State v. Rondey Bond

• Court: Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
• Decided: December 23, 1997
• Docket: 02C01-9610-CC-00346
• Status: Published

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

AT JACKSON

OCTOBER 1997 SESSION FILED December 23, 1997

Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk RODNEY DEWAYNE BOND, ) ) C.C.A. NO. 02C01-9610-CC-00346 Appellant, ) ) LAKE COUNTY VS. ) ) HON. JOE G. RILEY, JR., BILLY COMPTON, Warden ) JUDGE ) Appellee. ) (Habeas corpus)

FOR THE APPELLANT: FOR THE APPELLEE:

RODNEY D. BOND (pro se) JOHN KNOX WALKUP L.C.R.C.F. Attorney General & Reporter Rt. 1, Box 330 Tiptonville, TN 38079 ELIZABETH T. RYAN Asst. Attorney General 450 James Robertson Pkwy. Nashville, TN 37243-0493

C. PHILLIP BIVENS District Attorney General P.O. Box E Dyersburg, TN 38024

OPINION FILED:____________________

AFFIRMED

JOHN H. PEAY, Judge OPINION

The petitioner filed his petition for writ of habeas corpus on September 12,

1996, alleging that he is being illegally restrained by virtue of a nine year sentence

imposed in 1991 for a rape conviction. He claims that his sentence is illegal because the

underlying conviction is based upon an invalid indictment. Specifically, he claims that the

indictment fails to allege the necessary mens rea element of the offense. The petitioner

relies on this Court's opinion in State v. Roger Dale Hill, Sr., No. 01C01-9508-CC-00267,

Wayne County (Tenn. Crim. App. filed June 20, 1996, at Nashville). The court below

summarily dismissed the petition. We affirm.

We first note that our Supreme Court has overruled this Court's decision

in Hill. See State v. Hill, __ S.W.2d __ (Tenn. 1997). Moreover, the indictment against

the petitioner alleges that he committed aggravated rape by “unlawfully and forcibly, while

armed with a weapon, . . . sexually penetrat[ing] [the victim].” The use of the term

“forcibly” is adequate to describe the mens rea element required for aggravated rape.1

The petitioner's contention is therefore without merit.

The judgment below is affirmed.

___________________________________ JOHN H. PEAY, Judge

1 The mens rea requirem ent for ag gravate d rape is inte ntional, kn owing or reckles s. See State v. Hill , __ S.W.2d __, __ (Tenn. 1997)

2 CONCUR:

______________________________ PAUL G. SUMMERS, Judge

______________________________ DAVID G. HAYES, Judge