State v. Cox

159 P.3d 352, 212 Or. App. 637, 2007 Ore. App. LEXIS 713
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedMay 16, 2007
DocketCR040821DV; A127561
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 159 P.3d 352 (State v. Cox) 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. Cox, 159 P.3d 352, 212 Or. App. 637, 2007 Ore. App. LEXIS 713 (Or. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

HASELTON, P. J.

Defendant appeals his conviction for felony fourth-degree assault, ORS 163.160(3), arguing that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a judgment of acquittal (MJOA) on that charge. In response, the state concedes that the trial court erred and, particularly, that there was no evidence showing that the assault was “committed in the immediate presence” of defendant’s and the victim’s infant child. ORS 163.160(3)(c). As explained below, we conclude that that concession is well-founded. Consequently, we reverse and remand for entry of a conviction on the lesser-included offense of misdemeanor fourth-degree assault.

In reviewing the denial of an MJOA, we review the evidence in the light most favorable to the state. State v. Grey, 175 Or App 235, 237, 28 P3d 1195 (2001), rev den, 333 Or 463 (2002). Here, the following material facts are uncontroverted. Defendant was convicted of numerous crimes arising out of a series of events that occurred over several days, primarily involving various assaults on his girlfriend, who was the mother of defendant’s infant child. One of those convictions — the only conviction at issue on appeal — was for felony fourth-degree assault, based on an incident in which defendant injured the victim while forcibly cutting her hair. That incident was the basis of Count 4 of the indictment, which alleged:

“The defendant, on or about October 9, 2004, in Yamhill County, Oregon, did unlawfully and intentionally, knowingly, and/or recklessly cause physical injury to [the victim] by/while cutting her hair and the assault was committed in the immediate presence of, or witnessed by, a child or stepchild of the defendant or victim, or a minor child residing within the residence of the defendant or victim and defendants, and defendant’s conduct constituted domestic violence; contrary to statute and against the peace and dignity of the State of Oregon.”

Thus, Count 4 alleged a fourth-degree assault that constituted a felony because the assault was either “committed in the immediate presence of’ or was “witnessed by” defendant’s and the victim’s minor child. ORS ldS.lRCKSXc).1

[640]*640At trial, the uncontroverted, evidence showed that, at the time of that assault, defendant and the victim were in the bathroom of their house, and their six-week-old infant was in another room — that is, there was an actual physical separation between the child and the site of the assault. Further, the state presented no evidence that the infant perceived— saw or heard — the assault.2

Defendant moved for a judgment of acquittal as to both of the disjunctive felony enhancement elements of “witnessed by” and “committed in the immediate presence of.” The court granted the motion as it related to the allegation that the assault was “witnessed by” the infant, given the absence of any evidence that the infant perceived the assault as it occurred. See ORS 163.160(4) (“For the purposes of subsection (3) of this section, an assault is witnessed if the assault is seen or directly perceived in any other manner by the child.”); see generally State v. Bivins, 191 Or App 460, 83 P3d 379 (2004) (applying definition of “witnessed by” in ORS 163.160(4)). However, the trial court denied the MJOA as it related to the alternative allegation that the assault had occurred in the child’s “immediate presence.” In so ruling, the court apparently accepted the prosecutor’s argument that the “committed in the immediate presence” element was satisfied where the victim always had ready “access to the little baby.” As noted, the jury subsequently convicted defendant on Count 4.

On appeal, defendant renews his arguments that, on this record, the state failed to prove that the assault occurred in the “immediate presence” of the child. As noted, the state concedes that defendant is correct. Nevertheless, we have an independent obligation to determine whether that concession is well-founded. See, e.g., State v. Enakiev, 175 Or App 589, 593 n 4, 29 P3d 1160 (2001) (notwithstanding concession of error, we review propriety of ruling for errors of law).

We begin with ORS 163.160. That statute provides:

“(1) A person commits the crime of assault in the fourth degree if the person:
[641]*641“(a) Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes physical injury to another; or
“(b) With criminal negligence causes physical injury to another by means of a deadly weapon.
“(2) Assault in the fourth degree is a Class A misdemeanor.
“(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, assault in the fourth degree is a Class C felony if the person commits the crime of assault in the fourth degree and:
“(a) The person has previously been convicted of assaulting the same victim;
“(b) The person has previously been convicted at least three times under this section or under equivalent laws of another jurisdiction and all of the assaults involved domestic violence, as defined in ORS 135.230; or
“(c) The assault is committed in the immediate presence of, or is witnessed by, the person’s or the victim’s minor child or stepchild or a minor child residing within the household of the person or victim.
“(4) For the purposes of subsection (3) of this section, an assault is witnessed if the assault is seen or directly perceived in any other manner by the child.”

(Emphasis and boldface added.)

To determine the legislature’s intent with respect to the “committed in the immediate presence” element — as distinct from the alternative, and independently sufficient, “witnessed by” element — we begin by examining the statute’s text, giving words of common usage their plain meaning. PGE v. Bureau of Labor and Industries, 317 Or 606, 610-11, 859 P2d 1143 (1993). Both “immediate” and “presence” are words of common usage. “Immediate,” as used in this context, can mean:

“1 a: acting or being without the intervention of another object, cause, or agency : DIRECT, proximate <the ~ cause of death> * * * 4 : characterized by contiguity : existing without intervening space or substance <bring the chemicals into ~ contact very cautiously); broadly : being near at hand : not far apart or distant <hid the money in the ~ neighborhood) [.]”

[642]*642Webster’s Third New Int’l Dictionary 1129 (unabridged ed 2002) (italics in original). “Presence,” as used in this context, can mean:

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Related

State v. Cazarez-Lopez
434 P.3d 468 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2018)
State v. Duvall
335 P.3d 864 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2014)
State v. Mazzola
242 P.3d 674 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
159 P.3d 352, 212 Or. App. 637, 2007 Ore. App. LEXIS 713, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-cox-orctapp-2007.