State v. Ely

194 P. 988, 114 Wash. 185, 1921 Wash. LEXIS 600
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 19, 1921
DocketNo. 15920
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 194 P. 988 (State v. Ely) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington 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. Ely, 194 P. 988, 114 Wash. 185, 1921 Wash. LEXIS 600 (Wash. 1921).

Opinion

Mount, J.

— The defendant in this action was convicted by a jury on a charge of rape. The information upon which the defendant was convicted recites that the defendant on the third day of July, 1919,

“did . . . perpetrate an act of sexual intercourse with Euth C. Stewart, a female over the age of ten years, and against the will and without the consent of the said Euth C. Stewart. The said Euth C. Stewart then and there not being the wife of said A. W. Ely and she then and there being unconscious of the nature of said act of sexual intercourse and that such unconsciousness on the part of said Euth C. Stewart was then and there known to said defendant A. W. Ely. ’ ’

On the trial of the case, Miss Stewart testified, in substance, that, on the third day of July, 1919, she went to the office of the defendant, who is a doctor, for the purpose of getting some glasses left there to be repaired ; that while she was there she told the defendant that she was going to another doctor to be examined physically because she was .of the impression that she had appendicitis; that Dr. Ely told her he was a physician and would make the examination; that he [187]*187thereupon had her get upon an operating table; that he examined her in order to determine whether she was afflicted with appendicitis; that he found no symptoms of appendicitis; that he thereupon examined her with reference to her ovaries; that in order to do this he put her feet in some stirrups on the operating table, elevated her knees and placed a sheet over her knees and after a digital examination, committed the crime of rape upon her; that, as soon as she discovered what he was doing, she got down from the table, called him a “darn fool” and left the office. Thereupon she went to a friend and explained to the friend what had occurred. The friend called the prosecuting attorney, and the three of them, in the afternoon of that day, returned to the doctor’s office and asked him for an explanation. That afterwards she was examined by two other doctors.

The appellant argues, first, that the court erred in refusing to give the following instruction:

“Before the defendant can be convicted, each member of the jury must be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt, as defined in these instructions, and if any one of you after having consulted with the other members of the jury, entertains such a reasonable doubt, then such member of the jury will not be justified in finding the defendant guilty.”

It is argued by the appellant that this instruction is correct for the reason that, if any juror is not convinced of the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, it is the duty of that juror to vote for an acquittal. It is conceded that, in the case of State v. Robinson, 12 Wash. 491, 41 Pac. 884, and State v. Cushing, 17 Wash. 544, 50 Pac. 512, this court held that an instruction of this character was not required to s be given. It may be correct to say that, if any juror has a reasonable doubt of the guilt of the accused, such [188]*188juror is not required to vote for a conviction, but we think it is not necessary that the court should give this specific instruction, especially where the general instruction covers the question as it does in this case. Since the case of State v. Robinson, supra, we have held in a number of cases that a requested instruction of this character need not be given. The latest case upon this question is State v. Chittenden, 111 Wash. 213, 190 Pac. 232. We do not desire to depart from the rule which has been followed in this siate since the 12th Washington above noted. There was no error therefore in refusing this instruction.

Appellant also argues that the court erred in refusing to give the following instruction:

“You are instructed that, if the evidence in this case raises a reasonable doubt in your mind that the charge made by Miss Stewart was superinduced by nervousness or by a mistake or understanding as to what actually occurred, you should give the defendant the benefit of the doubt and acquit him. ’ ’

The court in his instructions to the jury had defined a reasonable doubt, and had told the jury the elements which were necessary to be proved and in that connection the court told the jury:

“If you can reconcile the evidence before you upon any reasonable hypothesis consistent with the defendant’s innocence, you should do so, and in that case, find him not guilty.”

We think these instructions were sufficient to cover the question presented by the instruction requested. It is no doubt true, as we said in State v. Ward, 96 Wash. 550, 165 Pac. 794, that

“Instructions should be framed with reference to the.circumstances of the case on trial, and not be expressed in abstract and general terms, when such terms may mislead instead of enlightening the jury.”

[189]*189We think the instruction given in this case had no tendency to mislead the jury, while the instruction offered, we think, had that tendency. It is true that Dr. Ely, when testifying in his own behalf, testified that women who are subject to discharges such as are commonly known as lochiorrheal discharges are frequently very nervous; that women of that type are what is known as neurasthenics and they are more or less highly sensitive. But it was not shown that the prosecuting witness was suffering from lochiorrheal discharges nor was there any evidence to the effect that she was nervous while she was being examined. The only evidence of nervousness at all was that, when she discovered what the doctor had done or was attempting to do, she immediately got off the table, was angry and left the room. But there was no evidence in the record that she was a neurasthenic. It follows that it was not the duty of the court to give the instruction, because the instruction requested would have been misleading.

It is next argued on behalf of appellant that the court should have discharged the jury during the trial on account of the misconduct of the prosecuting attorney. Upon the trial, while Dr. Rhodes was testifying as a witness in behalf of the state, he was asked this question:

“Did you give her (Ruth Stewart) any professional treatment at that time? A. I did, yes, sir. Q. State what it was. State the condition you found her in and what you. did. A. My answer might tend to incriminate me.”

Counsel for the state then said:

“I think in an action for rape, no criminal prosecution could lie against a physician giving any treatment within a few hours after the offense is alleged to have been committed, for the prevention of conception. [190]*190The Court : I have no view on it, if yon have any authority, I will hear you; it is possible that is the law. Q. I will ask you Dr. Rhodes, if you gave Ruth Stewart any treatment tending to prevent an infection to which she might have been exposed.’’

An objection to this question was sustained. The doctor then answered:

“I can answer as to the examination, but not as to the treatment. Q. Now, doctor, I want to repeat the question that I asked you a while ago, and do not answer it until the court directs you to, and before submitting the question the state here and now waives any prosecution.”

Counsel for appellant objected to that statement. Then the prosecuting attorney said:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 P. 988, 114 Wash. 185, 1921 Wash. LEXIS 600, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ely-wash-1921.