State v. Curtis
State v. Curtis
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The defendant appeals from a conviction for rape under section 3393 of the General Statutes of 1915.
“The said Eollie Curtis did then and there unlawfully, willfully and feloniously, have carnal knowledge of a certain woman to wit: Lena Hunziker, a single woman of twenty-one years of age, without her consent, by administering to her, the said Lena Hunziker, intoxicating and other liquors, which liquors, did then and there produce such stupor and weakness of body of the said Lena Hunziker, as to prevent effectual resistance.”
The statute, section 3393 of the General Statutes of 1915, under which the defendant was prosecuted, reads—
“Every person who shall have carnal knowledge of any woman of eighteen years or upwards, without her consent, by administering to her any substance, liquid, or any potion, by inhalation or otherwise, which shall produce such stupor or imbecility of mind or weakness of body as to prevent effectual resistance, shall upon conviction be adjudged guilty of rape, and be punished as in the last section provided.”
The statute creates the offense and sets out the facts which constitute it. The information alleged the offense in the language of the statute. In The State v. Buis, 83 Kan. 273, 274, 111 Pac. 189, this language is found:
*540 “The information, which contained three counts, follows the language of the statute, and this is all that is required where the statute creates the offense and sets out the facts which constitute it.”
(See, also, The State v. Foster, 30 Kan. 365, 2 Pac. 628; The State v. Bellamy, 63 Kan. 144, 65 Pac. 274; The State v. Seely, 65 Kan. 185, 69 Pac. 163.)
The defendant argues that the information did not allege force in the accomplishment of the rape, nor allege an intent to commit the offense by the administration of liquors. The statute does not make force an element of the offense under section 3393. The other part of the defendant’s argument, that the information does not allege an intent to commit the offense, might have some basis if the information had alleged an attempt to commit, and not the commission of the offense. The first count was sufficient.
The defendant again raised this question by objecting to the introduction of evidence and presents it as a separate assignment of error under that head. It is not necessary to discuss the proposition further.
“The burden of proof is upon the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the material elements of the offense charged in count one of the information herein before the defendant can be convicted of the crime therein charged. The crime charged therein is one of rape. The material elements necessary to be proven are that the defendant, in the county of Sheridan and state of Kansas within two years prior to the filing of the complaint herein, to wit, May 31, 1919, committed the crime*542 of rape upon Lena Hunziker, as hereinafter defined in these instructions; that said Lena Hunziker was at said time a woman of 18 years or upwards; that said rape was committed by administering to her at said time and place, intoxicating or other liquors and which said liquors did then and there produce such weakness of body of the said Lena Hunziker as to prevent effectual resistance on her part to said offense; that said crime was committed then and there without her consent.”
That was not the only instruction given on the matter embraced therein. The following were also given:
“You are instructed that in order to convict the defendant herein, of the crime of rape as charged in the first count of the information herein, the defendant must have had carnal knowledge of said Lena Hunziker, within the time stated in instruction number one.
“In order to convict of the crime of rape as charged in count one of the information herein, the defendant must have, at the time and place elsewhere stated in these instructions, administered to said Lena Hunziker intoxicating or other liquors which said liquors did then and there produce'such stupor and weakness of the body of said Lena Hunziker as to prevent effectual resistance on'her part to the commission of said crime of rape. The legal definition of the word ‘administer’ is to give, supply, dispense. A conviction cannot be had alone upon the matters stated in this instruction but all of the things and matters set out in instruction number one must be proven as therein stated.”
By these instructions, the court submitted to the jury every element of the offense charged; they stated the law fairly and correctly.
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The State of Kansas v. Rollie Curtis
- Cited By
- 16 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. T. Criminal Law- — Rape—One Preliminary Examination No Bar to a Subsequent One. One preliminary examination on which the defendant is held for trial is not-a bar to a subsequent preliminary on another complaint and warrant charging the same offense, where the first action is dismissed before the second is tried. 2-. Same — Information Containing Three Counts — Motion to Quash. It is not reversible error to refuse to quash an information containing three counts where the action is dismissed as to the second and third counts before it is submitted to the jury, and the first count states an offense. 3. Same — Rape—Charging Offense in Language of Statute Sufficient. An information charging rape under section 3393 of the General Statutes of 1915 is sufficient if it sets out the offense in the language of the statute. 4. Same — Examination, of Jurors on Their Voir Dire. On a criminal prosecution it is not error, in the examination of jurors concerning their qualifications to sit as such, to allow counsel to read to them the statute under which the defendant is being prosecuted and to ask them whether they believe the penalty too severe and whether they are in favor of the enforcement of that statute. 5. SameI — Information Containing Three Counts — Motion to Require State to Elect. On a trial on an information charging three different felonies in as many different counts, it is not reversible error to refuse to require the state to elect on which count it will rely for a conviction, where the second and third counts are dismissed before the case is submitted to the jury. 6. Same — Impeachment of Witness. 'A witness cannot be impeached by showing contradictory statements made by him at another time and place on matters that are immaterial or collateral. 7. Same — Evidence. No error was committed in the introduction or exclusion of evidence. 8. Same — Rape-—Instructions. The instructions properly submitted the charge of rape under section 3393 of the General Statutes of 1915. 9. Same — Trial—Improper Remarks of Counsel. A judgment of conviction will not be reversed on account of improper remarks of counsel for the state in argument to the jury, where those remarks were voluntarily withdrawn or the jury was instructed by the court to disregard them, if they were not so prejudicial as to prevent the error being cured thereby. 10. Same — -Evidence—Verdict. There was evidence sufficient to sustain the verdict.