Case Title: State v. Lilley

Citation: 231 Kan. 694, 647 P.2d 1323

Docket Number: 53,863

State: kansas

Court: Kansas Supreme Court

Date: 1982-07-16T00:00:00Z

Document:
231 Kan. 694 (1982)
647 P.2d 1323
STATE OF KANSAS, Appellee,
v.
DAVID L. LILLEY, Appellant.
No. 53,863

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed July 16, 1982.
Charles A. O'Hara, of O'Hara, Busch, Johnson & Falk, of Wichita, argued the cause and Andrew E. Busch, of the same firm, was on the brief for the appellant.
Carl Wagner, assistant district attorney, argued the cause and Robert T. Stephan, attorney general, Clark V. Owens, district attorney, and Jack Peggs, assistant district attorney, were on the brief for the appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
HERD, J.:
This is an appeal from a conviction of rape. K.S.A. 21-3502.
About 9:00 a.m. March 24, 1981, David Lilley arrived at the home of Melvin Copeland. Lilley had just been sent home from *695 work because he was still "shaky" from a drinking binge the night before. Copeland and his wife were keeping the victim, a fourteen-month-old girl, while the victim's mother attended a funeral in Topeka.
After Melvin Copeland's wife left for work he and Lilley went next door to Robert Hopper's apartment. When they left the Copeland apartment the victim was asleep in one of the bedrooms. At Hopper's the three men commenced drinking beer. At around 11:00 a.m. Hopper and Copeland sent Lilley to the liquor store for another six pack. He returned fifteen to thirty minutes later. When this six pack was finished Lilley was again sent out. He brought back more beer about one-half hour later. When Lilley returned the three men continued to drink, but after about ten minutes Lilley left. Approximately twenty minutes later Copeland heard the baby crying next door. He went to investigate and found her standing near the kitchen with blood running down her leg.
The victim was taken to the emergency room where the physician on duty discovered a laceration extending from the vagina to the rectum.
Later that evening Lilley was interviewed by Wichita Police Detective Jan McCloud. At that time he denied any knowledge of the incident. The next day Lilley was again interviewed by Detective McCloud. This time he confessed to the crime.
On March 26, 1981, a complaint was filed against Lilley, charging him with rape. K.S.A. 21-3502. Trial was held September 28, 1981, and Lilley was found guilty. He appeals.
Appellant first contends the trial court erred in allowing the State to amend the original information. That information, filed March 26, 1981, alleged the appellant committed:
The amended information merely deleted the phrase regarding the victim's inability to consent.
K.S.A. 22-3201(4) provides:
*696 Here none of appellant's rights were prejudiced. There was no surprise involved. The amended complaint included the same wording as the original. Appellant knew from the start the State was alleging the little girl was powerless to resist his attack.
Appellant next argues he was improperly charged with rape and that it was error for the trial court to refuse to instruct on the lesser included offense of indecent liberties with a child. The elements of rape are set out in K.S.A. 21-3502(1):
Since K.S.A. 21-3501 defines "woman" as "any female human being" rape was obviously a proper charge in this case. This section replaced the previous offense of forcible rape while K.S.A. 21-3503 replaced statutory rape. Lilley could have been charged with either offense. The State properly chose to charge him with the former.
K.S.A. 21-3503(1) states:
"(a) The act of sexual intercourse;
Indecent liberties with a child could in some cases constitute a lesser included offense of rape. The trial court's duty to instruct on lesser included crimes is governed by K.S.A. 21-3107(3), and that duty arises only when there is evidence under which the defendant might have reasonably been convicted of the lesser offense. State v. Staab, 230 Kan. 329, 339, 635 P.2d 257 (1981). Here the age of the victim prevented her consent. Thus, under *697 these circumstances no evidence of the lesser offense could have been offered. As such the trial court properly refused to give the instruction.
Appellant next argues the State failed to prove all the elements of the crime of rape because it offered no evidence to show the victim was not the appellant's wife. This claim deserves little discussion. Under K.S.A. 60-409(a) the court may take judicial notice of "such specific facts and propositions of generalized knowledge as are so universally known that they cannot reasonably be the subject of dispute." It is obvious the fourteen-month-old victim was not appellant's wife. Under these circumstances no proof was required.
Appellant next claims he was entitled to an instruction on involuntary intoxication. K.S.A. 21-3208(1) provides:
A defendant is, of course, entitled to have the theory of his case presented to the jury under appropriate instructions where there is support for it in the evidence. State v. Warren, 221 Kan. 10, 13, 557 P.2d 1248 (1976); State v. Moore, 220 Kan. 707, 709, 556 P.2d 409 (1976). The problem here is that the record in this case contains absolutely no support for appellant's theory of involuntary intoxication. "[B]efore intoxication may be said to be `involuntary' a defendant must show an irresistible force, which is something much more than a strong urge or `compulsion' to drink." State v. Seely, 212 Kan. 195, 202, 510 P.2d 115 (1973). Here all the evidence points to the voluntary consumption of alcohol. As such the instruction was properly refused.
Appellant next contends the trial court erred in admitting his out-of-court confession because it was not freely and voluntarily made.
At the beginning of the trial the court held a hearing outside the presence of the jury to determine the admissibility of a tape of the appellant's confession made the day after the rape. At the hearing Detective McCloud testified the confession was voluntarily made after the appellant had waived his Miranda rights. Appellant claimed the confession was made as a result of threats by the police. He acknowledged, however, that he knew and understood *698 his rights when he made the confession. Indeed, the transcript of the taped confession shows appellant was thoroughly advised of his rights and that he waived them all in writing.
The hearing was conducted by the trial court pursuant to K.S.A. 22-3215. When the trial court determines from such a hearing the extrajudicial statement was freely, voluntarily and intelligently given and admits the statement into evidence at trial, the appellate court will not reverse such determination if it is supported by substantial competent evidence. State v. Gilder, 223 Kan. 220, 227, 574 P.2d 196 (1977). See also State v. Treadwell, 223 Kan. 577, 578-79, 575 P.2d 550 (1978). Here the appellant's own testimony established he was aware of his rights when he made the statement. Further, the taped confession itself, which the trial court listened to before making its ruling, contains substantial, competent evidence the statement was freely and voluntarily made.
Appellant's final argument is that he should have been granted a new trial because of misconduct on the part of the prosecutor.
During closing argument the prosecutor stated:
Appellant made no contemporaneous objection to these comments.
See also State v. Moody, 223 Kan. 699, 705, 576 P.2d 637, cert. denied 439 U.S. 894 (1978).
Besides appellant's failure to object, the trial court admonished the jury to disregard any statements of counsel having no basis in evidence. No reversible error was shown.
The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.