Crowley v. State

83 P.3d 282, 120 Nev. 30, 120 Nev. Adv. Rep. 6, 2004 Nev. LEXIS 5
CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 30, 2004
Docket39513
StatusPublished
Cited by51 cases

This text of 83 P.3d 282 (Crowley v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crowley v. State, 83 P.3d 282, 120 Nev. 30, 120 Nev. Adv. Rep. 6, 2004 Nev. LEXIS 5 (Neb. 2004).

Opinions

[31]*31OPINION

By the Court,

Gibbons, J.:

Appellant John Crowley contends that (1) sexual assault and lewdness with a minor are redundant convictions requiring a reversal of the lewdness conviction, (2) consecutive sentences for sexual assault and lewdness with a minor constitute cruel and unusual punishment, and (3) the district court improperly admitted a hearsay statement made by Crowley’s wife. We agree with Crowley’s contention that his sexual assault and lewdness with a minor convictions are redundant, but we find Crowley’s other arguments inapposite. Therefore, we reverse the conviction for lewdness with a minor under fourteen and remand the case to the district court for a new sentencing in accordance with this opinion.

FACTS

The thirteen-year-old male victim and Allan Perkett, the boyfriend of the male victim’s mother, went to Crowley’s room at the Downtowner Motor Inn in Carson City to watch wrestling on television. At some point, Perkett left the room. Crowley called the male victim’s mother to ask if the male victim could spend the night. The male victim testified he felt uncomfortable about spending the night with Crowley, but stayed for a while to watch television and eat dinner.

The male victim testified that Crowley approached him as he sat on the bed eating. Crowley then rubbed the male victim’s penis with his hand on the outside of his pants, pulled down the male victim’s pants, and performed fellatio on him.

[32]*32Crowley testified that although the male victim and Perkett came to his room, he was never alone with the male victim and did not molest him. Further, he testified that the male victim declined his invitation to spend the night and departed with Perkett.

Crowley’s thirteen-year-old stepdaughter also accused Crowley of sexual molestation. She testified that Crowley touched her inappropriately with his hand and tongue on several occasions, mostly when her mother was asleep. Specifically, Crowley fondled his stepdaughter’s breasts underneath her clothing and also placed his hand and tongue on her vagina.

The State charged Crowley with sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under fourteen years of age for his conduct with the male victim. Additionally the State charged Crowley with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of open or gross lewdness for his conduct involving his stepdaughter. The district court dismissed one count of sexual assault involving the stepdaughter.

At trial, Crowley’s wife testified for the State. On direct examination, she admitted to a conversation with Dot Brownfield, a Division of Child and Family Services investigator, regarding accusations that Crowley molested his stepdaughter. Crowley’s wife testified that she did not recall details of the conversation. She also did not recall saying, “It’s just something he does when he gets drunk.”

The State then called Brownfield to testify about her conversation with Crowley’s wife. Crowley objected on hearsay grounds when the State asked Brownfield what Crowley’s wife said about the accusations. The State argued the statement was a prior inconsistent statement and thus non-hearsay testimony. The district court allowed Brownfield to testify that “[Crowley’s wife] indicated that when her husband drinks occasionally, he, quote-unquote, does those kind of things, and it’s just part of his behavior when he drinks.”

A jury found Crowley guilty on all counts. The district court, pursuant to statutory guidelines, sentenced Crowley to two consecutive life sentences with the possibility of parole on the sexual assault and lewdness convictions involving the male victim. The district court imposed concurrent sentences for the crimes against the stepdaughter. This appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

Redundant convictions

NRS 200.366(1) provides:

A person who subjects another person to sexual penetration, or who forces another person to make a sexual penetration on himself or another, or on a beast, against the will of [33]*33the victim or under conditions in which the perpetrator knows or should know that the victim is mentally or physically incapable of resisting or understanding the nature of his conduct, is guilty of sexual assault.

NRS 201.230 defines lewdness, in relevant part, as the willful and lewd commission of

any lewd or lascivious act, other than acts constituting the crime of sexual assault, upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust or passions or sexual desires of that person or of that child.

In Braunstein v. State,2 we concluded that “[t]he crimes of sexual assault and lewdness are mutually exclusive and convictions for both based upon a single act cannot stand.” Reversal is required for “ ‘redundant convictions that do not comport with legislative intent.’ ”3 Our decision in Braunstein is consistent with our holding in Townsend v. State4 that “it is clear that lewdness with a child under the age of fourteen cannot be deemed an included offense of the crime of sexual assault. The express language of the lewdness statute precludes this.’ ’

Crowley argues his conduct immediately preceding the sexual assault on the male victim was incidental. Therefore, his conviction for lewdness with a minor was redundant and should be reversed. We agree.

Although the facts of a case may support convictions on separate charges “even though the acts were the result of a single encounter and all occurred within a relatively short time,”5 the case at bar does not warrant separate convictions. In Wright v. State,6 the accused attempted to sexually assault the victim, but stopped when a car passed the area of the assault. After the car passed, the accused resumed his assault.7 We affirmed convictions for both attempted sexual assault and sexual assault despite the short time period between both acts.8 In Townsend, we affirmed separate convic[34]*34tions for fondling a victim’s breasts and digitally penetrating the victim.9 We held that because “Townsend stopped that activity [fondling the child’s breasts] before proceeding further,’ ’ separate acts of lewdness occurred.10

The facts of this case are distinguishable from both Wright and Townsend. The State charged Crowley with sexual assault and lewdness with a minor for his actions involving the male victim. The victim testified that Crowley “rubbed [his] private parts” with his hand on the outside of his pants. Crowley then put his hand inside the male victim’s underwear and touched his penis. Finally, Crowley “pulled [the male victim’s] pants down, and used his mouth and sucked [his] private parts.”

Unlike Wright and Townsend, Crowley never interrupted his actions.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
83 P.3d 282, 120 Nev. 30, 120 Nev. Adv. Rep. 6, 2004 Nev. LEXIS 5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crowley-v-state-nev-2004.