Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Willie FOLEY
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1984-05-14
Citations: 456 So. 2d 979
Docket Number: No. 83-KA-2306
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Willie FOLEY.
Judges: DENNIS and LEMMON, JJ„ concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 456
Pages: 979–990

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Willie FOLEY.
No. 83-KA-2306.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
May 14, 1984.
Rehearing Denied Oct. 25, 1984.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Harry F. Con-nick, Dist. Atty., William R. Campbell, Jr., Mary Charlotte McMullan, Jack Peebles, Charles P. Ciaccio, Asst. Dist. Attys., for plaintiff-appellee.
Elizabeth Cole, Roland Belsome, New Orleans, Tulane Law School Clinic, for defendant-appellant.

Opinion:
WATSON, Justice.
Willie Foley was indicted by the grand jury for aggravated rape in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:42. A unanimous jury found defendant guilty as charged and he was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. On appeal, defendant urges two assignments of error for the reversal of his conviction and sentence.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE
Defendant contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion to quash, arguing that he was entitled to a hearing before being tried as an adult rather than a juvenile.
Foley, 15½ years old at the time of the crime, asserts that he was first indicted on September 25, 1979, but the charge was nolle prosequied on July 2, 1980. In the interim, review of the trial court's refusal to quash the indictment and transfer Foley to juvenile court for a status hearing was denied.
Foley was re-indicted for aggravated rape on November 12, 1980. Although defendant did not reurge the right to a transfer hearing, he argues in brief that failure to hold such a hearing deprived him of due process. Defendant maintains that he was overcharged to vest jurisdiction in the district court, and should have been charged, at most, with forcible rape, a crime within juvenile court jurisdiction. The argument ignores evidence that defendant abducted and raped his victim at knifepoint and threatened to kill her if she resisted.
LSA-R.S. 13:1570(A)(5), effective September 12, 1980, expressly provides that juvenile court jurisdiction does not extend to a juvenile "who, after having become fifteen years of age or older is charged with having committed . aggravated rape." The juvenile court was statutorily divested of jurisdiction when Foley was first indicted for aggravated rape.
LSA-R.S. 13:1570(A)(5) is a valid exercise of state police power. Classifications by age and seriousness of the offense are not arbitrary or capricious; they bear a rational relationship to the state's legitimate interest in giving the public enhanced protection from more violent felons. State v. Leach, 425 So.2d 1232 (La.1983); State v. Perique, 439 So.2d 1060 (La.1983).
The legislature has decided that fifteen year olds charged with aggravated rape should be treated as adults. Within this statutory framework, the district attorney controls criminal prosecutions by determining whom, when, and how he will prosecute. LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 61; State v. Perique, supra.
This assignment is without merit.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER FOUR
Defendant contends that the life sentence mandated by LSA-R.S. 14:42 is unconstitutionally cruel, unusual and excessive under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Article I, § 20 of the Louisiana Constitution under the circumstances of his case.
The mandatory life sentence for aggravated rape is a valid exercise of the state legislature's prerogative to determine the length of sentence for crimes classified as felonies. State v. Prestridge, 399 So.2d 564 (La.1981); State v. Farria, 412 So.2d 577 (La.1982); and State v. Talbert, 416 So.2d 97 (La.1982).
Relying on Solem v. Helm, 463 U.S. 277, 103 S.Ct. 3001, 77 L.Ed.2d 637 (1983), defendant argues that mandatory sentences are subject to judicial scrutiny for exces-siveness and his sentence is disproportionate because of: (1) his age at the time of the offense, and (2) the fact that the victim suffered no lasting psychological damage.
Solem v. Helm, supra, held that a life sentence without benefit of parole imposed on a defendant who had six prior felony convictions was unconstitutionally excessive. Helm wrote a check on a bank at which he had no account. Had he been a first offender, his maximum sentence would have been five years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine. The life sentence was imposed by operation of the South Dakota recidivist statute which specifically excluded the possibility of parole.
Helm held that "a criminal sentence must be proportionate to the crime for which the defendant has been convicted. Reviewing courts, of course, should grant substantial deference to the broad authority that legislatures necessarily possess in determining the types and limits of punishments for crimes.... But no penalty is per se constitutional." 103 S.Ct. at 3009-3010. The Helm court set forth the following objective factors to guide reviewing courts: (1) the gravity of the offense and the harshness of the penalty; (2) the sentences imposed on other criminals in the same jurisdiction; and (3) the sentence imposed for commission of the same crime in other jurisdictions. While requiring proportionality analysis, even in noncapital cases, Helm did point out that, "[ojutside the context of capital punishment, success ful challenges to the proportionality of particular sentences [will be] exceedingly rare." 103 S.Ct. at 3009.
Applying these factors to this crime and sentence, defendant's life sentence is not excessive. As to the gravity of the offense, the legal definition of aggravated rape in LSA-R.S. 14:42(2) is virtually identical to that of forcible rape. Distinctions are drawn based on the degree of force and the resistance of the victim. The jury determines the permissible punishment by a verdict which fits the crime by assessing the degree of force employed. State v. Willie, 422 So.2d 1128 (La.1982).
