Case Name: Harry Hatten v. The State
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1924-06-04
Citations: 98 Tex. Crim. 115
Docket Number: No. 8471
Parties: Harry Hatten v. The State.
Judges: 
Reporter: Texas Criminal Reports
Volume: 98
Pages: 115–116

Head Matter:
Harry Hatten v. The State.
No. 8471.
Decided June 4, 1924.
Rehearing denied June 27, 1924.
1. —Rape—Force—Statutory Rape — Rule Stated.
Even though the allegation be of a statutory rape the State is entitled to show that the rape was by force, and the evidence being sufficient to sustain the conviction, there is no reversible error.
2. —Same—Rehearing—Sufficiency of the Evidence.
Where, upon trial of statutory rape, the evidence is sufficient to sustain the conviction, there is no reversible error.
Appeal from the District Court of Port Bend. Tried below before the Honorable M. S. Munson.
Appeal from a conviction of statutory rape; penalty, five years imprisonment in the penitentiary.
The opinion states the case.
Stevens & Stevens, for appellant.
Tom Garrard, Attorney for the State and Grover C. Morris, Assistant Attorney for the State.

Opinion:
LATTIMORE, Judge.
— Appellant was convicted in the District Court of Port Bend County of rape, and his punishment fixed at five years in the penitentiary.
The facts amply support the verdict. There are four bills of exception in the record, Nos. 1 and 2 complaining of the admission of proof to show that the alleged rape was committed by force, and that the court refused to strike out testimony to that effect, and Nos. 3 and 4 complaining of the testimony of physicians to the inflamed and lacerated condition in which they found the private parts of prosecutrix, after . the alleged rape. Authorities will be found collated by Mr. Branch at page 995 of his Annotated P. C. supporting the proposition that even though the allegation be of a statutory rape, the State is entitled to show that the rape was by force. These authorities cover the contention made by appellant in each of the bills of exception and negative the claim of injury or that there was error in the admission of the testimony" complained of.
The evidence supporting the judgment and no error appearing, an affirmance will be ordered.
Affirmed.