Runnels v. State

1977 OK CR 146, 562 P.2d 932
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 8, 1977
DocketF-76-555
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 1977 OK CR 146 (Runnels 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
Runnels v. State, 1977 OK CR 146, 562 P.2d 932 (Okla. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION

BLISS, Judge.

Appellant, Manuel Lee Runnels, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged, tried and convicted in the District Court, Oklahoma County, Case No. CRF-74-3825, for the offense of Rape in the First Degree, After Former Conviction of a Felony, in violation of 21 O.S.1971, § 1111. In accordance with the jury’s verdict, punishment was fixed at sixty-three (63) years’ imprisonment. From said judgment and sentence, an appeal has been filed with this Court.

The victim, a 14-year-old girl who was in the ninth grade, testified that on the evening of November 5, 1974, she was visiting the home of a girl friend, Vickie Hamilton. Others present included' Miss Hamilton’s brother, Fonzell, her mother, the defendant, Emma Phillips, with whom the defendant was living, and Ms. Phillips’ baby. As the visitors were preparing to leave, Fonzell Hamilton’s mother agreed to let him drive the defendant, Ms. Phillips and her baby home. The victim decided to ride with them and to walk to her house from the defendant’s home.

After Hamilton let them out at the defendant’s home and left, Ms. Phillips discovered she had left the baby’s milk at the Hamilton residence. The defendant called Hamilton’s mother, who sent her son back with the milk. The victim accepted Hamilton’s offer for a ride to her home. The defendant accompanied them. At the defendant’s request Hamilton stopped the car in a church parking lot.

On cross-examination the victim admitted that the group smoked marihuana. The defendant began “messing with his pants” and grabbed the victim, but let her go when she tried to bite his shoulder. The defendant made threatening gestures toward the victim with his fist. The victim asked Hamilton to protect her, but the defendant warned her that “I could kill my mama if she was to hit me right now because you bit me.” Defendant continued to threaten the victim, telling her, “Either you going to have to give up something now to me, or Fonzell,” and, “If you have sex with Fonzell I won’t jump on you,” and, “you’ll have to have sex with me or Fonzell.”

The victim agreed to sexual relations with Hamilton. The defendant got into the back of the car while Hamilton made sexual advances to the victim, who resisted his efforts. When Hamilton told the defendant that the victim was “not doing right” the defendant ordered Hamilton away from hertJ The defendant then began making sexual advances toward the victim, who told him in explicit language she would not have sexual relations.

The defendant forced the victim into the back of the car where she continued to resist the defendant’s advances despite being choked. Hamilton began driving the car, and defendant directed him to drive through an alley. As the car slowed in preparation to turn into the alley the victim escaped from the car and ran to the nearby home of an acquaintance, who was apparently away. Defendant caught the victim and forced her under threat of death to accompany him as he ran through the neighborhood, despite her pleadings and those of Hamilton and one Warren Jackson, who had been attracted by the noise. The defendant managed to elude Hamilton and Jackson prior to reaching his home where he forced the victim to get into a station wagon, forced her to strip below the waist and forced her to have sexual intercourse with him.

The defendant refused to allow the victim to go to her home, but made her spend the night in his home, where she slept in the bedroom with Ms. Phillips and the baby. The next morning the victim talked briefly with Ms. Phillips, but did not tell of the rape. The victim went to her aunt’s house and from there to school. Subsequently, the victim’s mother informed the police of the attack.

*934 On cross-examination the victim said she had taken one puff of one marihuana cigarette while the car was parked at the church. She also admitted having spent a previous night in the defendant’s home with a girl friend, Antoinette Johnson. She denied having testified at an earlier hearing that she had told a girl named Nancy Jones about the incident, and further denied knowing anyone named Nancy Jones. She admitted having sexual intercourse with her 17-year-old boyfriend. 1

On redirect, the victim testified she had sexual intercourse with her boyfriend only once or twice and with no one else.

On recross examination she testified that she had not engaged in sexual intercourse prior to the incident, but had sexual relations with her boyfriend two or three weeks afterwards.

Dr. John Hamilton, a resident physician in gynecology and obstetrics, testified that he examined the victim at approximately 3:30 p. m. on November 6, 1974. He took scrapings of the victim’s cervix and vagina and prepared two permanent sections which were sent to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. He also examined another slide which he had prepared, but was unable to detect any sperm.

Fonzell Hamilton, a 16-year-old in the eleventh grade, generally corroborated the victim’s testimony, except that he admitted partial penetration during his attempt at sexual intercourse. He estimated that the victim had taken a total of eight puffs on two marihuana cigarettes.

Kenneth Jacobson, an officer with the Oklahoma City Police Department, testified he took the victim’s statement in connection with the alleged rape attempt.

Ann G. Reed, a forensic chemist, testified that she examined two vaginal slides on November 25, 1974, and found traces of sperm. She estimated sperm could be present following sexual intercourse for as long as 72 hours.

Fonzell Hamilton was recalled and testified that he did not achieve an emission with the victim.

The victim was recalled and testified that the defendant had achieved a climax with her when they had sexual intercourse. She admitted to prior sexual relations. 2

The State then rested. The defendant demurred to the evidence, but was overruled.

Emma Phillips testified for the defendant and generally corroborated the victim’s testimony of the events up to the time the defendant, the victim and Hamilton left to take the victim home. She was asleep when the defendant and victim returned, but knew that the victim had slept in the same bed as she. Ms. Phillips testified that the victim and the victim’s boyfriend had spent the night with the defendant and herself three nights prior to the attack. At *935 that time, she stated, the victim had sexual intercourse with her boyfriend in the same room in which Ms. Phillips slept with the defendant.

On cross-examination Ms. Phillips admitted that she was unmarried and living with the defendant at the time of the alleged attack. She did not know if the defendant had raped the victim. She said the victim and her boyfriend had sexual relations on several occasions at the defendant’s house.

The defense rested.

The State recalled the victim in rebuttal. She admitted spending a night at defendant’s house approximately one week before he had attacked her.

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Bluebook (online)
1977 OK CR 146, 562 P.2d 932, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/runnels-v-state-oklacrimapp-1977.