Title: State v. Nixon

State: kansas

Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court

Document:

223 Kan. 788 (1978)
576 P.2d 691
STATE OF KANSAS, Appellee,
v.
BRIAN J. NIXON, Appellant.
No. 49,234

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed April 1, 1978.
Charles E. Worden, of Topeka, argued the cause, and Douglas A. Hinchcliff, of Topeka, was with him on the briefs for appellant.
J. Larry Linn, assistant district attorney, argued the cause, and Curt T. Schneider, attorney general, Vern Miller, district attorney, and Stuart W. Gribble, assistant district attorney, were on the brief for appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
HOLMES, J.:
This is a direct appeal by defendant, Brian J. Nixon, from convictions in a trial to the court of one count of rape (K.S.A. 21-3502) and one count of aggravated sodomy (K.S.A. 21-3506[a]). Defendant was found not guilty of aggravated kidnapping (K.S.A. 21-3421).
In view of the limited issues considered on appeal we do not deem it necessary to go to great lengths in setting forth the facts and will limit them to those pertinent to the issues considered.
Defendant, a resident of Great Bend, and Karen Dikeman, a resident of Wichita, became acquainted at a Wichita tavern in the early fall of 1975. On the night of October 10, 1975, defendant telephoned Miss Dikeman from Great Bend, asked if he could come to Wichita, stay at Miss Dikeman's grandfather's house where she lived and take her out on a date the next night. Miss Dikeman said it would be all right. Defendant arrived at her grandfather's around 3:00 a.m. October 11, 1975. He and Miss Dikeman had a soft drink, left the house to smoke some marijuana, then returned and spent the rest of the night in separate bedrooms. They were together most of Saturday and in the evening departed from the house to go on a date. They rode around, stopped at a couple of taverns to buy six-packs of beer, smoked some more marijuana and eventually drove to a secluded spot in a pasture in eastern Sedgwick County where defendant parked the car.
At this point a sharp divergence in the testimony develops. Miss Dikeman contends she was taken into the country against her will, that she feared for her life, that she tried to escape several times, that defendant, over a period of two to three hours, forcibly raped her three or four times and forced her to commit an act of sodomy. She further contends that while both parties were still completely in the nude she tricked the defendant into leaving the immediate area on foot to search for her lost cigarettes and *790 thus was able to get into defendant's car, lock the doors and make her escape. Defendant, observing what was taking place, leaped aboard the hood of his automobile and was thus transported, still sans clothing, out of the field, down the country road and into the front yard of the nearest farm house. Miss Dikeman then placed the car in reverse and defendant slid off the hood into the farmyard. As she was departing the scene, Miss Dikeman advised defendant his car would be at her house.
Defendant readily admits that the sexual acts took place but contends Miss Dikeman was a more than willing participant, that no force or threats were involved, that after two or three hours of mutually enjoyable lovemaking she suddenly "went crazy," took his car and drove off. As a result of defendant's admission that the sexual acts took place the sole issue before the court was one of consent. The testimony of police officers, a medical examiner, Miss Dikeman's regular doctor and others could be construed as supporting either participant's story. Testimony of one witness, admitted under K.S.A. 60-455 to show plan and intent, was definitely supportive of Miss Dikeman's version of the facts.
The trial judge recognized the principal issue when making a statement to counsel in chambers before announcing his decision in open court:
It is readily apparent that the question of which party was telling the truth was a major, if not the determining, factor in the court's decision.
Several times during direct examination of Miss Dikeman the prosecutor brought out the use of marijuana by both parties. On cross-examination Miss Dikeman volunteered information about the use of "downers" and other drugs and was then questioned about such use. Later in cross-examination the following took place:
"A. No.
"Q. You don't know him?
"A. I have never heard of him."
During the presentation of the defendant's case, Kenneth K. Sick was called as a witness. Sick testified that he was acquainted with Karen Dikeman, that he had seen her on at least three occasions around September, 1975, and on one of those occasions had a date with her and took her, along with another friend, to an all-night movie. Then the following dialogue took place:
"Q. What 
"A. As she was  at that time she was 
THE COURT: Okay.
.... .... .... .... .... .
"A. Uh-huh. She 
THE COURT: Not dishonest.
MR. NEUSCHWANDER: Well, Your Honor, I believe 
Defendant raises several points on appeal, two of which will be considered at some length.
Defendant contends the court committed reversible error in preventing him from introducing evidence on the only issue before the court and his theory of the case. He argues that consent was the only issue to be determined by the court and therefore the truthfulness of the alleged victim in giving her testimony in this case was of major importance. He contends he should have been allowed to examine Sick on issues, collateral in nature, which would show that Miss Dikeman had not been truthful in her testimony.
K.S.A. 60-420 provides:
K.S.A. 60-422 provides in part:
