Court Opinion

ID: 9721505
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 09:01:08.077305+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:26.713499
License: Public Domain

REGAN, Acting P. J
I respectfully dissent. While I abhor the occurrence of any lewd acts in our community, I cannot support a conviction of defendant under Penal Code section 288, subdivision (b), “by use of force.” There is no question in my mind that defendant was properly convicted of section 288, subdivision (a), having committed a lewd or lascivious act “upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child under the age of 14 years, ...” But there is no showing of force used in this case to support a conviction under subdivision (b).
Notwithstanding the majority’s analysis compelling the conclusion the prosecution need not prove a child resisted the lewd act, and aside from the conclusion defendant may have fraudulently induced the children to play, either in order to commit the lewd act or to facilitate the lewd act, the facts do not demonstrate defendant used force to commit the act. By using this case to decide the resistance question, the majority posits a standard where virtually any physical touching constitutes force. We might as well deem any violation of subdivision (a) to be automatically a violation of subdivision (b). In fact, if one were to follow this case, even the most clinical of touching, incidents, with any holding or other contact of the child’s nonprivate parts, would constitute a violation of subdivision (b). Wherefore now is subdivision (a)?
I cannot agree with the majority’s reasoning in toto. I do agree that the plausible purpose of the 1981 amendment of subdivision (b) deleting the language “against the will,” was to eliminate the requirement for the prosecution to prove resistance by the victim. This conclusion is supported by evidence of legislative intent and by the evolution of the law of rape. Even so, however, the majority concludes the prosecution must still show the lewd act was undertaken against the will of the victim if the victim suffered no physical harm. That requirement, it is stated, may be met by circumstantial proof that enough force was used to reasonably demonstrate the lewd act was undertaken against the will of the victim.
That conclusion is misguided. It writes back into the subdivision precisely what the Legislature wrote out of the subdivision, so that the majority may in turn rest the conviction on the question of “knowing consent.” I believe *488the Legislature simply recognized the lewd act in subdivision (a) need not be against the will, and thus, it need not be in the use of force under subdivision (b). In fact, under the plain language of the statute, the act in subdivision (b) can be committed with knowing consent and still be a violation of the subdivision, if force is used. Force is limited to something the perpetrator applies; it is independent of the actions or thoughts of the under-14-year-old victim.
I cannot agree “knowing consent” by a minor under 14 years of age who is “capable” of such consent is an affirmative defense to an alleged violation of subdivision (b), “by use of force.” It is not an affirmative defense to subdivision (a), and cannot be one to subdivision (b). In any case, consent must be gauged to the act, not to force. Does the majority suppose a child can consent to force, but not the act? In my mind, the statute creates a protected class under the age of 14, and the act, if done with force, is a violation of subdivision (b) regardless of “knowing consent,” “against the will,” or whether the victim resisted. Nothing in the majority’s analysis of these questions, with which I agree in part and disagree in part, provides the definition of force needed for a conviction of subdivision (b).
I believe the best test would be simply to require the trier of fact to determine what is substantially different and/or substantially greater force than necessary to commit the lewd act itself. There is no danger of finding too great a penalty on those “far less culpable,” as the majority fears. Under this test, I do not see how the facts of the instant case would ever warrant the conclusion defendant’s holding the girls while playing was either substantially different from or substantially greater than what would be required to have committed the lewd act in the first place.
I would reverse the conviction of subdivision (b).
Appellant’s petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied September 19, 1984. Kaus, J., Broussard, J., and Reynoso, J., were of the opinion that the petition should be granted.