State v. Porter
State v. Porter
Opinion of the Court
The defendant is a physician, and was at the time of the alleged offense engaged in the practice of his profession at Le Mars. The prosecuting witness was engaged in teaching school a few miles from Le Mars. According to her testimony she had made the acquaintance of the defendant, and had for several months been accustomed to take long rides with him; that on one occasion after he had been riding with her he took her to his office in Le Mars, where she stayed all night, and occupied the same bed with him in a bed-roon? adjoining the office, and had sexual intercourse with him. It was upon that occasion that the alleged offense was committed, if at all. She testified that the defendant accomplished his purpose by administering a drug in wine to her, but her testimony in regard to the effect of the drug, if one was administered, does not tend strongly to show that it produced such stupor, or imbecility of mind, or weakness of body, as to prevent effectual resistance, and according to the finding of the jury, the defendant did not accomplish his purpose by reason
The prosecutrix could not be proven unchaste by proving that the witness believed that she was unchaste, nor do we think that the fact that the witness had become fond of her, if such
Section 4560 of the Code provides that for certain offenses among which is rape, the defendant cannot be convicted upon the testimony of the person injured, unless she is corroborated by other evidence, tending to connect the defendant with the commission of the offense. Now, it is said that, while in this case it may be that the defendant is not charged with rape, he is charged with an offense so nearly allied to it, that the provision of the statute in respect to corroboration ought to apply.
It should be borne in mind, however, that the defendant was not convicted of the crime with which he was charged, but of administering a drug with intent, etc. It is, to say the least, doubtful, whether in case of conviction for such offense, it is necessary that the prosecutrix should be corroborated. But we do not determine the question. We think, that the prosecutrix in this case, was corroborated. There is evidence, aside from her testimony, tending strongly to show that the defendant took her to his office at the time of the alleged offense, with the'deliberate purpose of accomplishing her ruin, and that he gained his purpose; and while, under the verdict, the jury does not appear to have believed that he gained it by means of an administered drug, the evidence of his purpose tended to make credible the prosecutrix’ testimony that he attempted to gain it in the manner alleged.
The defendant contends that under the rulings in State v. Walters, 45 Iowa, 389; State v. Vinsant, 49 Iowa, 241, and State v. Peters, 56 Iowa, 263, the jury should have been allowed, if they saw fit, to find him guilty of an assault and battery, or a simple assault. The counsel for the State insists that these cases are not applicable; but we are unable to conclude that they are not. The offense charged could not have been committed without an assault. We do not say that administering a drug, if done without force and without deleterious effect, though with wrongful intent, is an assault. But, the offense charged, is completed only by having carnal knowledge, which act would include an assault if so done as to constitute the offense charged. The counsel for the State insists, that the jury could not properly have found under the evidence that the defendant was guilty of an assault aud battery, or simple assault, but in our opinion they could.
There was evidence tending to show, that the prosecutrix had stated before the trial, that the defendant did not administer drugged wine to her. There was also evidence tending to show that she proeceded voluntarily and in full possession of her senses to occupy the defendant’s bed with him. And while she testified that the defendant seized her, and administered drugged wine to her by force and against her protests, tire evidence tended strongly to show that she made no outcry, and that she could, by so doing, easily have rescued herself if she had seen fit. There is at least some ground for believing that drugged wine was not in fact administered to her, and at the same time that her testimony in respect to it was not wholly fabricated. It is impossible to determine with certainty what the facts were. If the jury had believed that the defendant seized the prosecutrix against her will with the intent to administer drugged wine to her, either by persuasion or force, or both combined, and relinquished his intention by
Reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.