Opinion ID: 1476430
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the lack of a jury instruction on consent

Text: Appellants argue that the trial court erred in refusing to give a jury instruction on consent as a defense to the kidnapping and rape charges. See CRIMINAL JURY INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, No. 5.18 (4th ed. 1993). In general, a defendant is entitled to an instruction as to any recognized defense for which there exists evidence sufficient for a reasonable jury to find in his favor. Mathews v. United States, 485 U.S. 58, 63, 108 S.Ct. 883, 99 L.Ed.2d 54 (1988). The trial court, however, is not required to give a requested instruction if there is no evidentiary basis for it. Guillard v. United States, 596 A.2d 60, 62 (D.C.1991). In determining whether a defense instruction was properly denied, we review the evidence in the light most favorable to the defendant. Adams v. United States, 558 A.2d 348, 349 (D.C.1989). In this case, because there was no evidence whatsoever that Ms. Williams consented to being kidnapped and raped, we hold that the trial court's refusal to give the requested instruction was not error. Appellants base their claim of error on the fact that Ms. Williams acknowledged being a prostitute, and on Mr. Wilson's testimony that he thought, because of her status as a prostitute, that there was nothing wrong with what appellants did to her. We strongly disagree. Ms. Williams was taken from the street at gunpoint, forced into a van, and held for over six hours, during which she was ordered to perform sexual acts with several men or else she would be shot. Even Mr. Wilson testified that she was forced to have intercourse. Furthermore, Ms. Williams said she did not try to escape from the van because she was scared of what her captors would do to her if she did. This evidence in no way raises the possibility that Williams did anything to make the assailants believe she had consented to their actions, or that she in fact consented. While Ms. Williams did drive the van while Garrett robbed two people, she drove it only under compulsion, because she was ordered to do so. In addition, while her profession might raise questions about her moral beliefs, it does not follow that she would consent to having sex with several unknown men after being kidnapped at gunpoint. See generally Brewer, 559 A.2d at 320-321. Finally, Wilson's testimony that he did not intervene because he did not think anything was wrong with what his companions were doing was not sufficient to warrant a consent instruction. His personal opinion regarding the appropriateness of a series of sexual assaults on a prostitute has no probative value on the issue of her consent. Thus, because no evidence warranted a consent instruction, the trial court did not commit error by failing to give one.