Preview:

No.

79-116

I N THE SUPREME COURT O THE STATE O MONTANA F F
1980

STATE O MONTANA, F P l a i n t i f f and A p p e l l a n t , -vsARTEMIS D. WEESE, D e f e n d a n t and R e s p o n d e n t .

Appeal from:

D i s t r i c t Court of t h e Fourth J u d i c i a l District,
I n a n d f o r t h e County o f M i s s o u l a , The H o n o r a b l e James B. W h e e l i s , J u d g e p r e s i d i n g .

C o u n s e l o f Record: For Appellant: Hon. Mike G r e e l y , A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l , H e l e n a , Montana R o b e r t Deschamps, 111, County A t t o r n e y , M i s s o u l a , Montana F o r Respondent : S m i t h , Connor & Van V a l k e n b u r g , M i s s o u l a , Montana

Submitted on B r i e f s : Decided :

August 1, 1980

9 1 0 -60

cab,twg.&*myClerk

M r . C h i e f J u s t i c e F r a n k I. H a s w e l l d e l i v e r e d t h e O p i n i o n o f t h e Court. D e f e n d a n t A r t e m i s D a r r e l l Weese was c h a r g e d w i t h s e x u a l a s s a u l t on a 9 - y e a r o l d f e m a l e c h i l d . prosecution's case-in-chief, the t r i a l

A t the conclusion of the
judge dismissed t h e act i o n

o n t h e g r o u n d t h a t s e x u a l c o n t a c t had n o t been p r o v e d as a m a t t e r o f law. The S t a t e a p p e a l s . We r e v e r s e . The v i c t i m , a

T h e e v i d e n c e i s c l e a r and u n c o n t r a d i c t e d . 9-year o l d female,

l e f t t h e home o f h e r b a b y s i t t e r and w e n t t o She k n o c k e d o n d e f e n d a n t ' s d o o r and he defendant p u l l e d her onto h i s

defendant's l e t her in. lap,

residence.

Shortly thereafter,

p u l l e d up h e r s h i r t and b e g a n r u b b i n g h e r b e l l y and c h e s t Defendant o f f e r e d her She r e f u s e d ,

b u t d i d n o t make c o n t a c t w i t h h e r n i p p l e s .

a d o l l a r i f he c o u l d c o n t i n u e t h e p h y s i c a l c o n t a c t . g o t o f f h i s l a p and l e f t h i s h o u s e . After the incident,

t h e v i c t i m was e x t r e m e l y u p s e t and

r e l a t e d t h e i n c i d e n t t o h e r b a b y s i t t e r and l a t e r t o h e r m o t h e r . Upon s e e i n g t h e d e f e n d a n t a c o u p l e o f days l a t e r a t a r o o t b e e r stand, t h e v i c t i m a g a i n became a g i t a t e d and a s k e d h e r m o t h e r t o H e r m o t h e r t h e n c a l l e d t h e s h e r i f f and t h i s p r o s e -

t a k e h e r home. c u t i o n ensued.

D e f e n d a n t was c h a r g e d w i t h s e x u a l s p e c i f i e d i n s e c t i o n 45-5-502, M i s s o u l a County.
MCA,

assault,

a felony,

as

i n the D i s t r i c t Court of

S p e c i f i c a l l y he was c h a r g e d w i t h k n o w i n g l y s u b -

j e c t i n g a m i n o r c h i l d t o sexual c o n t a c t w i t h o u t consent by r u b b i n g h e r s t o m a c h and t r y i n g t o f e e l her chest. A t t h e con-

T h e c a s e came on f o r t r i a l b e f o r e a j u r y . clusion of the prosecution's case-in-chief, d i s m i s s t h e c a s e f o r l a c k o f e v i d e n c e of a t t e m p t i n g t o touch a sexual part.

