Title: State v. Dorsey
Citation: 224 Kan. 152, 578 P.2d 261
Docket Number: 49,319
State: Kansas
Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court
Date: May 6, 1978

224 Kan. 152 (1978)
578 P.2d 261
STATE OF KANSAS, Appellee,
v.
VIRGIL DORSEY, JR., Appellant.
No. 49,319

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed May 6, 1978.
Duane D. Guy, of Emporia, argued the cause and was on the brief for appellant.
Jay W. Vander Velde, county attorney, argued the cause and Curt T. Schneider, attorney general, was with him on the brief for appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
HOLMES, J.:
Virgil Dorsey, Jr., defendant-appellant, appeals from jury verdicts finding him guilty of one count of kidnapping (K.S.A. 21-3420), three counts of attempted rape (K.S.A. 21-3502 and K.S.A. 21-3301), and two counts of aggravated oral sodomy (K.S.A. 21-3506).
Defendant was tried on an amended complaint containing eight counts covering acts which allegedly occurred between 12:30 a.m. and 1:35 a.m. on July 29, 1975, as follows:
*153 Count I, kidnapping
Count II, rape at 12:35 a.m.
Count III, oral sodomy at 12:40 a.m.
Count IV, rape at 12:45 a.m.
Count V, oral sodomy at 12:50 a.m.
Count VI, rape at 1:20 a.m.
Count VII, anal sodomy at 1:25 a.m.
Count VIII, oral sodomy at 1:35 a.m.
Defendant was found guilty on counts one, five and eight, guilty of attempted rape on counts two, four and six and not guilty on counts three and seven.
Defendant raises two points on appeal:
We do not deem it necessary or advisable to repeat the sordid details from the trial further than is necessary to determine the issues on appeal. All of the alleged crimes took place with one victim, under a single set of circumstances within a time span of approximately one hour. The two principal witnesses were the alleged victim and the defendant, each having a different version of the night's events, although there was testimony tending to support the victim's story.
Defendant's first point on appeal is that the prosecutor made prejudicial statements to the jury during final argument. In State v. Baker, 219 Kan. 854, 549 P.2d 911 (1976), we held:
Some of the prosecutor's statements objected to by defendant were in response to defense counsel's comments in his closing argument.
*154 Other statements of the prosecutor, not objected to during trial, are now raised for the first time on appeal.
We have reviewed the entire closing arguments of both counsel in light of the entire record on appeal and find defendant's first point to be without merit.
Defendant's second point is there was no sufficient evidence to support the verdict of the jury. Only two people were at the scene of the crime, the victim and the defendant. Both testified and it appears the jury found the victim's testimony more believable than the defendant's.
There was sufficient competent evidence to support the defendant's conviction of one count of kidnapping, one count of attempted rape and one count of oral sodomy.
However, this does not finally dispose of the appeal. It is clear from the record that all of the alleged charges against the defendant grew out of one incident, with one victim under a single set of circumstances. The complaint contains a multiplicity of charges which have resulted in multiple convictions for the same offenses.
While there has been a tendency for some courts to use the terms "duplicity" and "multiplicity" interchangeably, there are definite differences between the terms when applied to a criminal pleading.
In considering the problems raised by a pleading that includes multiplicitous charges the court in United States v. Hearod, 499 F.2d 1003, 1005 (5th Cir.1974), said:
As early as 1884, this court stated:
The conduct of the defendant in the instant case constituted one continuous occurrence in which the jury found three separate and distinct offenses were committed, to-wit: kidnapping, attempted rape and oral sodomy. As we stated in State v. Lassley, 218 Kan. 758, 761, 545 P.2d 383 (1976):
In Jarrell v. State, 212 Kan. 171, 510 P.2d 127 (1973), defendant was charged with two counts of forcible rape, one count of assault with felonious intent and one count of taking a woman for defilement, all involving one act of violence on the same woman. This court reversed stating:
In State v. Pierce, et al., 205 Kan. 433, 469 P.2d 308 (1970), we held:
*156 While the factual situation in the case before this court is somewhat different from prior decisions and comes to the court in a different posture, we feel the general principles previously enunciated apply. The only difference in the three allegations of rape and the facts necessary to prove the acts, was a lapse of a few minutes between each alleged offense. Under the circumstances, we fail to find where there has been more than one act of attempted rape. The same is true of the allegations of oral sodomy. On the other hand, the proof necessary to convict the defendant of kidnapping, rape or attempted rape and sodomy requires different facts and therefore the conviction as to one count of each of these three different crimes would not be multiplicitous. The convictions of the additional counts of attempted rape and sodomy, under the factual situation existing in this case, are not supported by the evidence and constitute multiple convictions for the same offense.
The fact that defendant has been convicted more than once for the same offense does not require a reversal of all the convictions.
The convictions on counts one, two and five are affirmed and the convictions and sentences on counts four, six and eight are vacated and set aside.
It is so ordered.
McFARLAND, J., concurring and dissenting:
While I do not disagree with the statements of law in the majority opinion, I disagree with their application to the case herein. Converting the timetable of counts contained in the majority opinion to the convictions, it becomes:
*157 The majority opinion confuses the repetition of the same crime with "multiplicity." This rationale means that no matter how many times a woman is raped by the same man it is but one offense as long as the time frame is contiguous. For example, in a gang rape situation where a woman is raped a total of six times by three men, it would be three crimes. If she were raped six times by the same man, it would be one crime.
"Multiplicity" refers to situations where one act results in multiple charges for the one act. For example, the victim is shot, and the accused is charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault. The single act of firing the gun is the basis for all three charges.
Jarrell v. State, 212 Kan. 171, 510 P.2d 127 (1973), cited by the majority, involved on appeal one count of rape, one count of taking a woman for defilement, and one count of assault with felonious intent. The rape count was held to include the latter two counts. The second rape count of Jarrell was not involved in the appeal and was not held to be duplicitous as the majority opinion herein would seem to imply.
In the case at hand we have numerous separate and distinct crimes being committed, each of which is a crime in its own right regardless of what occurred prior to or thereafter, and this is not "multiplicity." The majority opinion, in effect, says that if a man rapes a woman once, he can repeat the crime as many times as he likes with no additional criminal liability therefor. This result is against public policy and is a further insult to the victims of such crimes.
I would affirm all convictions.
MILLER, J., dissenting:
I join in the dissent of Justice McFarland.
Additionally, I point out that the defendant presents but two points on appeal, alleged prosecutorial misconduct in closing argument and insufficiency of the evidence.
Multiplicity of charges was not raised; it was not briefed by either the defendant or the state; and to my recollection it was not argued. We should not raise it sua sponte.
I respectfully submit that the judgment should be affirmed.
PRAGER, J. joins in the dissent of MILLER, J.