Case Name: STATE v. BILLIE SIMMONS
Court: Supreme Court of North Carolina
Jurisdiction: North Carolina
Decision Date: 1947-11-26
Citations: 228 N.C. 258
Docket Number: 
Parties: STATE v. BILLIE SIMMONS.
Judges: 
Reporter: North Carolina Reports
Volume: 228
Pages: 258–258

Head Matter:
STATE v. BILLIE SIMMONS.
(Filed 26 November, 1947.)
Rape § 5—
An instruction which fails to charge that the carnal knowledge of prose-cutrix must have been accomplished by force and against her will to constitute the crime of rape must be held for reversible error. G. S., 14-21.
" Appeal bji defendant from Edmundson, Special Judge, at August Term, 1947, of SaMpsoN.
Criminal prosecution upon indictment charging defendant with the c-rime of rape of a certain named female person.
Verdict: Guilty of rape as charged in the bill of indictment.
Judgment: Death by the administration of lethal gas as provided by law.
Defendant appeals to Supreme Court and assigns error.
. Attorney-General McMullan and Assistant Attorneys General Bruton, Rhodes, and Moody for the State.
A. McL. Graham and P. D. Herring for defendant, appellant.

Opinion:
WiNBORNE, J.
Defendant assigns as error the following portion of the .court's charge to the jury: "The court charges you if you find from the evidence in this case and beyond a reasonable doubt that the prisoner had carnal knowledge of the prosecuting witness as that term has been defined by the court to you then you will return a verdict of guilty of rape as charged in the bill of indictment."
The error pointed out is the absence of these essential elements of the crime charged "ravishing . by force and against her will." G. S., 14-21.
The State concedes error in the instruction to which the exception is tallen.
Hence there must be a
New trial.