State v. Corbin

516 P.2d 1314, 15 Or. App. 536, 1973 Ore. App. LEXIS 832
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedDecember 10, 1973
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 516 P.2d 1314 (State v. Corbin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Corbin, 516 P.2d 1314, 15 Or. App. 536, 1973 Ore. App. LEXIS 832 (Or. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

LANGTRY, J.

Defendant was convicted of murder of his wife. ORS 163.115. Iiis defense was based on the assertion that he was guilty only of manslaughter. ORS 163.125 (1) (b). On appeal he raises two principal issues. (1) He asserts that it was error not to suppress evidence heard by a psychiatrist in an examination not obtained pursuant to prescribed statutory procedures. (2) He challenges the propriety of a jury instruction relating to emotional disturbance as an element of his manslaughter defense.

Defendant committed criminal homicide. ORS 163.-005. The sole question for the jury was whether the crime was murder or manslaughter.

At 1:39 a.m. December 30, 1972 the Grants Pass Police Department received a phone call from a man who identified himself as Mr. Peck of Weed, California. Mr. Peck advised the police dispatcher that his son-in-law, the defendant, had just called him and stated that he had shot his wife and was going to kill himself.

Officers on arriving at defendant’s house got no response from within though they knocked loudly and identified themselves. They broke into the house and found defendant, lying wounded and unconscious on a bed, next to the body of his dead wife. Shortly, defendant regained consciousness and began to speak to *539 the officers, one of whom he had previously been acquainted with on a nonpolice, business level. He began to make incriminating statements to the effect that he had killed his wife and wished that he too were dead. The officer interrupted and warned him of his Mirmda rights. He responded by stating, “ ‘I know my rights. You don’t need to tell them to me,’ ” and continued to volunteer incriminating evidence. Defendant then attempted to stab himself with a hunting knife he had concealed underneath himself, but was thwarted by the police.

Defendant was then taken to a hospital where his wound was examined and treated. The wound was shown by evidence to be caused by a .22 caliber slug that had passed through defendant’s shoulder area and had been fired from a distance of 12 to 24 inches from the point of entry. The same morning at 9 a.m. he was again questioned by police and gave a statement. That afternoon while still under guard in the hospital lie made a further statement that was recorded on video tape and shown to the jury. During this statement he was again informed of his Miranda rights.

After defendant made the video tape statement, at the suggestion of the district attorney he was asked by an officer if he would be willing to see a psychiatrist. Defendant agreed. The district attorney made arrangements for Dr. Gardner, a psychiatrist, to examine defendant. Dr. Gardner conducted the examination that evening in defendant’s hospital room. He did not inform defendant of his rights. The doctor submitted a written report to the district attorney, and testified. His opinion was that defendant was not suffering from *540 an extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the homicide.

Defendant told officers and Dr. Gardner that he had come home that evening, had an argument with his wife and had slapped her. He then retreated into the bedroom and lay down to compose himself. His wife entered the bedroom and, pointing a .22 caliber rifle at defendant, told him to get out. Defendant said he grabbed for the gnn and it went off, striking him in the area of his shoulder. He then took the gnn and as his wife climbed across the bed he fired two shots, both producing fatal wonncls. The state’s evidence, while not directly contradicting this version, established several inconsistencies in it.

There was other evidence introduced to show that, for several months prior to the shooting, defendant and his wife were having marital difficulties. A witness testified that about an hour before the shooting the defendant told him he was “* * * 'tired of hassling’ ” and was “* * * 'going to end it tonight.’ ”

(1). Defendant challenges the trial court’s refusal to suppress the evidence obtained by Dr. Gardner’s psychiatric examination. Defendant argues that the only way the state may obtain a psychiatric examination is by obtaining a court order pursuant to ORS 161.315. The state counters that, since the defendant voluntarily agreed to talk to the psychiatrist several hours after knowingly waiving his Miranda rights, there was no basis for suppressing the results of the examination, relying on State v. Ruiz, 251 Or 193, 444 P2d 32 (1968), and State v. Nelson, 162 Or 430, 92 P2d 182 (1939).

*541 OES 163.125 provides:

“(1) Criminal homicide constitutes manslaughter when:
* %
(b) A homicide which would otherwise he murder is committed under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance, which disturbance is not the result of his own intentional, knowing, reckless or criminally negligent act, and for which disturbance there is a reasonable explanation; or # * # #
“(2) For the purposes of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section, the reasonableness of the explanation for the disturbance shall be determined from the standpoint of an ordinary person in the actor’s situation under the circumstances- as the actor reasonably believes them to be.

OES 163.135 provides:

“(1) The defendant shall not introduce in his case in chief expert testimony regarding extreme mental or emotional disturbance under OES 163.125 unless he gives notice of his intent to dó so."
U* * ft
“(4) After the defendant files notice as provided in this section, the state shall have the right to have at least one psychiatrist of its selection examine the defendant in the same manner and subject to the same provisions as provided in OES 161.315.”

OES 161.315 provides:

“Upon filing of notice or the introduction of evidence by the defendant as provided in subsection (3) of OES'161.309, the state shall have the right to have at least one psychiatrist of its selection examine the defendant. The state shall file notice with the court of its intention to have the defendant examined * *

*542 For our discussion of this issue, ORS 161.315 is the key statute; the others provide a frame of reference. ORS 161.315

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
516 P.2d 1314, 15 Or. App. 536, 1973 Ore. App. LEXIS 832, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-corbin-orctapp-1973.