State v. Daniels

169 Ohio St. (N.S.) 87
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedApril 8, 1959
DocketNo. 35607
StatusPublished

This text of 169 Ohio St. (N.S.) 87 (State v. Daniels) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Daniels, 169 Ohio St. (N.S.) 87 (Ohio 1959).

Opinions

Taft, J.

The Court of Appeals refused to sustain defendant’s contention in that court that the trial court erred in deter[91]*91mining, when it overruled defendant’s motion for a directed verdict at the close of all the evidence, that there was sufficient evidence to support a verdict finding defendant guilty of the crime specified in Section 2905.02, Revised Code, herein referred to as ‘ ‘ aggravated rape, ’ ’ which reads in part:

“No person shall have carnal knowledge of his daughter, sister, or a female person under 12 years of age, forcibly and against her will. Whoever violates this section shall be imprisoned for life.”

Defendant contends that, as a matter of law, there is not sufficient evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant had carnal knowledge of his daughter “forcibly and against her will” within the meaning of those words as used in that statute.

In the majority opinion of the Court of Appeals, it is stated that “if force [and “against her will”?] is a necessary element in this case, and if it is not presumed by reason of the age of the girl, ten years, and the relationship, then there is not sufficient evidence in the case to convict the defendant by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt”; and that “the testimony indicates that whatever was done [to defendant’s daughter] was done with her consent, if she was capable of giving consent at her age.” Also, in the minority opinion it is stated that, as to “the jury’s determination that the defendant’s carnal knowledge of his daughter was ‘forcibly and against her will,’ * * * there is not sufficient evidence in law to prove the same beyond a reasonable doubt. ’ ’

We agree with the apparent conclusions of the three judges of the Court of Appeals, indicated by the foregoing statements, that there is as a matter of law insufficient evidence to support a finding that defendant’s carnal knowledge of his daughter was “forcibly and against her will.” On the contrary, the evidence indicates rather clearly that anything that defendant did do with his daughter was with her consent.

In the absence of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant’s carnal knowledge of his daughter was “forcibly and against her ■will,” it would seem to follow that an essential ele[92]*92ment of the crime of aggravated rape specified in Section 2905.02, Revised Code, would be missing from the evidence.2

The words of Section 2905.02, Revised Code (see also Section 2905.01, Revised Code), specify that the “carnal knowledge” thereby prohibited must be such as is “against” the “will” of the victim. It might reasonably be argued therefore that there could not be a rape under those statutes of one who, by reason of immaturity, had no will, because nothing could be done against such nonexistent will. However, as pointed out in the note in 80 Am. Dec., 361, to Smith v. State, 12 Ohio St., 466, “the more accurate definition [of rape] will contain ‘without her consent’ rather than ‘against her will.’ ” See 44 American Jurisprudence, 902, Section 2. If the words, “against her will,” in our rape statutes, are read as though they meant “without her consent, ” then immaturity of the victim may prevent her consent from existing; and it can then be reasonably held that, where the victim does not consent because mentally incapable of consent, the carnal knowledge is “against her will.” That was, in effect, a holding in O’Meara v. State, 17 Ohio St., 515, and in Moore v. State, 17 Ohio St., 521. See Bunn v. State, 45 Ohio St., 249, 253, 12 N. E., 826. See also 44 American Jurisprudence, 906, Section 9 (indicating that carnal knowledge of unconscious woman may be rape). That our General Assembly intended the words “against her will” to mean “without her consent” is also indicated by Section 2905.03, Revised Code, which defines what is herein referred to as “ statutory rape ’ ’ and which reads in part:

“No person 18 years of age or over shall carnally know and abuse a female person under the age of 16 with her consent. ’ ’

Thus, instead of merely leaving out of that statute the words “against her will,” the General Assembly inserted in their place “with her consent,” thereby indicating that it regarded the words specifying the essential element, “against her [93]*93will,” as meaning “without her consent.” Such a conclusion is supported by State v. Carl, 71 Ohio St., 259, 73 N. E., 463, holding that proof of carnal knowledge “without consent does not constitute a fatal variance” from an indictment for statutory rape under what is now Section 2905.03, Revised Code. See also State v. Hensley, 75 Ohio St., 255, 79 N. E., 462, 116 Am. St. Rep., 734, holding prosecution not required to elect whether to proceed on count under what is now Section 2905.01, Revised Code (“against the will”), or count under what is now Section 2905.03, Revised Code (“with consent”), and Snyder v. State, 92 Ohio St., 167, 110 N. E., 644, indicating that “consent” of the victim is not “an essential element” of the crime of statutory rape now specified in Section 2905.03, Revised Code.3

There have been some broad statements with respect to the effect of Section 2905.03, Revised Code. Thus, paragraph four of the syllabus of Radke v. State, 107 Ohio St., 399, 140 N. E., 586, states that “a female child under 16 years of age is made by statute incapable of consent to any sexual relation.” See also Snyder v. State, supra (92 Ohio St., 167, 171), the •opinion in State v. Schwab, 109 Ohio St., 532, 540, 143 N. E., 29, and the view of minority set forth in State v. Labus, 102 Ohio St., 26, 35, 130 N. E., 161. But see State v. Corwin, 106 Ohio St., 638, 140 N. E., 369. If that represents a correct statement of law, then, of course, it was unnecessary in the instant case for the state to offer any evidence tending to prove that defendant’s daughter either could not or did not consent to his carnal knowledge of her or that such carnal knowledge was “against her will.” However, the incorrectness of such a broad [94]*94statement is at once apparent on examination of the very statute upon whose words it was and is supposed to be based. A male under 18 may commit the crime of rape as it is now defined in Section 2905.01, Revised Code, herein referred to as “ordinary rape.” Hiltabiddle v. State, 35 Ohio St., 52, 35 Am. Rep., 592. Therefore, if the broad statement in paragraph four of the syllabus of the Badhe case represents a completely correct statement of the law, then it would have been foolish for the General Assembly to establish the age of one charged with the crime of statutory rape now specified in Section 2905.03, Revised Code, as being 18 or over, because the carnal knowledge of one under 16 would always be “without consent” and therefore “against the will” of the victim and hence would represent the crime of ordinary rape now specified in Section 2905.01, Revised Code (“carnal knowledge of any female * * * forcibly and against her will”).4

In a jurisdiction having a statute defining statutory rape as does Section 2905.03, Revised Code, but without the requirement of that statute that the male be 18 or over, the broad statement in paragraph four of the syllabus of the Badhe case

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Bluebook (online)
169 Ohio St. (N.S.) 87, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-daniels-ohio-1959.