Opinion ID: 1771774
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 41

Heading: whether the trial court erred in refusing to reduce the charge against the defendant from capital murder to simple murder and further erred in amending over objection instruction d-13 as proposed by defendant?

Text: ś 96. The Mississippi Sexual Battery statute states in pertinent part: (1) A person is guilty of sexual battery if he or she engages in sexual penetration with: (a) Another person without his or her consent; (b) A mentally defective, mentally incapacitated or physically helpless person; or (c) A child under the age of fourteen (14) years. Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-95 (1994). Furthermore, § 97-3-97 provides definitions of certain relevant language contained within § 97-3-95 and states: For purposes of sections 97-3-95 through 97-3-103 the following words shall have the meaning ascribed herein unless the context otherwise requires: (a) Sexual penetration includes cunnilingus, fellatio, buggery or pederasty, any penetration of the genital or anal openings of another person's body by any part of a person's body, and insertion of any object into the genital or anal openings of another person's body. (b) A mentally defective person is one who suffers from a mental disease, defect or condition which renders that person temporarily or permanently incapable of knowing the nature and quality of his or her conduct. (c) A mentally incapacitated person is one rendered incapable of knowing or controlling his or her conduct, or incapable of resisting an act due to the influence of any drug, narcotic, anesthetic, or other substance administered to that person without his or her consent. (d) A physically helpless person is one who is unconscious or one who for any other reason is physically incapable of communicating an unwillingness to engage in an act. Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-97 (1994). Puckett was indicted for the murder of Rhonda Hatten Griffis while engaged in the commission of the crime of sexual battery in violation of § 97-3-95(1)(a).