State v. Morrison

189 Iowa 1027
Supreme Court of Iowa·Decided October 19, 1920·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

Arthur, J.

The errors relied on question the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict, and the action of the court in giving and refusing certain instructions and rulings on evidence.

KisStancc °a's consent °n K aPPears from the testimony of Abbie C-elile that she is a widow,, 48 years old, and lives with her son-in-law, Harry Stein, on the Augusta Road, north of Fort Madison; that, on the evening of the 6th of November, 1918, she was driving a horse and buggy along the road north of the Willard farm, near the state penitentiary farm, and some man climbed into the buggy on the left side (she was sitting on the right side) ; that she did not see who he was; that it was getting dark, being a little after six o’clock; that it was light enough so that she could have seen, but she did not see him; that she made no outcry, when the man got into the buggy; that he told her to keep quiet, or he would kill her, and she kept qniet; that he jammed her hat down over her eyes; that she made no outcry, because, she said, she was in fear of her life; that he crawled over her and pulled her out on the right side of the buggy and dragged her over to the fence and under the fence and into a cornfield,, and there had sexual intercourse with her; that, on the way from the buggy to the fence, her hat and glasses dropped off; that, during all the time he was pulling her out of the buggy and dragging her across the road and under the fence and into the cornfield, three or four rows, she made no outcry, because, she says, she was taken so by surprise, and was too badly scared, that she was in fear of her life; that all the time he kept over her face a fur collarette that she was wearing, and it prevented her from seeing; that she said nothing to him at any time except when her glasses fell off, when she said “Be careful,” that she could not see -without them, and did not want to lose them; that she knew what was happening; that, from the time he took her out of the [1029] buggy,, there was no conversation, and she did nothing; that he did not tell her what he wanted; that she was not unconscious at any time, and knew what was happening all the time. She said she imagined what his purpose was. and made no outcry, and did nothing to prevent him; that she made no resistance whatever; that she did nothing to' prevent him from having intercourse with her, because she was too badly scared — she was afraid for her life.

The evidence shows that there is a cornfield lying east of the road,- — east of the fence on the east side.of the'road,— 'and the intercourse claimed by the prosecutrix took place over this fence in the cornfield. After the occurrence, defendant told prosecutrix not to go out into the road until she got to the schoolhouse, which was further north on the road, and he also told her that he would cut her throat if she said anything about what had. occurred. When defendant first climbed into the buggy, he jammed her hat down over her eyes, and afterwards, when her hat fell off, perhaps, he pulled her collarette up over her eyes and kept it over her eyes, so that she never got a look at him. When in the buggy, he told her to keep quiet and make no outcry, or he would kill her; and she says she was in fear for her life. Tie made no other threat until after the intercourse was over, when he told her that he would cut her throat if she said anything about what had occurred. She made no resistance at any time, by word or act. She says she did nothing to prevent his taking her from the buggy across the road, through the fence, into the cornfield, and having sexual intercourse .with her, and-made no outcry, because she ivas too badly scared, and in fear for her life.

In instructing the jury, the court gave the statutory definition, and, in addition, the following definition of rape:

“Rape is the act of sexual intercourse, accomplished with a female not the wife of the perpetrator, when she resists, but her resistance is overcome by force or violence., or Avhen she is prevented from resisting by threats of immediate and great bodily harm, accompanied by the apparent power of execution.”

[1030] -■ feYrfiiion We think the above instruction fairly laid down the rule applicable to this case, and applicable to the facts in this ease. It might well have been amplified, and the jury told with more particularity that force consisting °f threats and acts on the part of the defendant, such as would overcome the will of the woman by fear, must be such as to reasonably create apprehension of déath, or immediate and great bodily harm. But the failure to so instruct was not. error. The instructions fairly submitted the case to the jury. We find no error in refusing to give instructions asked by the defendant.

We do not discuss the assignments lodged against such refusals, in view of our holding in this case, neither will we discuss assignments directed to rulings on evidence. They were not well taken, and, under our holding, it would serve no good purpose to discuss them. They raised only questions that have been passed on by this court many times.

In the case of Mills v. United States, 164 U. S. 644, at 649, Mr. Justice Peckham states the rule:

“That, if the woman at the time was conscious, had the possession of her natural, mental, and physical powers, ivas not overcome by numbers or terrified by threats, or in such place and position that resistance would have been useless, it must also be made to appear that she did resist to the extent of her ability at the time and under the circumstances.”

Also, at page 648:

“Bishop, in his treatise on Criminal Law, sa.ys that the proposition as to the element of consent, deducible from the authorities, is that, although the crime is completed where the connection takes place without the consent of the female,, yet in the ordinary case, where the woman is awake, of mature years, of sound mind, and not in fear, a failure to oppose the carnal act is consent; and though she object verbally, if she make no outcry and no resistance, she by her conduct consents, and the act is not rape in the man. 2 Bishop on Criminal Law, Section 1122.”

Perhaps the leading case on the subject is People v. Dohr[1031] ing, 59 N. Y. 374 (17 Am. Rep. 349). It is there said, inter alia:

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State v. Morrison, 189 Iowa 1027 (iowa 1920).

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