d e f e n d a n t moved t o

e i t h e r touching o r

The t r i a l j u d g e o r a l l y
MCA,

g r a n t e d t h e m o t i o n p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 46-16-403, g r o u n d t h e r e was no e v i d e n c e o f s e x u a l c o n t a c t , crime charged, and n o e v i d e n c e o f an a t t e m p t . some t h r e e weeks l a t e r ,

on t h e

an e l e m e n t o f t h e

Subsequently,

the t r i a l

judge

e n t e r e d w r i t t e n f i n d i n g s o f f a c t and c o n c l u s i o n s o f l a w t o t h e e f f e c t t h a t t h e acts o f the defendant d i d not c o n s t i t u t e contact w i t h e i t h e r sexual o r i n t i m a t e parts, evidence o f sexual assault. s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 45-4-103, quivocal because Further, MCA, and t h e r e f o r e t h e r e was n o t h e r e was no a t t e m p t p u r -

b e c a u s e t h e r e was n o d i r e c t u n e -

a c t toward such c o n t a c t o r expanding t h e a r e a o f c o n t a c t , d e f e n d a n t abandoned h i s e f f o r t , and b e c a u s e t h e S t a t e d i d

not request t h a t

t h e c a s e be s u b m i t t e d t o t h e j u r y o n a l e s s e r

in c l u d e d o f f e n s e .
The S t a t e has a p p e a l e d f r o m t h e d i s m i s s a l . The f i n d i n g s and c o n c l u s i o n s i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e t r i a l court

c o n s t r u e d s e x u a l c o n t a c t t o be l i m i t e d t o a t o u c h i n g o f t h e a n a l o r g e n i t a l areas o f a male o r female o r t h e b r e a s t o f a female. T h e s o l e i s s u e on a p p e a l i s whether the foregoing

e v i d e n c e c o n s t i t u t e s p r o o f o f " s e x u a l c o n t a c t " w i t h i n t h e meaning o f t h e sexual a s s a u l t s t a t u t e ( s e c t i o n 45-5-502, MCA).

The c r i m e o f s e x u a l a s s a u l t i s d e f i n e d i n p e r t i n e n t p a r t i n t h i s language: "A p e r s o n who k n o w i n g l y s u b j e c t s a n o t h e r n o t h i s spouse t o any sexual c o n t a c t w i t h o u t c o n s e n t commits the o f f e n s e o f sexual assault." Section 4 5 - 5 - 5 0 2 ( 1 ) , MCA. " S e x u a l c o n t a c t " u n d e r M o n t a n a l a w i s d e f i n e d as follows: " ' S e x u a l c o n t a c t ' means any t o u c h i n g o f t h e sexual o r o t h e r i n t i m a t e p a r t s o f t h e person o f another f o r t h e purpose o f arousing o r grat i f y i n g the sexual d e s i r e of e i t h e r party." S e c t i o n 4 5 - 2 - 1 0 1 ( 5 4 ) , MCA. Does t h i s s t a t u t o r y d e f i n i t i o n o f "sexual c o n t a c t " encom-

p a s s t h e r u b b i n g o f t h e b e l l y and c h e s t o f a p r e p u b e s c e n t f e m a l e child? I n construing the statute, t u r e i s t o be p u r s u e d i f p o s s i b l e . the intention of the legislaS e c t i o n 1-2-102, MCA. The

i n t e n t i o n o f t h e l e g i s l a t u r e m u s t f i r s t be d e t e r m i n e d f r o m t h e p l a i n m e a n i n g o f t h e w o r d s u s e d and i f t h e m e a n i n g o f a s t a t u t e c a n be so d e t e r m i n e d , c o u r t s may n o t go f u r t h e r and a p p l y a n y

o t h e r means o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . (19791, Mont.

S t a t e ex r e l . 656,

Z a n d e r v.

Dist.

Ct.

,

5 9 1 P.2d

36 St.Rep.489; 364, 5 7 8 P.2d (1978),

H a k e r v. 724, 35

S o u t h w e s t e r n Ry. Co. St.Rep. 293, 523;

(1978),

176 Mont.

Montana Dept. 1223,

o f SRS v. 532.