Defendant does not expressly contend that there is insufficient evidence to convict him of aggravated rape but cites numerous forcible rape cases, and argues that their facts are no more egregious than those here. However, the evidence adduced at this trial justifies the jury's verdict.
Early in the morning on August 27,1979, the sixteen year old victim and her thirteen year old companion went, on bicycles to purchase donuts. They were followed by two black males in a gray TransAm. When the car pulled alongside the victim, its driver, the defendant, repeatedly asked her name. The car turned off just before the bicyclists reached the donut shop.
As the two children returned home, the gray TransAm resumed following them, defendant now occupying the passenger seat. Although the bicyclists attempted to elude their pursuers by turning down a side street, the driver cut off the victim's escape. Her bicycle fell into a drain and she could not run because her sock got caught in its chain. Foley jumped from the car, grabbed the victim's hand and put his knife in her face. He told her that if she did not get into the car, he would hurt her.
The victim attempted to fight off her attacker but was forced into the car. Once inside the car, Foley told the victim to undress. Otherwise, he threatened that "I'm going to jugg you with this knife". (Tr. 125) Foley raped the victim while Robinson drove to a nearby apartment complex parking lot. Throughout the rape, Foley held his knife to the victim's throat. At one point the victim spotted a garbage truck and screamed for help, but she could not be heard over the volume of the car radio. When she screamed, Foley pulled her arm around her back and again said that he would kill her if she did not remain quiet. The victim testified that Foley raped her three times while Robinson raped her once or twice.
After the victim was kidnapped, her companion contacted the police, who were at the crime scene when the abductors returned with the victim. Spotting the police, the rapists pushed the victim from the car and sped away. The police picked up the victim who was "crying very hysterical" and apprehended Foley and Robinson several blocks away.
Using the Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979) standard of appellate review and viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, we conclude that the jury could easily have found beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant was guilty of aggravated rather than forcible rape.
Coker v. Georgia, 433 U.S. 584, 97 S.Ct. 2861, 53 L.Ed.2d 982 (1977), held that a death sentence for rape is excessive punishment under the Eighth Amendment, but did not discount the seriousness of the crime. "It is highly reprehensible both in a moral sense and in its almost total contempt . of the female victim and for the latter's privilege of choosing those with whom intimate relationships are to be established. Short of homicide, it is the ultimate violation of self." 433 U.S. at 597, 97 S.Ct. at 2869, 53 L.Ed.2d at 992, 993. Aggravated rape inflicts mental and psychological damage to its victim and undermines the community sense of security. Defendant's argument that his victim has suffered no lasting psychological damage is unsubstantiated. Aggravated rape deserves a harsh penalty; it is one of the most violent felonies a person can commit.
. Defendant's argument that his age requires a lesser sentence is without merit. Despite his lack of an adult criminal record, Willie Foley is no stranger to the justice system. At the time of the offense, he had just escaped from Rivarde Juvenile Home where he had been detained on charges of simple burglary, resisting arrest and simple battery. Foley was the principal aggressor in this crime. He initially accosted the victim, kidnapped her, raped her first and then repeatedly raped her. The circumstances here do not militate against the legislature's determination that fifteen year old aggravated rapists are to be treated as adults, without varying the punishment according to the age of the accused.
Helm requires that the sentence be compared with that which could be imposed on other criminals in this state. Louisiana statutes mandate life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence for the commission of the following crimes:
(1) LSA-R.S. 14:30, First Degree Murder, where the jury does not unanimously recommend the death penalty;
(2) LSA-R.S. 30.1, Second Degree Murder;
(3) LSA-R.S. 14:42, Aggravated Rape;
(4) LSA-R.S. 14:44, Aggravated Kidnapping; and
(5) Certain offenses under the habitual offender law.
Except for criminal conduct subject to sentencing under the habitual offender statute, mandatory life sentences are imposed only for violent crimes against the person. Louisiana's statutory, scheme recognizes five grades of culpability for illegal sexual conduct ranging from aggravated rape to sexual battery. This scheme is complimented by the responsive verdict system. Louisiana does not single out aggravated rape for disproportionate punishment.
Compared with the sentencing statutes of other states for the same crime, Louisiana's statute is not facially excessive. Many jurisdictions (not Louisiana) have adopted, with modifications, the Model Penal Code classifications. Under this Code, rape under these circumstances would be classified as a first degree felony. The ordinary term for such a felony is imprisonment to a minimum term of not less than one year nor more than ten years and a maximum term of life. In Alabama, for example, rape in the first degree is a Class A felony punishable either by life imprisonment or a term of ten to ninety-nine years. If a deadly weapon is used in the commission of the crime, punishment can not be less than twenty years imprisonment. Ala. Code tit. 13A, § 13A-6-61, 13A-5-6. In Missouri and Michigan, a life sentence is possible but not mandatory. Mo.Rev.Stat. § 566.030, 558.011 and MSA § 28.788(2) [M.C.L.A. § 750.520]. Maryland requires that a person convicted of first degree rape be subject to imprisonment for no more than the period of his natural life. Md. Crim.Law Code Ann. § 462. In Delaware, rape is a Class A felony, carrying a punishment of life imprisonment which cannot be reduced or suspended by the court. Del. Code tit. 11, § 764, 4204, 4205.
