Court Opinion

ID: 9784454
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 20:45:28.742489+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:35:54.832442
License: Public Domain

KITE, Justice,
specially concurring.
[¶ 24] I concur with the majority decision in this matter because I believe this Court’s precedent mandates it. However, the issue of the constitutionality of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-3-105 (LexisNexis 2003) is a perennial one. The potential for abuse of the statute exists and may, in the proper circumstances, result in a different conclusion. While the appellant in this case has not provided a record supporting his contention of unequal application of the indecent liberties statute, the possibility of the problems outlined in the dissenting opinion exists. There may be conduct that should be prohibited, but is left unaddressed in the current sexual assault statutes. Thus, a statute to address that conduct is desirable. Indeed, other states’ statutes address those problems with greater clarity, thus avoiding constitutional challenges. See for instance Colo.Rev.Stat. §§ 18-3-401 to 405.3 (2001); Mont.Code Ann. § 45-5-625 (2001); Alaska Stat. §§ 11.41.434, 11.41.436, 11.41.438, 11.41.440 (LexisNexis 2001).
[¶ 25] Regardless, it is not the province of the courts to legislate. Therefore, I write separately to urge the legislature to consider the issues raised in the dissent and revise the statute to eliminate the inconsistency between sexual assault and indecent liberties, thus reducing the potential for differing opinions with regard to what constitutes a criminal act.
[¶26] Additionally, with regard to this statute, I foresee difficulties and potential jury confusion that may be caused by the instruction suggested by the majority opinion in Giles v. State, 2004 WY 101, 96 P.3d 1027, (Wyo.2004), regarding consent. There seems to be little room to reconcile the current statutes and our precedent, which requires the jury to ignore consent if the alleged victim is under the age of sixteen, yet consider the “totality of the circumstances.”