Opinion ID: 2630897
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Count IRape

Text: Under K.S.A. 21-3502(a)(2), rape is sexual intercourse with a child who is under 14 years of age. K.S.A. 21-3501(1) defines [s]exual intercourse as any penetration of the female sex organ by a finger, the male sex organ or any object. Any penetration, however slight, is sufficient to constitute sexual intercourse. Colston argues that the State presented evidence of multiple acts that would support the rape alleged in Count I. Colston identifies four possible acts: (1) B.N. testified that Colston put his penis in her vagina on Friday, August 11; (2) B.N. testified that Colston put his finger in her vagina on Friday, August 11; (3) B.N. testified that Colston put his penis in her vagina on Saturday, August 12; and (4) B.N. testified Colston put his finger inside her vagina as she urinated on her bed on Saturday, August 12. The State argues that Colston was charged in Count I with rape on August 11 and in Count II with rape on August 12. Because Colston was acquitted of the rape in Count II, the State argues that the alleged acts on August 12 could not possibly be considered as multiple acts supporting the conviction in Count I. This would be the case if the exact date for Count I was August 11 and the exact date for Count II was August 12. However, Colston was charged in Count I with rape occurring on or about August 11 and the jury was so instructed. As Colston points out, the jury could have still considered alleged acts that occurred on August 12 in order to support the rape conviction in Count I. Generally, the exact date that an offense was allegedly committed is not an element of the crime. This court has held where a defendant is not misled or prejudiced in making his or her defense by the allegation of when the crime occurred, a conviction may properly follow upon sufficient proof that the crime was committed at any time within the period of the statute of limitations. State v. Armstrong, 238 Kan. 559, 561, 712 P.2d 1258 (1986); State v. Jones, 204 Kan. 719, 725, 466 P.2d 283 (1970). We are aware that the jury instruction on rape recommended by Pattern Instructions for Kansas contains language in the venue element that this act occurred on or about a specific date in a specific county. PIK Crim.3d 57.01. Usually the on or about language in the charging document and the jury instruction is not problematic. Jones, 204 Kan. 719, Syl. ¶ 4, 466 P.2d 283. However, in a case such as this one where the alleged rapes occurred on two consecutive dates, the on or about language invites a multiple acts problem. Here, the State presented evidence of up to four separate acts of sexual intercourse occurring over two consecutive days. The evidence consisted of B.N.'s trial testimony as well as her videotaped statement. Because of the on or about language contained in the jury instructions, the jury could have considered the alleged acts that occurred on August 12 in order to support the rape conviction in Count I. In this instance, the trial court could have avoided confusion by instructing the jury that the rape charge in Count I allegedly occurred only on August 11 and the rape charge in Count II allegedly occurred only on August 12. Presumably the jury's verdict in Count I was based only on the August 11 behavior, but as an appellate court reviewing the record we cannot be absolutely sure. We agree with Colston that based on the way Count I was charged and instructed, the jury's verdict could have been supported by the following multiple acts: (1) B.N.'s testimony that Colston put his penis inside her vagina on August 11; (2) B.N.'s testimony that Colston put his penis inside her vagina on August 12; and (3) B.N.'s testimony that Colston put his finger inside her vagina on August 12. Based on the record, the digital penetration on August 11 did not appear to be a factually separate and distinct act from the penile penetration on that same date. The acts occurred at or near the same time and location without an intervening event between them. However, we find under the specific facts of this case that the digital penetration on August 12 was a factually separate and distinct act from the penile penetration on that same date. Colston had completed the act of penile penetration and the digital penetration appeared to be motivated by a fresh impulse when B.N. asked Colston if she could leave the room to urinate. See, e.g., State v. Zamora, 247 Kan. 684, 693-94, 803 P.2d 568 (1990) (digital penetration followed about 2 minutes later with penile penetration supported two separate counts of rape). Therefore, the rape conviction in Count I involved multiple acts.