e m i s s i n g e v i d e n c e as t o t h e i d e n t i t y o f t h e r e p o r t e r . 3 8 2091154 Because I would a f f i r m the on t h e l a c k o f any S l a t o n was of a report result seeking court's judgment b a s e d evidence i n d i c a t i n g t h a t the a r r e s t t o have e x p u n g e d was made p u r s u a n t t o r e a c h e d by trial the p r o d u c e d as a § 26-14-3(a), majority. I do not, I concur however, any o p i n i o n as t o t h e c o r r e c t n e s s o f t h e r e a s o n i n g the m a j o r i t y to reach that result. 9 record result in the express e m p l o y e d by

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.