State v. Prado
State v. Prado
Opinion
Defendant was convicted on jury trial of burglary and forcible rape, both relating to the same episode. The court correctly sentenced on the rape charge only. State v. Woolard, 259 Or 232, 484 P2d 314, 485 P2d 1194 (1971). In this appeal defendant challenges (1) the court’s instruction on resistance, and (2) the method by which the jury was polled.
(1) The evidence fairly raised the jury question of whether the victim consented to or physically resisted the defendant’s assault upon her, and the court gave the uniform instruction on the quantum of resistance by a victim that is necessary for conviction. 1 This instruction was sufficient, and the much longer and more detailed instruction requested by defendant was properly refused.
(2) At defendant’s counsel’s request, when the jury returned its verdict, the court ascertained that the verdict was not unanimous. Counsel then asked for an oral poll of the jury which the court refused, because the statute in that regard had been changed by the 1975 legislature, saying, inter alia, "* * * I can have the jury polled and I can tell you what the numbers were but that’s all * * Defendant’s counsel said, "All right.” Under this state of the record, the exception taken to the ruling on this appeal, alleging unconstitutionality of the change in the 1975 statute, was not preserved, and we will not consider it. 2
Affirmed.
'Forcible compulsion’ means physical force that overcomes earnest resistance by the female; or a threat, express or implied, that places the female in fear of immediate death or serious physical injury to herself or another person, or in fear that she or another person will immediately be kidnapped. (ORS 163.305(3))
" 'Earnest resistance’ means that the female did not consent to the sexual intercourse either expressly or impliedly, and resisted in reasonable proportion to her strength and her abilities under the circumstances.” Oregon State Bar, Uniform Jury Instruction No. 413.01.
In Brooks v. Gladden, 226 Or 191, 358 P2d 1055, cert denied 366 US *484 974 (1961), and State v. Lewis, 18 Or App 206, 524 P2d 1231, Sup Ct review denied (1974), both decided before the legislature changed the jury polling statute (ORS 17.355(3)), it was held that the statutory right to poll the jury in a criminal case is absolute, but in neither case did the decision rest upon constitutional grounds. The new subsection (3) of ORS 17.355 provides:
"The jury in a criminal action may, in the discretion of the court, be polled in writing. If the jury is polled in writing the written results shall be sealed and placed in the court record.”
No contention was made below or here that the court’s remarks did not reflect the discretionary nature of the court’s decision — whether a poll may be oral in open court, or written. And, of course, for the reason given in text we do not in this opinion decide upon the alleged question the defendant now raises — whether written polling of the jury violates the constitutional precept of public trial. If the rightto polling of the jury is purely statutory, as indicated in Brooks v. Gladden and State v. Lewis, both supra, it is difficult to see why the statutory method for accomplishing the polling, applying equally to all defendants, rises to constitutional heights.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE OF OREGON, Respondent, v. PASCUAL REYES PRADO, Appellant
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published