Opinion ID: 1309189
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: proof of the defendant's age

Text: The defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a directed verdict because the State failed to prove the defendant's exact age. He claims proof of age was a material element of the offense. The exact age of the defendant is not an essential element of the crime of third degree sexual assault. Under W.Va. Code, 61-8B-5, the elements of the offense are that the defendant must be over sixteen years of age and at least four years older than the victim who must be less than sixteen years of age. [10] The State's proof was that the victim was under sixteen years of age being of the age of fourteen. The other element to be proved was that the defendant was more than four years older than the victim, i.e. over eighteen. The State argues that it met the second statutory requirement by having the victim testify that he believed the defendant's age to be between forty and fifty. It was also shown that the defendant was a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and that the minimum age for membership for that position is eighteen. W.Va. Const. art. IV, § 4. Finally, the State argues that the defendant was present in the courtroom and the jury had the opportunity to evaluate his age. We view this as relevant particularly where exact age was not required to be proved but only that the defendant was eighteen or over. The defendant cites State v. Spielman, 105 W.Va. 370, 142 S.E. 523 (1928), which involved a prosecution for statutory rape and the question of whether the victim's age as being under sixteen had been proved. We held that the uncontradicted testimony of the victim as to her age, although in the nature of hearsay, was competent to go to the jury. There was also additional evidence as to her age from her mother and father. The Supreme Court of Nebraska in State v. Lauritsen, 199 Neb. 816, 261 N.W.2d 755 (1978), has discussed the proof of age question in a sexual offense case where the defendant had to be shown to be at least eighteen years of age. At trial, there was no estimate of the defendant's age by any witness, but the court noted he was observed by the jury. There was some peripheral evidence that he visited a tavern and purchased beer and that he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The court noted that under Nebraska law one had to be at least nineteen years of age to purchase alcoholic beverages and there was evidence to show that one had to be eighteen to join the Klan. In holding that there was sufficient evidence to carry the question to the jury, the court summarized the law as follows: It is uniformly the rule that a defendant's physical appearance may be considered by the jury in determining his or her age. See, II Wigmore on Evidence, § 222, pp. 5, 6 (3d Ed. 1940); Torres v. State, 521 P.2d 386 (Alaska, 1974); State v. Hemmenway, 80 S.D. 153, 120 N.W.2d 561 (1963); State v. Fries, 246 Wis. 521, 17 N.W.2d 578 (1945). It has been held, however, that the jury may not fix the age of the defendant by merely observing him during the trial; and that there must be some other evidence in conjunction with the appearance of the defendant. See, Slocum v. People, 120 Colo. 86, 207 P.2d 970 (1949); People v. Grizzle, 381 Ill. 278, 44 N.E.2d 917 (1942); Commonwealth v. Hines, 282 Ky. 791, 140 S.W.2d 386 (1940). 199 Neb. at 819, 261 N.W.2d at 757. We conclude that where the exact age is not required to be proved, the defendant's physical appearance may be considered by the jury in determining age but that there must be some additional evidence suggesting the defendant's age. Although the State was rather careless in presenting evidence on the age element in the present case, we believe there was sufficient evidence to carry the question to the jury and, consequently, we find no error.