State v. Alcantar

388 P.3d 1124, 283 Or. App. 114, 2016 Ore. App. LEXIS 1629
Court of Appeals of Oregon·Decided December 29, 2016·No. 130184FE; A155199·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

HADLOCK, C. J.

Defendant appeals a judgment of conviction for first-degree rape, ORS 163.375, and first-degree sodomy, ORS 163.405, in connection with his and a codefendant’s sexual assault of a woman at a party. On appeal, defendant assigns error to the exclusion of evidence that the victim engaged in sexual behavior toward other men earlier on the night of the incident.1 More specifically, defendant argues that the trial court erred by ruling that the evidence was “past sexual behavior” for purposes of Oregon’s rape shield statute, OEC 412 (2011), which makes evidence of a victim’s past sexual behavior inadmissible except in certain specified circumstances.2 We agree with the state that the evidence in question was “past sexual behavior.” Accordingly, because defendant has not argued, either below or on appeal, that the evidence was admissible under one of the OEC 412 exceptions to the general rule excluding such evidence, he has not established that the trial court erred by excluding it. We therefore affirm.

The relevant facts, which we take from the record, are largely procedural. On the night of the incident giving rise to the charges against defendant, the victim and her friend attended a party that was held in a trailer. The victim later asserted that defendant raped her in a bedroom of the trailer during the party while, at the same time, [116] codefendant also sexually assaulted her. Defendant was charged with first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy. He eventually testified at trial in support of his contention that the victim had consented to engage in sex with him during the party, in codefendant’s presence.

Before trial, the state filed a motion in limine to prevent the admission of evidence of the victim’s sexual history and reputation, which defendant sought to admit. Specifically, the state pointed to statements made to the police by defendant, codefendant, and other people who had been at the party, alleging that the victim had engaged in sexual behavior with others during the course of that evening. Pertinent to this appeal, the state identified the following statements: (1) “[Codefendant’s] statement that the victim had danced on several men’s laps and exposed her breasts, and that the victim possibly had * * * gone into the bathroom with another man”; (2) “[A witness’s] statement that he [the witness] had sex with the victim two hours before the incident”; and (3) “[A different witness’s] statement that the victim had exposed her buttocks outside the trailer.”3 The state argued that the evidence was of “past sexual behavior” and, therefore, was inadmissible unless it fell within one of the exceptions to OEC 412(2) and was admitted under the procedures set forth in OEC 412(4).4 [117] Thus, because neither defendant nor codefendant had filed a timely motion under the rule, the state requested that the court exclude all such evidence.

Defendant responded that the evidence the state wished to exclude was not evidence of “past sexual behavior.” Rather, defendant stated that “it is behavior that occurred on the day in question. And in order for us to put on our case we need to have the facts of what occurred for the jury.” Defendant argued that, because the defense theory was that the victim consented, “everything she did [that night] is going to be part of that theory.” In response, the state reiterated that, “[e]ven if it’s the night in question it’s still past sexual history. If it was subsequent behavior it would be past sexual history. [Defendant] can’t get into any of the other evidence other than the specific incident implicated by the allegations.”

Ultimately, the trial court ruled that the evidence of the victim’s alleged sexual behavior toward people other than defendant and codefendant on the night of the party qualified as “past sexual behavior” and was, therefore, inadmissible in the absence of an OEC 412 motion. However, the court ruled that “conduct that [defendant and codefendant] will testify that the victim did on that night in question to them is admissible.” A jury convicted defendant of both counts. This appeal followed.

Again, defendant argues on appeal that the evidence of the victim’s prior sexual behavior toward others during the party does not qualify as “past sexual behavior” within the meaning of OEC 412. Instead, defendant asserts, the evidence is relevant, current sexual behavior because “the jury would learn that the victim was interested in and willing to engage in sexual contact, and she had broadcast that interest to everyone in the trailer,” thereby “better inform [ing] [118] the jury of why the defendant believed that his sexual acts were consented to.” Therefore, according to defendant, OEC 412 does not apply, and the trial court incorrectly excluded the evidence. We disagree.

OEC 412 prohibits the introduction of evidence of specific instances of a victim’s past sexual behavior unless it relates to the motive or bias of the alleged victim, is necessary to rebut scientific evidence or medical evidence offered by the state, or is otherwise constitutionally required to be admitted. OEC 412(2). Therefore, the threshold inquiry is whether the evidence concerns a victim’s past sexual behavior; if it is does not, then OEC 412 does not apply. State v. Fowler, 225 Or App 187, 192-94, 200 P3d 591, 595 (2009). Whether proffered evidence involves a victim’s past sexual behavior under OEC 412 is a question of law. See State v. Muyingo, 171 Or App 218, 224, 15 P3d 83 (2000), rev den, 332 Or 431 (2001) (applying standard).

We begin by emphasizing the narrowness of the issue presented to us on appeal. We need not address whether the victim’s behavior toward defendant earlier on the night of the incident was “past sexual behavior” under OEC 412, because the trial court did not exclude that evidence. Nor has defendant argued, either before the trial court or on appeal, that the victim’s behavior toward other men on that night was not sexual within the meaning of OEC 412. Further, it is undisputed that defendant did not follow the procedural steps required by OEC 412 for admission of evidence of past sexual behavior that meets certain requirements—filing a pretrial motion in accordance with OEC 412 and seeking admission of the evidence during an in camera hearing. Therefore, our inquiry is limited to the threshold question of whether evidence of the victim’s sexual behavior directed toward other men earlier on the night of the incident was “past” sexual behavior within the meaning of OEC 412.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

State v. Alcantar, 388 P.3d 1124, 283 Or. App. 114, 2016 Ore. App. LEXIS 1629 (Or. Ct. App. 2016).

388 P.3d 1124 (State v. Alcantar) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

State v. Mayo
426 P.3d 169 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2018)
State v. Avila-Carrillo
388 P.3d 732 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2017)