Angel

176

Mont. the

5 7 7 P.2d

35 St.Rep.

B u t where,

as h e r e ,

meaning o f t h e determined from

w o r d s " s e x u a l o r o t h e r i n t i m a t e p a r t s " c a n n o t be t h e language o f t h e s t a t u t e , c o u r t s must r e s o r t a s c e r t a i n i n g what t h e l e g i s l a t u r e i n t e n d e d . we l o o k t o t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e s t a t u t e f o r
I t appears t o us t h a t t h e

t o o t h e r means o f Accordingly,

g u i d a n c e c o n c e r n i n g i t s meaning. p o l i c y behind our sexual

a s s a u l t s t a t u t e i s t o c r i m i n a l i z e and

p u n i s h s e x u a l o r i n t i m a t e i m p o s i t i o n s t h a t do n o t i n v o l v e penetration [cf. sect i o n 45-5-503 (sexual intercourse without but which

c o n s e n t ) and 45-5-505 express a societal voke outrage,

( d e v i a t e sexual conduct)];

c o n c e r n f o r such i m p o s i t i o n s because t h e y p r o The e n h a n c e d

d i s g u s t o r shame i n t h e v i c t i m .

p u n i s h m e n t f o r t h i s o f f e n s e when c o m m i t t e d o n a v i c t i m l e s s t h a n 1 6 y e a r s o l d b y an o f f e n d e r 3 o r m o r e y e a r s o l d e r i n d i c a t e s a n increased l e g i s l a t i v e concern f o r c h i l d victims. The C o m m i s s i o n Comment t o t h e s e x u a l assault statute see Model

bears out t h i s l e g i s l a t i v e purpose. P e n a l Code, s e c t i o n 207.6, Comments.

To l i k e e f f e c t ,

Use o f t h e t e r m s " s e x u a l o r o t h e r i n t i m a t e p a r t s " i n d i c a tes t h a t the l e g i s l a t u r e d i d not intend t o r e s t r i c t the crime t o a t o u c h i n g o f t h e g e n i t a l i a o f e i t h e r sex o r a t o u c h i n g o f a female's breast, application. b u t instead intended t o give t h e terms a broader assault statu-

I n keeping w i t h t h e focus o f sexual

t e s on t h e o u t r a g e ,

d i s g u s t o r shame e n g e n d e r e d i n t h e v i c t i m ,

o t h e r c o u r t s have h e l d t h a t t h e t e r m " i n t i m a t e p a r t s " i n such s t a t u t e s i n c l u d e t h e b u t t o c k s ( I n t h e M a t t e r o f D a v i d M. 93 Misc.2d 5 4 5 , 4 0 3 NYS2d 1 7 8 ) , 2 4 Wash.App. 517, (1978),

the hips (Matter of Welfare o f 6 0 1 P.2d 995), and t h e p r e p u -

Adams ( 1 9 7 9 ) ,

bescent chest o f a 7-year o l d g i r l

( S t a t e v.

Turner (1978), 33

I n v i e w o f t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e s t a t u t e and i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s by o t h e r c o u r t s o f the term "sexual similar statutes, o f a 9-year or other intimate parts" i n

we c o n s t r u e t h e r u b b i n g o f t h e be1 l y and c h e s t

o l d g i r l b y an a d u l t m a l e f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f g r a -

t i f y i n g h i s s e x u a l d e s i r e s as p r o h i b i t e d s e x u a l c o n t a c t w i t h i n t h e meaning o f t h e s t a t u t e . Here t h e f a c t t h a t defendant l i f t e d

t h e g i r l ' s s h i r t t o make t h e c o n t a c t and o f f e r e d h e r money t o be a l l o w e d t o c o n t i n u e i s e v i d e n c e t h a t h i s p u r p o s e was g r a t i f i c a t i o n o f h i s sexual desires. T h e u n c o n t r a d i c t e d e v i d e n c e i f b e l i e v e d b y t h e j u r y was s u f f i c i e n t t o s u s t a i n a c o n v i c t i o n o f sexual assault. The

D i s t r i c t C o u r t was i n e r r o r i n g r a n t i n g d e f e n d a n t ' s m o t i o n f o r dismissal

.

T h i s cause i s remanded t o t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t o f M i s s o u l a County f o r t r i a l c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h i s opinion.

Chief Justice

J ,s t ces

0



Download 62e96ce8-8ebd-4e41-955e-c083817c952b.pdf

Montana Law