Case Title: State v. Massey

Citation: 266 P.2d 359, 58 N.M. 115

Docket Number: 

State: new-mexico

Court: New Mexico Supreme Court

Date: 1954-01-29T00:00:00Z

Document:
266 P.2d 359 (1954) 58 N.M. 115 STATE v. MASSEY. No. 5698. Supreme Court of New Mexico. January 29, 1954. N. Randolph Reese, Hobbs, for appellant. Richard H. Robinson, Atty. Gen., Walter R. Kegel and Fred M. Standley, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee. FEDERICI, District Judge. The decisive question in the cause at bar is whether emission is a necessary element of the crime of sodomy in this jurisdiction. We have no statute defining the crime of sodomy. Our statute, § 41-704, N.M.Statutes 1941 Annotated, providing a penalty only, reads: This Court in Bennett v. Abram, 57 N.M. 28, 253 P.2d 316, in holding that sexual copulation per os (felatio) does not constitute the crime of sodomy within the meaning of the aforequoted statute, held that since we have no statutory definition of the term "sodomy" we must look to the common law for its meaning, and this court in said decision defined sodomy as either the sexual copulation, per anum, of a man with another man or with a woman; or the copulation of a man or a woman with a brute animal. The case at bar involves an accusation by information under the foregoing statute charging unlawful unnatural sexual intercourse with an animal, to wit: a dog. The trial court refused to instruct the jury that emission was a necessary element of the crime of sodomy, and the defendant tendered a proper instruction requesting the submission of emission as a necessary element, which was refused by the court, and thus the claim of an alleged error in the instructions was properly preserved and is now before this court for decision. It now becomes necessary to attempt to ascertain what the common law of England was in 1776, for it has been held by this court in the case of Territory v. Maxwell, 2 N.M. 250, and Browning v. Estate of *360 Browning, 3 N.M. 659, 9 P. 677, that in order to so determine we must look to the common law, the unwritten or common law of England, and the Acts of Parliament of a general nature, not local to Great Britain, which had been passed and which were in force at the date of the War of the Revolution, and that are not in conflict with the Constitution or the laws of the United States, nor of this State or former Territory, and which were suitable to the wants and conditions of the people. Our query therefore is whether emission was a necessary element of the crime of sodomy at common law in the year 1776. A review of the old English authorities convincingly establishes the fact that between the years 1781 and 1829 the law in England was that emission was a necessary element of sodomy, and for that matter also of rape or carnal knowledge generally. In 1781 in Hill's case, 1 East P.C. 439 (Eng.) it was held by a divided opinion of the English Judges participating that both penetration and emission were necessary elements, and the law thus prevailed until 1829 when by statute (9 Geo. 4, Ch. 31) Parliament decreed that penetration alone was sufficient to complete the crime, the language of the statute reading: So much for the law between 1781 and 1829, and since 1829. What the common law was in England prior to 1781, and particularly at the date of the War of the American Revolution, raises a vexatious problem which troubled not only the English courts and law writers but also has caused confusion and lack of uniformity of holdings in American state courts. The most impressive statement we have found on the subject is by the writer in 1 East P.C. 436 (Eng.) who should have known what he was writing about, when in referring to the period of 1770, he stated unequivocally as follows: Hill's case is of course the case hereinabove first cited, and the two proofs spoken of by the writer in the above quotation were penetration and emission. We could in this opinion probably stop at this point by merely concurring in the above quoted statement, but in view of the recent holding of this court in Bennett v. Abram, supra, and the failure of the last legislature to give the crime of sodomy the possible statutory definition suggested by this court in the Bennett opinion, and in view of the fact that this is a case of first impression in this court so far as deciding whether or not emission is a necessary element of sodomy is concerned it may not be amiss to refer to some of the authorities. In the case of State v. Gray, 8 Jones Law 170, 53 N.C. 170, a case involving carnal knowledge of a female child under ten years of age, the Court in holding emission to be a necessary element of carnal knowledge says: In People v. Hodgkin, 94 Mich. 27, 53 N.W. 794, 795, the defendant was convicted of sodomy upon the court's instruction that proof of penetration alone was sufficient. Their statute, like ours, does not define in terms what constitutes the offense. The court held that emission was a necessary element of the crime of sodomy, and in discussing the difference of opinions, states: The court then points out that this statute has been repealed and the common law revived and states: In People v. Smith, 258 Ill. 502, 101 N.E. 957, 958, the defendant was charged with committing the crime against nature and evidence disclosed he had inserted his tongue in the private parts of an eleven year old girl. In holding that such conduct did not constitute the crime against nature, the court says: The early English common law is discussed and analyzed very thoroughly in the case of State v. McGruder, 125 Iowa 741, 101 N.W. 646, 647, where it is said: The McGruder case, in speaking of the theory contended for by