McComas v. State

1942 OK CR 158, 131 P.2d 488, 75 Okla. Crim. 321, 1942 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 54
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 25, 1942
DocketNo. A-9940.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 1942 OK CR 158 (McComas v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McComas v. State, 1942 OK CR 158, 131 P.2d 488, 75 Okla. Crim. 321, 1942 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 54 (Okla. Ct. App. 1942).

Opinion

DOYLE, J.

This appeal is prosecuted from a judgment rendered in the district court of Grady county, in accordance with the verdict of a jury finding Darian Bay McComas guilty of rape in the second degree and assessing his punishment at imprisonment for a term of one year in the Granite Penitentiary.

The information, omitting merely formal parts, charges:

“That Darian Bay McComas and Marion G. Archer, did in Grady County, on or about the 7th day of August, 1938, and anterior to< the presentment hereof, commit the crime of Bape — First Degree, in the manner and form as follows to wit:

*334 “That on or about said day and date, and in said county and state, the said defendants, Darían Ray McComas and Marion G. Archer, then and there being, did then and there wrongfully, wilfully, unlawfully, forcibly, violently and feloniously, make an assault in and upon one Dorothy Lee Burks, a female not the wife of the said Darian Ray McComas or Marion G. Archer, without her consent and against her will, by means of force overcoming her resistance, rape, ravish and carnally know her, the said Dorothy Lee Burks contrary to,” etc.

Upon the trial the defense interposed was a denial of accomplishing the act charged, and also nonage, in that at the time of the alleged commission of the offense the defendant was under the age of 18 years.

The grounds of the motion for a new trial and assigned as error in the petition are, in effect, that the verdict was contrary to law and to the evidence.

The other assignments are:

“Error of the court in overruling the defendant’s demurrer at the close of the state’s evidence; error of the court in not directing the jury to return a verdict of not guilty for the defendant, as requested by the defendant, at the close of all the evidence in the case;” error of the court in giving instructions numbered 5, 9, 11, and 14 over the objections and exceptions of the defendant.

The errors assigned require consideration of the following* Penal Code provisions:

As defined by our Penal Code:

“Rape is an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a female, not the wife of the perpetrator, under either of the following circumstances: * * * Fourth. Where she resists but her resistance is overcome by force and violence.” Section 2515, Sts. 1931, 21 O. S. 1941 § HU.

The sections which classify the crime of rape into degrees and fix the punishment are:

*335 “No conviction for rape can be had against one who was under the age of 14 years at the time of the act alleged unless his physical ability to accomplish penetration is proved as an independent fact and beyond a reasonable doubt. Nor can any person be convicted of rape on account of an act of sexual intercourse with a female over the age of 14 years, Avith her consent, unless such person was over the age of 18' years at the time of such act.” Section 2516, Sts. 1931, 21 O. S. 1941 § 1112.

“Rape committed by a male over eighteen years of age upon a female under the age of fourteen years, or incapable through lunacy or unsoundness of mind of giving legal consent; or accomplished with any female by means of force overcoming her resistance, or by means of threats of immediate and great bodily harm, accompanied by apparent power of execution, preventing such resistance, is rape in the first degree. In all other cases rape is of the second degree.” Section 2518, Sts. 1931, 21 O. S. 1941 § 1114.

“Rape in the first degree is punishable by death or imprisonment in the penitentiary, not less than fifteen years, in the discretion of the jury, or in case the jury fail or refuse to fix the punishment then the same shall be pronounced by the court.” Section 2519, Sts. 1931, 21 O. S. 1941 § 1115.

“Rape in the second degree is punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary not less than one year nor more than fifteen years.” Section 2520, Sts. 1931, 21 O. S. 1941 § 1116.

Under section 2516, if the male is under the age of 18 years, and the female is above the age of 14 years, and the act is with her consent, no offense is committed, nor can a person be convicted of rape with a female over the age of 14 years with her consent, unless such person Avas over the age of 18 years at the time of said act. See Brasel v. State, 48 Okla. Cr. 403, 291 P. 807.

It is contended that the trial court erred in giving to the jury certain instructions submitting the law of *336 rape in the first degree, accomplished by force overcoming her resistance:

The court further instructed the jury as follows:

“No. 6. You are also instructed gentlemen, under the law no one can be convicted of rape on account of a.n act of sexual intercourse with a female over the age of fourteen years, with her consent, unless such person was over the age of eighteen years at the time.

“No. 10. You are instructed gentlemen, that under the law any male under the age of eighteen years having sexual intercourse with a female over the age of fourteen years, accomplished by force or violence overcoming1 her resistance is guilty of rape in the second degree.

“No. 11. ,So you are instructed gentlemen, with reference to rape in the second degree, that if, after a fair and impartial consideration of all the evidence in the case and the instructions of the court herein given you, you entertain a reasonable doubt as to whether or not the defendant is guilty of rape in the first degree as herein-before defined to you, you should then consider as to whether or not the defendant is guilty of rape in the second degree as herein defined and if, after a fair and impartial consideration of all the evidence in the case and the instructions of the court herein given you, you are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that in the county of Grady and state of Oklahoma, and on or about the seventh of August 1938, the defendant Dorian Ray McComas, being then and there under the age of 18 years did unlawfully, willfully and feloniously have sexual intercourse with the said Dorothy Lee Burks, without her consent and against her will, accomplished by means of force or violence overcoming her resistance, and she, at said time, was not the wife of said defendant, then in that event you should find the defendant guilty of rape in the second degree and should you find the defendant guilty of rape in the second degree, you must fix his punishment at confinement in the penitentiary for any period not less than one nor more than 15 years.

*337 “In this connection gentlemen, you are instructed that you cannot convict the defendant, if you find and believe from the evidence, or entertain a reasonable doubt thereof, that he was at said time, under the age of 18 years and had sexual intercourse with Dorothy Lee Burks with her consent.” Excepted to by the defendant. Exception allowed.

“No. 14.

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Bluebook (online)
1942 OK CR 158, 131 P.2d 488, 75 Okla. Crim. 321, 1942 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 54, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccomas-v-state-oklacrimapp-1942.