Thus, while not all jurisdictions surveyed mandate life imprisonment, all view aggravated rape as a serious crime meriting substantial punishment. Unlike the defendant in Helm who could have received his life sentence in only one other state, Foley's sentence could have been meted out in other jurisdictions.
Willie Foley's life sentence is not disproportionate to his crime and not prohibited as excessive by either the United States or Louisiana Constitutions.
For the foregoing reasons, the conviction and sentence of defendant, Willie Foley, are affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
DENNIS and LEMMON, JJ" concur.
. The grand jury also indicted Eduardo Robinson for this crime but defendant's motion to sever was granted and separate trials were held. Robinson's aggravated rape conviction and life sentence were affirmed by this court. State v. Robinson, 437 So.2d 872 (La.1983).
. At the time of the crime, LSA-R.S. 14:42 provided:
"Aggravated rape is a rape committed where the anal or vaginal sexual intercourse is deemed to be without the lawful consent of the victim because it is committed under any one or more of the following circumstances:
"(1) Where the victim resists the act to the utmost, but whose resistance is overcome by force; or
"(2) Where the victim is prevented from resisting the act by threats of great and immediate bodily harm, accompanied by apparent power of execution; or
"(3) Where the victim is under the age of twelve years. Lack of knowledge of the victim's age shall not be a defense.
"Whoever commits the crime of aggravated rape shall be punished by life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
. Assignment of Error Number Two was specifically abandoned on appeal. Assignment of Error Number Three, being neither argued nor briefed, is considered abandoned. State v. Campuzano, 404 So.2d 1217 (La.1981); State v. Parish, 405 So.2d 1080 (La.1981). There are no errors patent on the face of the record, therefore, Assignment of Error Number Five is without merit.
. The record of the early stages in this case, although made "part of this record" are not in the record as lodged in this court.
. State v. Foley,¡ 383 So.2d 28 (La. 1980).
. Defendant was named Helm, and the case is referred to here by his name rather than by that of Solem, the warden.
. LSA-R.S. 14:42.1 provides:
"Forcible rape is a rape committed where the anal or vaginal sexual intercourse is deemed to be without the lawful consent of the victim because the victim is prevented from resisting the act by force or threats of physical violence under circumstances where the victim reasonably believes that such resistance would not prevent the rape.
"Whoever commits the crime of forcible rape shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than two nor more than forty years. At least two years of the sentence imposed shall be without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence."
. In State v. Ross, 343 So.2d 722 (La.1977) a sixteen year old defendant was sentenced to death following his aggravated rape conviction. His conviction was upheld but his case remanded for resentencing because of the unconstitutionality of the death penalty. See also State v. Hills, 354 So.2d 186 (La.1978), after remand 377 So.2d 1218 (La.1979) which upheld a life sentence for a sixteen year old aggravated rapist and State v. Rogers, 275 N.C. 411, 168 S.E.2d 345 (N.C.1969) which upheld a life sentence of a defendant who was fourteen years, eleven months at the time the rape was committed.
. LSA-R.S. 15:529.1 provides in pertinent part: "A. Any person who, after having been convicted within this state of a felony, or who, after having been convicted under th<j laws of any other state or of the United States, or any foreign government or country of a crime which, if committed in this state would be a felony, thereafter commits any subsequent felony within this state, upon conviction of said felony, shall be punished as follows:

"(2) If the third felony is such that upon a first conviction, the offender would be punishable by imprisonment for any term less than his natural life then,
* it A
"(b) If the third felony and each of the two prior felonies involved a violation of R.S. 14:34, R.S. 14:62.1, R.S. 14:65, R.S. 14:110(B), or of any crime punishable by imprisonment for more than twelve years, the person shall be imprisoned for the remainder of his natural life, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
"(3) If the fourth or subsequent felony is such that, upon a first conviction the offender would be punishable by imprisonment for any term less than his natural life then,
"(b) The fourth or subsequent felony and two of the prior felonies involved a violation of R.S. 14:34, R.S. 14:62.1, R.S. 14:65, R.S. 14:110(B), or of any crime punishable by imprisonment for more than twelve years, the person shall be imprisoned for the remainder of his natural life, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence."
. LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 814 provides in pertinent part:
"A. The only responsive verdict which may be rendered when the indictment charges the following offenses are:
"8. Aggravated Rape: Guilty.
Guilty of attempted aggravated rape.
Guilty, of forcible rape.
Guilty of attempted forcible rape.
Guilty of sexual battery.
Not guilty."
. Apparently, the without benefit feature is almost unique to Louisiana.
. La. Const, art. V § 19 was amended in 1979, but that amendment was not effective until November 30, 1979, three months after the instant offense was committed.