Stockton v. State

1973 OK CR 200, 509 P.2d 153
Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma·Decided April 12, 1973·No. A-17307·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinions

OPINION

BLISS, Presiding Judge:

This is an appeal from a denial of post-conviction relief in the District Court of Creek County, Case No. 5090-C. Petitioner, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged in the District Court of Creek County with the crime of Rape and was subsequently charged with the offense of Kidnapping in the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma, said kidnapping and rape arising out of the same incident. Defendant, being represented by counsel, entered a voluntary plea of guilty in the District Court of Tulsa County for the crime of Kidnapping on February 25, 1964, and was sentenced to a term in the state penitentiary for not less than fifteen (15) [154] years and not more than life. Defendant was tried before a jury in Creek County for Rape and was convicted and sentenced to a term of ninety-nine (99) years on April 3, 1964.

Defendant subsequently filed his application for post-conviction relief in the District Court of Creek County and an eviden-tiary hearing was held on February 2, 1972, at which time defendant was represented by counsel. At the conclusion of said evidentiary hearing and after argument of counsel, the trial court made essentially the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

1. Defendant was herein convicted upon jury trial of the crime of Rape in the First Degree on April 2, 1964, according to the record herein which conviction was sustained on appeal, and there has been no evidence to the contrary introduced at the hearing for Post-Conviction Relief.
2. The record reflects that defendant was represented by counsel from the date of his first appearance in court and thereafter at every appearance, and no evidence was submitted to the contrary.
3. No evidence was presented in the hearing of Post-Conviction Relief in support of defendant’s contention that had his case been properly briefed and prepared on appeal the Court of Criminal Appeals would have seen fit to reverse the conviction and remand same for new trial.
4. That the record of the trial reflects that no lengthy explanation of parole eligibility was in fact given, and no evidence has been introduced at the hearing for Post-Conviction Relief in support of defendant’s contention that the trial court committed fundamental and basic error in that the trial court went into a lengthy explanation to the jury of the eligibility of parole if defendant served approximately one-third of his time and the procedure followed by the Pardon and Parole Board.
5.That defendant’s contention that the conviction for rape in Creek County constitutes double punishment under the laws of the State of Oklahoma in that defendant prior to the conviction for rape had entered a plea of guilty to a kidnapping charge in the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma, on February 25, 1964, and that said kidnapping was in fact for the purpose of accomplishing said rape and is without merit in that the purpose of the aforementioned kidnapping was not for the purpose of the rape for which defendant was herein convicted. There is no evidence before the court in this hearing for Post-Conviction Relief that the evidence in the trial of this rape case indicated that the purpose of the kidnapping in Tulsa County was actually for the purpose of rape in Creek County, nor does the evidence in this hearing for Post-Conviction Relief indicate where the intention to commit this rape took place. Furthermore, there has been no evidence at this Post-Conviction hearing as to where this particular defendant’s, Donald Stockton, intent to commit this rape originated. For this reason, as far as this crime is concerned, the kidnapping in Tulsa County and the rape alleged in this case for which defendant was convicted are two separate crimes so far as the record is concerned now.

The trial court, based upon said findings of fact and conclusions of law, denied defendant’s application from which final order defendant perfected this appeal.

Defendant argues that the kidnapping and the rape arose out of the same criminal transaction; and, therefore, defendant is suffering double punishment in violation of 21 O.S.1971, § 11. Defendant further contends in his second proposition that defendant has twice been put in jeopardy of life or liberty for the same offense in violation of Article II, § 21 of the Oklahoma Constitution.

The State argues that kidnapping and rape constitute two separate crimes for [155] which defendant may he lawfully charged, tried and convicted since the proof required to establish a prima facie case in each instance are dissimilar. With this contention this Court agrees. The elements of the kidnapping could be eliminated and the rape conviction would stand, and the elements of the actual rape could be eliminated and the kidnapping conviction would stand.

In the case of Williams v. State, Okl.Cr., 321 P.2d 990, 79 S.Ct. 421, 358 U.S. 576, 3 L.Ed.2d 516, this Court and the United States Supreme Court affirmed the kidnapping conviction of a defendant subsequent to his conviction for murder arising out of the same transaction. In affirming said conviction this Court held as follows:

“ * * * [T]he law defines murder and kidnapping as two separate and distinct offenses. Therefore, there would not be such thing as merger of these separate offenses. Furthermore, Oklahoma does not recognize such doctrine. [Citations omitted.] It is further urged these crimes arise out of the same transaction; but such fact will not result in a merger of these separate and distinct offenses. [Citation omitted.] Although certain consequences may follow from certain prohibited acts, but are not necessarily the result of such prohibited acts, each of said acts may be prosecuted and punished as separate and distinct offenses, when so defined by statute. In such case, the punishment imposed would not constitute double punishment. * *

In the recent case of Starnes v. State, Okl.Cr., 507 P.2d 920, this Court citing Callins v. State, Okl.Cr., 492 P.2d 1133, held:

“The offenses of armed robbery and rape are separate, distinct offenses; the elements of armed robbery and those of rape in the first degree are quite dissimilar. In the recent case of Tucker v. State, Okl.Cr., 481 P.2d 167, we stated:
‘We are of the opinion that the fact the crimes were committed in rapid succession does not negate the ultimate fact that separate crimes were committed. To hold otherwise would open the door for persons to commit any number of crimes simultaneously, knowing they could only be punished for one.’ ”

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Stockton v. State, 1973 OK CR 200, 509 P.2d 153 (Okla. Ct. App. 1973).

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Stockton v. State
1973 OK CR 200 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1973)