State v. Wallin

366 P.3d 651, 52 Kan. App. 2d 256, 2016 Kan. App. LEXIS 2
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedJanuary 15, 2016
Docket111332
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 366 P.3d 651 (State v. Wallin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Wallin, 366 P.3d 651, 52 Kan. App. 2d 256, 2016 Kan. App. LEXIS 2 (kanctapp 2016).

Opinions

Buser, J.:

Bernard Orville Wallin appeals his convictions for one count of rape, three counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. The victim of these acts, M.J., is an adult with developmental disabilities. Wallin-raises two issues on appeal. First, he contends tire State presented insufficient evidence to establish his guilt. In particular, Wallin contends there was insufficient evidence to prove that M.J. was incapable of giving consent to the sexual acts due to a mental deficiency or disease because the State did not present any expert medical testimony. Second, Wallin asserts the district court erred when it provided the jury, after closing arguments and prior to die evening recess, an instruction on juror misconduct.

We conclude that, depending on the facts of the case, in order to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the crimes of rape (K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5503[a][2]), aggravated criminal sodomy (K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5504[b][3][C]), and aggravated sexual battery (K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5505[b][3]), the victim’s incapacity to give consent [258]*258because of mental deficiency or disease may be established without expert testimony. After carefully reviewing the evidence in this case, which did not include expert testimony, we are persuaded the evidence was sufficient to convince a rational factfinder that M.J. did not have the capacity to give consent due to a mental deficiency or disease. We also find no error in the district courts instruction regarding juror misconduct. Accordingly, the convictions are affirmed.

Factual and Procedural Background

The State charged Wallin with various sex crimes against two adult women with developmental disabilities, i.e., R.K. and M.J. The charges originated after R.K. approached a patrol officer for the Minneapolis Police Department in late 2011 and asked him to give a handwritten note to the chief of police, which contained sexual molestation allegations.

Subsequently, Officer Robert Matlack began investigating the case. Due to his knowledge of the limited mental capacity of R.K. and M.J., Officer Matlack spoke with Margaret Kilpatrick, M.J.’s guardian and conservator and R.K. s adoptive mother. According to Officer Matlack, Kilpatrick informed him that M.J. and R.K. performed chores for Carolyn Allen, Kilpatricks neighbor and Wal-lin’s roommate, in the summer of 2011, but she terminated their employment when M.J. told her that she had seen Wallin touching R.K. and having her engage in oral sex. Additionally, M.J. said that Wallin had “touched her and had her work with her pants pulled down.”

Officer Matlack interviewed R.K. and M.J. R.K. told Officer Matlack that she and M.J. had unwanted sexual contact with Wal-lin, and she did not report the abuse sooner because “[s]he was afraid she was going to get in trouble if she did.” M.J., on the other hand, advised Officer Matlack that she saw Wallin unsuccessfully attempt to lass R.K. on the lips once, and she relayed information she heard from R.K. about R.K.’s other encounters with Wallin. M.J. also claimed that Wallin had attempted to kiss her and asked her to engage in oral sex but she declined.

[259]*259Officer Matlack then spoke with Wallin, and during two separate interviews, Wallin acknowledged that R.K. and M.J. had performed chores at Allen s residence but he insisted that other than the girls giving him “hugs that lasted too long,” no sexual activity or fondling occurred. Later, however, Wallin participated in a recorded interview with Agent Ricky S. Atteberiy of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). During this interview, Wallin admitted “to certain sexual acts” with R.K. and M.J. Following the interview, Wallin prepared a written statement:

“The sexual contact [djenials I gave to Matlack were inacuart [sic]. The contacts were to each of the girls, they were to their brests [sic] [and] to their vergina [sic]. Happened maybe four [and] five times. Don’t recall any oral sex on [R.K.] she did on me. Never asked me to stop! Was injoying [sic] it too much. Maybe 4 or 5 times or even less. [M.J.] performed oral sex on me maybe 3 or 4 time[s]. No force was ever used [and] both were wanting to do these things, by opening their colthes [sic] [and] showing their privates to me.”

After Wallins interview with Agent Atteberry, Officer Matlack spoke with M.J. about her earlier statement. M.J. explained that the first time she spoke with him she was afraid that she and R.K. would “get in trouble” with the police if she reported what actually happened. According to Officer Matlack, M.J. “then told [him] that Mr. Wallin had touched her private spots. .. . She defined that as her breasts and vaginal areas. She talked about him performing oral sex on her, her performing oral sex on him, [and Wallin] digitally penetrating her vagina with his finger.” M.J. further indicated that she did not want to have sexual qontact with Wallin.

At the conclusion of the trial, the jury acquitted Wallin of all charges related to R.K. but convicted him of one count of rape, three counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, and two counts of aggravated sexual battery against M.J., a victim the jury deemed incapable of giving consent due to a mental deficiency or disease. On November 12, 2013, the district court sentenced Wallin to a controlling term of 155 months’ imprisonment followed by 36 months’ postrelease supervision.

Wallin filed this timely appeal.

[260]*260Sufficiency of the Evidence

Wallin contends the State presented insufficient evidence to support his convictions because the State failed to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that M.J. was incapable of giving consent due to a mental deficiency or disease. When the sufficiency of evidence is challenged in a criminal case, we review the claim by looking at the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution and determining whether a rational factfinder could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Williams, 299 Kan. 509, 525, 324 P.3d 1078 (2014).

The jury convicted Wallin of one count of rape, a severity level 1 person felony in violation of K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5503(a)(2); three counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, severity level 1 person felonies in violation of K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5504(b)(3)(C); and two counts of aggravated sexual battery, severity level 5 person felonies in violation of K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5505(b)(3). In order to establish Wallin’s guilt for these crimes, the State was required to prove that M.J. was (1) “incapable of giving consent because of mental deficiency or disease” and (2) such “condition was known by” Wallin “or was reasonably apparent to” Wallin. See K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5503(a)(2); K.S.A.

Related

State v. Pearl
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2024
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299 Neb. 636 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2018)
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299 Neb. 636 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2018)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
366 P.3d 651, 52 Kan. App. 2d 256, 2016 Kan. App. LEXIS 2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wallin-kanctapp-2016.