Opinion ID: 1388553
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Austin Instruction

Text: Consistent with the language of section 288(a), the jury was told that defendant could be found guilty of a lewd and lascivious act if he touched a child under age 14  with  the specific intent to sexually arouse either party. (Italics added.) [17] A touching which occurred through the child's clothing or on the bare skin was said to be sufficient. At the prosecutor's request, the jury also learned that it could find commission of an unlawful lewd act if defendant compel[led] [the child] to remove [his or her] own clothing, and [defendant had the requisite specific intent]. No touching of the child by [defendant] is required. (Italics added.) This instruction was based on Austin, supra, 111 Cal. App.3d 110, 115. (See also People v. Meacham (1984) 152 Cal. App.3d 142, 153-154 [199 Cal. Rptr. 586].) Defendant objected to it on undisclosed grounds below. [18] Defendant does not suggest that the actual or constructive disrobing of a child by the accused cannot constitute a lewd act as a matter of law. Where committed for a sexually exploitative purpose, such conduct is presumptively harmful and prohibited by section 288(a). (10) Defendant's main complaint is that, by using and rather than with to define the necessary relation between act and intent, the Austin instruction, as given, might have misled jurors to believe that the sexual intent could have been focused solely on some future unrealized act. However, no reasonable jury would adopt this construction. It was manifest from the special instruction itself that the constructive disrobing and sexual intent must coincide in order for a crime to occur. The instructions also indicated in at least three other places that a physical touching accomplished with such intent violates section 288(a). Contrary to what defendant argues, this language fully informed the jury that defendant could not be convicted on a disrobing theory unless he intended to give or receive immediate sexual gratification from that activity. No error occurred.