Case Name: STATE of Minnesota, Respondent, v. Joseph Michael McGEE, Appellant
Court: Minnesota Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Minnesota
Decision Date: 1982-08-31
Citations: 324 N.W.2d 232
Docket Number: No. 81-547
Parties: STATE of Minnesota, Respondent, v. Joseph Michael McGEE, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: North Western Reporter 2d
Volume: 324
Pages: 232–234

Head Matter:
STATE of Minnesota, Respondent, v. Joseph Michael McGEE, Appellant.
No. 81-547.
Supreme Court of Minnesota.
Aug. 31, 1982.
Thomas M. Kelly, Minneapolis, for appellant.
Warren Spannaus, Atty. Gen., Gary Hansen and Norman B. Coleman, Jr., Sp. Asst. Attys. Gen., St. Paul, John W. Riches II, County Atty., Benson, for respondent.

Opinion:
OTIS, Justice.
This is an appeal from a conviction for criminal sexual conduct in the third degree in violation of Minn. Stat. § 609.344(c) (1980). We reverse.
By way of rebutting appellant's claim that the complainant consented to sexual intercourse, the state introduced the expert testimony of a physician which included a description of the so-called "rape trauma syndrome."
The doctor was permitted to render his opinion that complainant's behavior, subsequent to the sexual encounter, consisting of anxiety, nightmares, trouble sleeping and trouble concentrating, and fear of being followed, were symptoms consistent with rape trauma syndrome.
We hold that the introduction of this evidence was fundamental error and sufficiently prejudicial to require a new trial for the reasons set forth in State v. Saldana, 324 N.W.2d 227 (Minn.1982).
Reversed and remanded.