appellant here, makes this observation: Another jurisdiction holding that emission is not a necessary element of the offense is Kentucky, where in White v. Commonwealth, 115 Ky. 473, 73 S.W. 1120, it was said: Louisiana, as was noted in the McGruder case, supra, is likewise in accord with appellee's contention. In the case of State v. Vicknair, 52 La. Ann. 1921, 28 So. 273, decided in 1900, the court discussed the early American decisions and the English law and stated that the early American decisions, in face of Hill's case, followed the theory that emission was not necessary. The annotation appearing in American and English Annotated Cases, Vol. II, at p. 93, states that in the United States the courts have generally held that emission is not necessary to constitute sodomy and that the question was unsettled in England prior to Hill's Case in 1781. This annotation discusses the case of People v. Hodgkin, supra, which is relied upon heavily by appellant. Concerning this case, the annotator states: *363 In 80 American Decisions 361, it is stated as follows regarding rape: One of the earliest American cases upon this subject is Commonwealth v. Thomas, 1812, 1 Va.Cas. 307, 3 Va. 307, Va.Rep. Anno. 80. That case flatly held that penetration was sufficient although emission was not proven. The annotation in V. Rep. Anno. states: The earliest reported American case in point appears to be Pennsylvania v. Sullivan, 1793, 1 Add., Pa., 143, where it was held that under the common law emission was not necessary to prove the crime of rape. The Supreme Court of Hawaii, in refusing to adopt the contention urged by appellant here, stated in Territory v. Chee Siu, 25 Hawaii 814, as follows: In addition to the statement by the writer East, quoted hereinbefore from 1 East P.C. 436, the same question was considered by other English authorities of the day. In 1 Hale P.C. 438, it is stated that emission is necessary. The authority given for that statement is Hill's case which as has been pointed out was decided some six years after 1776. Likewise, 1 Hawkins P.C. 9, states that emission is necessary but it is significantly noted that this writer does not cite East. In 12 Coke 37, 77 Reprint 1318, it is stated that emission is necessary but as has been previously pointed out the early American decisions and many of the English text writers were of the opinion that this was not the true opinion of Lord Coke and that his opinion as expressed in the Institutes was the opinion which was to be followed. In 2 Bishop Crim.Law, 9th Ed., the writer states this concerning the problem: Other cases holding emission to be unnecessary in either sodomy or rape, adultery or other cases involving carnal knowledge are: Almendaris v. State, Tex.Cr. App. 1903, 73 S.W. 1055; Drawdy v. State, 97 Fla. 367, 120 So. 844; Osgood v. State, 1885, 64 Wis. 472, 25 N.W. 529; Comstock v. State, 1883, 14 Neb. 205, 15 N.W. 355; Commonwealth v. Hussey, 1892, 157 Mass. 415, 32 N.E. 362; Rodgers v. State, 1891, 30 Tex. App. 510, 17 S.W. 1077; State v. Griffin, 175 N.C. 767, 94 S.E. 678, and Means v. State, 125 Wis. 650, 104 N.W. 815. From the foregoing review of the authorities, it is our view that since New Mexico adopted the common law of England as it existed prior to the decision in Hill's case, supra, decided in 1781, that it appears to our satisfaction that at the time as of which the common law was adopted in New Mexico the weight of authority in England was that emission was not a necessary element of the crime of sodomy. Furthermore our position is fortified by our further view that it becomes apparent under the old early English authorities, and for that matter the early American authorities, that emission was an element considered either necessary or not necessary in connection with all crimes involving carnal knowledge, such as sodomy, rape, adultery, etc.; and, if we are correct in this view, then this opinion is further fortified by the holding of this court in the case of State v. Harbert, 1915, 20 N.M. 179, 147 P. 280, in which case this court speaking through District Judge M.C. Mechem in a very brief opinion, opined in two lines as follows: Judge Mechem in writing the opinion of this court cited no authorities to substantiate his decision, but it becomes very obvious from reading the abstract of the briefs filed and authorities cited in said New Mexico report in 20 N.M. at page 180, 147 P. 280, that respectable authority was submitted and without doubt considered. The practice apparently was for the reporter of the Supreme Court decisions at that time to make an abstract of the briefs and set them out ahead of the reported opinion of the court, and it is significant that at page 180 of said New Mexico report the following abstract of authorities is reported: From the foregoing it will be noted that many of the authorities cited to this court at that time, including Hill's Case, supra, have not only been called to the attention of this court in the instant case but are referred to in this very opinion. It follows therefore that if we are correct in our understanding of the common law of England as of the time of the American separation from the mother country that the crimes of rape and sodomy stood on equal footing, then of necessity Judge Mechem in his aforesaid opinion must have concluded also that as to rape, emission was not a necessary element of the crime of rape under the common law of England as of 1776. It follows from what has been said that it is our opinion that emission is not a necessary element of the crime of sodomy in this jurisdiction. The judgment of the lower court is affirmed. McGHEE, C.J., and COMPTON, LUJAN and SEYMOUR, JJ., concur.