Case Title: STATE v WEESE

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: montana

Court: Montana Supreme Court

Date: 1980-09-10T00:00:00Z

Document:
N o . 79-116 I N T H E SUPREME C O U R T O F T H E STATE O F MONTANA 1980 STATE O F M O N T A N A , P l a i n t i f f and Appellant, -vs- ARTEMIS D. WEESE, Defendant and Respondent. 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 and f o r t h e County of Missoula, The Honorable James B. Wheelis, Judge p r e s i d i n g . Counsel of Record: For Appellant: Hon. Mike Greely, Attorney General, Helena, Montana Robert Deschamps, 111, County Attorney, Missoula, Montana For Respondent : Smith, Connor & Van Valkenburg, Missoula, Montana Submitted on B r i e f s : August 1, 1980 Decided : 9 1 0 -60 cab,twg. &*my- Clerk 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 C o u r t . 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 . A t t h e c o n c l u s i o n o f t h e p r o s e c u t i o n ' s c a s e - i n - c h i e f , t h e t r i a l j u d g e d i s m i s s e d t h e a c t 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 l a w . The S t a t e a p p e a l s . W e r e v e r s e . The 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 . The v i c t i m , a 9 - y e a r o l d f e m a l e , 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 d e f e n d a n t ' s r e s i d e n c e . She k n o c k e d on d e f e n d a n t ' s d o o r and he l e t h e r i n . S h o r t l y t h e r e a f t e r , d e f e n d a n t p u l l e d h e r o n t o h i s l a p , p u l l e d up h e r s h i r t and began r u b b i n g h e r b e l l y and c h e s t 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 . D e f e n d a n t o f f e r e d h e r 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 . She r e f u s e d , g o t o f f h i s l a p and l e f t h i s house. A f t e r t h e i n c i d e n t , 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 d a y s l a t e r a t a r o o t b e e r s t a n d , 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 t a k e h e r home. 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 - 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 a s s a u l t , a f e l o n y , as s p e c i f i e d i n s e c t i o n 4 5 - 5 - 5 0 2 , MCA, i n 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 C o u n t y . 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 sub- j e c t i n g a m i n o r c h i l d t o s e x u a l c o n t a c t w i t h o u t c o n s e n t b y r u b b i n g h e r stomach and t r y i n g t o f e e l h e r c h e s t . The 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 . A t t h e con- c l u s i o n o f t h e p r o s e c u t i o n ' s c a s e - i n - c h i e f , d e f e n d a n t moved t o 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 e i t h e r t o u c h i n g o r a t t e m p t i n g t o t o u c h a s e x u a l p a r t . The t r i a l j u d g e o r a l l y 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 4 6 - 1 6 - 4 0 3 , MCA, on t h e 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 , an e l e m e n t o f t h e c r i m e c h a r g e d , and no e v i d e n c e o f an a t t e m p t . S u b s e q u e n t l y , some t h r e e weeks l a t e r , t h e t r i a l j u d g e 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 a c t s o f t h e d e f e n d a n t d i d n o t c o n s t i t u t e c o n t a c t w i t h e i t h e r s e x u a l o r i n t i m a t e p a r t s , and t h e r e f o r e t h e r e was no e v i d e n c e o f s e x u a l a s s a u l t . F u r t h e r , t h e r e was no a t t e m p t p u r - s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 4 5 - 4 - 1 0 3 , MCA, b e c a u s e t h e r e was no d i r e c t une- q u i v o c a l a c t t o w a r d s u c h c o n t a c t o r e x p a n d i n g t h e a r e a o f c o n t a c t , b e c a u s e 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 n o t r e q u e s t 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 on a l e s s e r i n c l uded 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 c o u r t 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 a r e a s o f a m a l e o r f e m a l e o r t h e b r e a s t o f a f e m a l e . The s o l e i s s u e on a p p e a l i s w h e t h e r t h e f o r e g o i n g 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 m e a n i n g o f t h e s e x u a l a s s a u l t s t a t u t e ( s e c t i o n 4 5 - 5 - 5 0 2 , 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 l a n g u a g e : "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 s p o u s e t o any s e x u a l c o n t a c t w i t h o u t c o n s e n t c o m m i t s t h e o f f e n s e o f s e x u a l a s s a u l t . " S e c t i o n 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 f o l l o w s : " ' 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 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 o f t h e p e r s o n o f a n o t h e r f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f a r o u s i n g o r g r a - t i f y i n g t h e s e x u a l d e s i r e o f e i t h e r p a r t y . " 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 " s e x u a l 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 c h i l d ? I n c o n s t r u i n g t h e s t a t u t e , t h e 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 i s t o be p u r s u e d i f p o s s i b l e . S e c t i o n 1 - 2 - 1 0 2 , 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 used 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 any o t h e r means o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . S t a t e ex r e l . Z a n d e r v. D i s t . C t . ( 1 9 7 9 1 , Mont. , 5 9 1 P.2d 656, 3 6 St.Rep.489; H a k e r v. S o u t h w e s t e r n Ry. Co. ( 1 9 7 8 ) , 1 7 6 Mont. 364, 5 7 8 P.2d 724, 35 St.Rep. 523; M o n t a n a D e p t . o f S R S v. Angel ( 1 9 7 8 ) , 1 7 6 Mont. 293, 577 P.2d 1223, 35 St.Rep. 532. B u t where, as h e r e , t h e m e a n i n g o f t h e 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 d e t e r m i n e d f r o m t h e l a n g u a g e o f t h e s t a t u t e , c o u r t s m u s t r e s o r t t o o t h e r means o f a s c e r t a i n i n g w h a t t h e l e g i s l a t u r e i n t e n d e d . A c c o r d i n g l y , 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 g u i d a n c e c o n c e r n i n g i t s meaning. It a p p e a r s t o u s t h a t t h e p o l i c y b e h i n d o u r s e x u a l 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 p e n e t r a t i o n [ c f . s e c t i o n 4 5 - 5 - 5 0 3 ( s e x u a l i n t e r c o u r s e w i t h o u t c o n s e n t ) and 4 5 - 5 - 5 0 5 ( d e v i a t e s e x u a l c o n d u c t ) ] ; b u t w h i c h e x p r e s s a s o c i e t a l 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 - v o k e o u t r a g e , d i s g u s t o r shame i n t h e v i c t i m . The enhanced 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 on 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 more y e a r s o l d e r i n d i c a t e s an i n c r e a s e d l e g i s l a t i v e c o n c e r n f o r c h i l d v i c t i m s . The C o m m i s s i o n Comment t o t h e s e x u a l a s s a u l t s t a t u t e b e a r s o u t t h i s l e g i s l a t i v e p u r p o s e . To l i k e e f f e c t , see Model P e n a l Code, s e c t i o n 207.6, Comments. 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 - t e s t h a t t h e l e g i s l a t u r e d i d n o t i n t e n d t o r e s t r i c t t h e c r i m e 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 f e m a l e ' s b r e a s t , b u t i n s t e a d i n t e n d e d t o g i v e t h e t e r m s a b r o a d e r a p p l i c a t i o n . I n k e e p i n g w i t h t h e f o c u s o f s e x u a l a s s a u l t s t a t u - 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 s u c h 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. ( 1 9 7 8 ) , 93 M i s c . 2 d 545, 403 NYS2d 1 7 8 ) , t h e h i p s ( M a t t e r o f W e l f a r e o f Adams ( 1 9 7 9 ) , 2 4 Wash.App. 517, 6 0 1 P.2d 9 9 5 ) , and t h e p r e p u - b e s c e n t c h e s t o f a 7 - y e a r o l d g i r l ( S t a t e v. T u r n e r ( 1 9 7 8 ) , 3 3 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 b y o t h e r c o u r t s o f t h e t e r m " 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 s i m i l a r s t a t u t e s , 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 f a 9 - y e a r 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 m e a n i n g o f t h e s t a t u t e . H e r e t h e f a c t t h a t d e f e n d a n t 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 s e x u a l d e s i r e s . The 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 s e x u a l a s s a u l t . 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 d i s m i s s a l . T h i s c a u s e 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 C o u n t y 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 o p i n i o n . C h i e f J u s t i c e J , s t c e s 0