People v. Downer

372 P.2d 107, 57 Cal. 2d 800, 22 Cal. Rptr. 347, 1962 Cal. LEXIS 228
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedJune 4, 1962
DocketCrim. 7022
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 372 P.2d 107 (People v. Downer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Downer, 372 P.2d 107, 57 Cal. 2d 800, 22 Cal. Rptr. 347, 1962 Cal. LEXIS 228 (Cal. 1962).

Opinions

McCOMB, J.

Defendant appeals from a judgment of guilty of the crime of attempted incest, after trial before a jury.

Viewed in the light most favorable to the People, the record discloses the following facts.

Defendant, his daughter, and his son lived in a two-bedroom trailer house outside of Lewiston, Trinity County, California. The trailer was composed of one back bedroom separated from another bedroom by a bathroom. The second bedroom contained two bunk beds, the lower of which was occupied by defendant and the upper by his son; defendant’s daughter, Bonita, occupied the back bedroom.

December 5, 1959, about 10 p. m., defendant went into his daughter’s bedroom after she had retired. He sat on her bed, awakened her, and said he wanted to talk with her. She knew the reason he was there, for he had been coming into her bedroom for the same purpose since 1957. At the time he entered the bedroom he was wearing only his underwear. She struggled against the advances of her father for about two hours, that is, for the entire time he was in her room. During the struggle he removed the bottom of her pajamas, tearing them as he did so. He then removed his underwear, got on top of her, and said that he “wanted some relief.” He had been perpetrating these acts upon his daughter since 1957 and had always used the same words to the effect that he “wanted relief.” He struck his daughter several times with a knife and threatened her if she did not lie still.

After defendant assumed his position on her, there was physical contact between his penis and the girl’s vaginal area. He put his penis, which she described as “more or less hard,” in only part of the way, to the extent of about an inch or an inch and a half, and made motions to some extent during the period of this contact.

Gary Downer, defendant’s 16-year-old son, who slept in [805]*805the bunk bed in the other bedroom, had observed his father go into his sister’s bedroom and about 15 minutes later heard her begin crying and moaning. This continued for about 45 minutes to an hour. He also heard parts of conversations between his father and his sister, in which the girl said, “No, no,” “Who do you think you are,” “You think you are a privileged character,” “You know it’s wrong,” and remarks of a similar nature.

On December 16, 1959, defendant again entered his daughter’s bedroom after she had gone to bed. She knew what he wanted and struggled against his advances. Defendant stated that he “just wanted to get some relief.” He was again wearing only his underwear, and the girl had retired wearing a pair of pants and a blouse. Defendant tore off her pants and blouse during the struggle in which she tried to resist his advances. During the struggle she suffered a bloody nose, and defendant twisted her arms. A pillowcase and sheet stained with blood from the girl’s nose were recovered from the trailer on December 17. On the night of the 16th defendant did not accomplish any type of sexual contact with his daughter, but he did make an effort to do so. He finally became angry and left.

On this same evening the son again observed Ms father go into the girl’s bedroom, and about 15 minutes later heard her crying and moaning. He heard this crying and moaning continue for 45 minutes to an hour. He also stated that activities of the type that took place on the 5th and 16th had gone on since about a month after he had moved in with his father and sister.

Defendant had perpetrated on Ms daughter acts similar to those that occurred on December 5 about once a month or once every two months since she had come to live with Mm. There was evidence of a conversation on December 5 between defendant and his daughter in which he told her that if she did not lie still he would put it ‘ clear in, ’ ’ and on certain occasions he had threatened to stick her with a knife if she did not lie still.

Defendant contends: First. That the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction of attempted incest.

This contention is devoid of merit. These rules are here applicable:

(1) The crime of attempted incest is complete if the evidence is sufficient to show the concurrence of (a) the intent to commit such a crime, together with (b) direct, though in[806]*806effectual, acts done toward its commission. (Cf. People v. Camodeca, 52 Cal.2d 142, 145 [1] [338 P.2d 903] ; People v. Gallardo, 41 Cal.2d 57, 66 [12] [257 P.2d 29] ; People v. Thomas, 164 Cal.App.2d 571, 574 [1] [331 P.2d 82].)
(2) To constitute attempted incest, the defendant’s conduct must go beyond mere preparation and must reach far enough toward accomplishment of the desired result to amount to commencement of the consummation. (Cf. People v. Franquelin, 109 Cal.App.2d 777, 784 [5] [241 P.2d 651].)
(3) Whenever the design of a person to commit a crime is clearly shown, slight acts done in furtherance thereof will constitute an attempt. (People v. Thomas, supra, at p. 574 [4].)
(4) In order to accomplish the crime of attempted incest, it is not necessary that there be any penetration. (People v. Gleason, 99 Cal. 359 [33 P. 1111, 37 Am.St.Rep. 56] ; cf. People v. Esposti, 82 Cal.App.2d 76, 78 [2] [185 P.2d 866] ; People v. Thomas, supra, at p. 574 [2].)
Applying the foregoing facts to the above rules, it is apparent that defendant attempted to commit incest.

The record discloses that defendant had been engaged in sexual relations with his daughter since 1957. It was his practice to come into her bedroom, dressed oiffy in his underwear, and state that he wanted some “relief” just before he would perpetrate the act upon her.

On December 16, 1959, defendant, dressed only in his underwear, came into his daughter's bedroom after she had gone to bed, and stated that he wanted some “relief.” She knew what he wanted and began struggling against his sexual advances. During the struggle defendant gave her a bloody nose, twisted her arm, and tore her clothing off.

Clearly the foregoing facts established that defendant was guilty of attempted incest.

People v. Miller, 2 Cal.2d 527 [42 P.2d 308], and People v. Buffum, 40 Cal.2d 709 [256 P.2d 317], relied on by defendant, are factually distinguishable from the present case and state only a general rule with respect to attempts.

People v. Parker, 74 Cal.App. 540 [241 P. 401], also relied on by defendant, was a ease involving a conviction for a violation of Penal Code section 288, lewd and lascivious acts perpetrated on a child, prior to the 1937 amendment. It was contended that the defendant’s acts showed either rape, intent to commit rape, or assault with intent to commit rape, and [807]*807that consequently he could not he held for a violation of section 288 as it then read.1

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
372 P.2d 107, 57 Cal. 2d 800, 22 Cal. Rptr. 347, 1962 Cal. LEXIS 228, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-downer-cal-1962.