Supreme Court of North Carolina, 1947

State v. . Simmons

State v. . Simmons
Supreme Court of North Carolina · Decided November 26, 1947 · WiNBORNE
45 S.E.2d 121; 228 N.C. 258; 1947 N.C. LEXIS 593 (South Eastern Reporter, Second Series)

State v. . Simmons

Opinion of the Court

WiNBORNE, J.

Defendant assigns as error the following portion of the .court’s charge to the jury: “The court charges you if you find from the evidence in this case and beyond a reasonable doubt that the prisoner had carnal knowledge of the prosecuting witness as that term has been defined by the court to you then you will return a verdict of guilty of rape as charged in the bill of indictment.”

The error pointed out is the absence of these essential elements of the crime charged “ravishing ... by force and against her will.” G. S., 14-21.

■ The State concedes error in the instruction to which the exception is tallen.

Hence there must be a

New trial.

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