Opinion ID: 2774555
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Lesser-included Instruction

Text: Finally, Hartman contends that the circuit court erred when it refused to give his proffered jury instruction for second-degree sexual assault, which he argues is a lesserincluded offense of rape. A person commits rape if he engages in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity with another person who is less than fourteen (14) years old. Ark. Code Ann. § 5-14-103(a)(3) (Repl. 2013). A person commits second-degree sexual assault if he is eighteen (18) years of age or older and engages in sexual contact with another person who is less than fourteen (14) years of age and not his spouse. Ark. Code Ann. § 5- 14-125(a)(3). Hartman acknowledges that we have rejected the argument that seconddegree sexual assault is a lesser-included offense to rape in two previous cases. Webb v. State, 2012 Ark. 64; Joyner v. State, 2009 Ark. 168, 303 S.W.3d 54. We reasoned that second-degree sexual assault is not a lesser-included offense of rape because it requires proof of two elements that rape does not: the defendant’s age (18 or over) and the defendant’s marital status (not married to the victim). A conviction for rape does not require proof of these elements, which means “sexual assault is not ‘established by proof of the same or less than all of the elements required’ to establish rape.” Joyner, 2009 Ark. 168, at 12, 303 S.W.3d at 61 (citing Ark. Code Ann. § 5-1-110(b)). Adhering to stare decisis, 8 2015 Ark. 30 we decline to overrule our settled precedent on this issue. See Brown v. State, 321 Ark. 413, 903 S.W.2d 160 (1995). We hold that the court did not abuse its discretion when it declined Hartman’s request to include a lesser-included-offense jury instruction.