Jackson v. State

591 S.W.2d 820, 1979 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1446
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided May 16, 1979·No. 57474·Published·Cited by 70 cases

Opinions

OPINION

TOM G. DAVIS, Judge.

Appeal is taken from a conviction for aggravated rape. V.T.C.A. Penal Code, Sec. 21.03. Punishment was assessed by the jury at 40 years.

Appellant initially challenges the sufficiency of the evidence.

The record reflects that on April 8, 1976, at about 3:00 a. m., N_ G_, the prosecutrix, stopped to help the appellant after his car had become stuck on the shoulder of a highway. According to the prose-cutrix, the appellant waved his arms to get her to stop and then asked for a ride to a telephone. She agreed to give him a ride to a nearby grocery store.

The prosecutrix testified that as they approached the store the appellant put a knife to her throat and told her to drive the other way. She complied with this demand. Appellant then instructed her to drive to a nearby lake. Once there, she was ordered to get out of the car and take her clothes off.

Prosecutrix related that she and the appellant went to some nearby bushes. Appellant again drew the knife and told her to disrobe. When she complied, the appellant put the knife away and then forced her to have oral sex with him. The prosecutrix stated that appellant next had intercourse with her and then attempted anal intercourse.

As the prosecutrix gathered her clothes to return to the car some change fell from her coat pocket. This change was found the next day by investigating officers. After they returned to the car, he again had intercourse with her.

As daylight approached, appellant took the prosecutrix into Temple, driving by a house belonging to a friend of his. They did not stop, but instead went to another rural location, finally getting stuck on an unpaved-, secondary road. According to the prosecutrix, appellant forced her to walk to a cave, where she again performed oral sex and had intercourse with the appellant.

While in the cave, the appellant dozed off for a short time.. The victim stated that since the appellant was lying on her clothes she did not attempt to escape at this time. She contemplated striking the appellant with a rock, but was reluctant to do so for fear that she would not incapacitate him.

They left the cave and walked for some distance. During this walk the prosecutrix [822]*822told the appellant she could not go any further. The appellant then began choking her. He finally relented, and again forced her to perform oral sex on him.

While continuing to walk appellant and the prosecutrix came upon a hunter, Bob Stippick. Appellant and Stippick were pri- or acquaintances. Stippick helped to push the prosecutrix’s car from the mud, and later gave appellant and prosecutrix a ride when the car ran out of gas.

Stippick testified that the prosecutrix made no outcry in his presence. She testified that no outcry was made because of her belief that Stippick was a friend of the appellant’s. She further testified that the threesome went to a grocery store, but again she was afraid to seek help as the only other person present was the female proprietor of the store. The prosecutrix was let out of Stippick’s truck near her home. She immediately reported the events to her parents, and a short time later to police.

Dr. James Helgeson testified regarding the examination of the prosecutrix. He stated that he found bruises and abrasions on her body and sperm in the victim’s vagina.

Appellant testified in his defense. He admitted having intercourse with thé victim, but claimed that the acts were consensual. He denied attempting anal intercourse or having oral sex with the victim. According to the appellant, the victim picked him up, took him to a phone, and then drove him into the country.

Appellant contends that the evidence was insufficient to prove the required aggravating circumstances. Appellant maintains that the display of the knife was shown to be for purposes other than to compel her submission to intercourse.

In Rogers v. State, 575 S.W.2d 555, this Court reviewed previous decisions regarding the sufficiency of the evidence to prove the aggravating circumstances in a rape case. The Court found that when there was a showing that “a gun or knife was used, or a threat to kill the victim was made, or serious bodily injury was inflicted, or a combination of two or more of these factors,” the evidence was sufficient to support a conviction under Sec. 21.03, supra. 575 S.W.2d at 559.

More recently in Orosco v. State, 590 S.W.2d 121 (1979), this Court was faced with a question very similar to the present case. In Orosco, the defendant had displayed a knife to the prosecutrix when he gained entry to her house. The knife was not seen again by the victim, nor was it displayed when the defendant later raped the victim. The Court found that “even after this weapon was out of sight, the threat of its use continued.”

In the present case, the evidence shows that a knife was used and that the threat of its use continued throughout the episode. We find the evidence sufficient to support the finding of an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury under Sec. 21.03, supra.

The evidence is sufficient to support the conviction.

Appellant contends that the jury charge was fundamentally defective in that it permitted a conviction of aggravated rape without first finding that he compelled submission by threat of death or serious bodily injury. Appellant points to the language contained in Paragraph 5 of the jury charge in support of this contention.

The indictment, omitting the formal parts, alleged:

“. . . did then and there knowingly and intentionally by force and th-eats have sexual intercourse with N-J_G_, a female not his wife, and did then and there intentionally and knowingly compel N- J-G_to submit to such act of sexual intercourse by threatening imminent infliction of death or serious bodily injury to N_J_G_"

The court’s charge to the jury first abstractly set out the applicable law and defined sexual intercourse, serious bodily injury, and the requisite mental states of intentionally and knowingly. In applying [823]*823the law to the facts, the court charged as follows:

“4. The indictment in this case having alleged the use of force and threats by the defendant, and the threat of infliction of serious bodily injury or death upon the alleged victim, before you would be warranted in convicting the defendant, you must find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant used such force on the occasion in question, if any, as to overcome such earnest resistance as might reasonably be expected under the circumstances at the time and, that any threat the defendant is alleged to have made in accomplishing the sexual intercourse, if any, was such that it would prevent resistance by a woman of ordinary resolution; that defendant, in the course of the same criminal episode as the alleged rape, compelled submission to the rape, if any, by threat of death or serious bodily injury to be imminently inflicted on anyone, and that there was penetration of the sexual organ of the female by the male organ of the party accused. If you have a reasonable doubt as to any of these matters, you must find the defendant not guilty.
“5.

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Jackson v. State, 591 S.W.2d 820, 1979 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1446 (Tex. 1979).

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