K.S.A. 60-421 deals specifically with the admission in evidence of prior convictions and as such is not directly involved in this case.
In State v. Belote, 213 Kan. 291, 516 P.2d 159 (1973), we held:
In Belote, supra, at page 295, in commenting on K.S.A. 60-422(c) and (d), we stated:
Defendant argues he is not attempting to show traits of Karen Dikeman's general character or specific instances of conduct to prove a trait of character, but sought to introduce the testimony of Sick to show she was not being truthful in this case rather than to challenge her usual reputation for veracity.
Dewey v. Funk, 211 Kan. 54, 505 P.2d 722 (1973) was a paternity action brought in the name of the child by her mother against the alleged father to obtain support. The principal question was the ruling of the trial court in refusing to admit testimony as to prior sexual activity of the mother after she had testified she was a virgin at the time of the incident resulting in the conception of the child. At page 56 the court said:
.... .... .... .... .... .
.... .... .... .... .... .
In Belote objections were lodged at the outset against questions seeking to inquire into collateral issues and we held the trial court was correct in sustaining such objections. On the other hand, in Dewey, the collateral or irrelevant testimony was allowed without objection and we held it was error not to allow the defendant to show that such testimony was false. While it is true in the case at bar that it was the defendant who first elicited the objectionable testimony from the complaining witness, once it had been allowed, without objection, defendant should have been able to show that it was false.
State v. Blue, 221 Kan. 185, 558 P.2d 136 (1976) was an appeal from a conviction for forgery wherein defendant Blue (a/k/a Jackson) had presented a forged drug prescription to a pharmacy in Wichita. This occurred during the afternoon of July 7, 1975. During the presentation of the defendant's case, both he and a companion, Goodbear, testified that they had been at home all morning on July 7, 1975. The state offered evidence in rebuttal that the two of them had, in fact, visited another pharmacy during the morning hours and had obtained a quantity of drugs with a valid prescription. The trial court ruled the evidence, though collateral in nature and ordinarily not admissible, was admissible as rebuttal evidence going to credibility. We stated at page 188:
We fully adhere to the rule of Nix; however, under the peculiar facts and circumstances in this case, we find that it was error to preclude the defendant from presenting evidence in an attempt to prove that the prosecuting witness had been untruthful in her testimony.
Defendant's second principal point is that he was deprived of his right to a fair trial when certain matters took place in chambers without his knowledge. At the close of all the evidence *795 and arguments the judge announced that he would take the case under advisement, review his notes and the exhibits, study the cases submitted by the parties and announce his decision the next morning at 10:00 a.m.
The next morning counsel met with the court in chambers and the judge advised counsel on the record of his view of the evidence and then the following transpired:
"MR. SKINNER: We don't have any.
"MR. EARNEST: I don't believe we do, Your Honor.
"THE COURT: ...
.... .... .... .... .... .
"THE COURT: Pardon?
Court was then convened and the trial court in the presence of the defendant again reviewed the evidence as he saw it and rendered his decision.
It was several months after this appeal had been perfected before defendant learned of the discussion which took place in *796 chambers and due to the serious nature of the question raised we allowed defendant to obtain new counsel and file a supplemental statement of points on appeal, record and brief. The state has declined the opportunity to answer the supplemental brief and we do not have the benefit of the state's position on this issue.
While we are convinced that the inadmissible evidence, consisting of the statements overheard in the elevator, played no part in Judge Riddel's decision, we are of the opinion defendant should have been advised and given the opportunity to consult with his counsel. The trial judge, when he made a record of the informal proceedings, offered to declare a mistrial and to give defense counsel time to think about it, obviously considered the matter to be a serious one affecting defendant's fundamental rights. We agree.
The functions of defense counsel in a criminal case have been reviewed several times by this court.
We do not mean to imply that counsel's decision in this case indicates a lack of competence. It could very well be that as a matter of trial strategy, counsel determined it would be in his client's best interests not to accept a mistrial. Counsel had been informed that the court did not feel the evidence warranted a conviction of aggravated kidnapping, a Class A felony. If defendant accepted a mistrial he would have been faced with a retrial on all the issues and a possible later conviction of the more serious offense. However, under the facts and circumstances of this case, before waiving defendant's right to a mistrial volunteered by the trial court, defendant should have been consulted by counsel and given an opportunity to consider the alternatives.
Considering all foregoing factors, we find prejudicial error and hold that the case must be reversed and remanded for a new trial. Defendant raises several other points on appeal but in view of the conclusions reached, it is not necessary to consider them further.
*797 The judgment is reversed and the case remanded for a new trial.
PRAGER, J., concurring in the result.
McFARLAND, J., dissenting.