Court Opinion

ID: 9776196
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 19:23:12.420382+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:35.682566
License: Public Domain

Arnold-Burger, J.:
Ira Wayne Flynn argues that the jury should have been instructed at his rape trial that he had a reasonable time to cease consensual sexual intercourse once the victim told him to stop. Finding that such an instruction was warranted and had it been given the jury might have acquitted him of rape, we reverse and remand.
Facts
Flynn and A.S. drove together to a party. While at the party, Flynn and A.S. drank alcohol and played games. Flynn testified that he started to feel sick because he had consumed too much alcohol and OxyContin. He wanted to leave, and A.S. offered to give him a ride home. Flynn wanted to drive and A.S. let him. They ended up at the scene of the alleged rape. Flynn testified that they both exited the vehicle and met at the front of the car. They took each other’s clothes off and began to have consensual sex on the hood of the car. Flynn testified A.S. performed consensual oral sex on him. Flynn and A.S. ended up on the ground, and at that point, according to Flynn, A.S. told Flynn to stop and that she did not want to continue on the ground. Flynn did not stop immediately and testified that it took him anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes to stop. A.S. testified that Flynn then forced her to have sex in the backseat of the car. Flynn denied anything happened inside the car. After their final encounter, they both agreed that Flynn put his clothes back on and helped A.S. put her clothes back on.
A.S. testified that the entire encounter between herself and Flynn was nonconsensual and that he raped her three times while she was overcome by force or fear; he forced her to perform oral sex on him; and he took her to the location against her will and forcibly prevented her from leaving once they got there.
After A.S. and Flynn parted company, Flynn continued to drink alcohol. He called A.S. and indicated that he had “ Tucked up’ ” and that he would probably go to jail for 2 years. He later explained *1115at trial that he was on probation for possession of marijuana and he believed his probation would be revoked for drinking and doing drugs. He believed he faced 2 years in jail if his probation was revoked. He explained that he was aware that a rape charge would carry more than 2 years in prison and that he never contemplated that A.S. would claim he raped her. He only feared that it would be discovered he had violated his probation.
Flynn was eventually charged with one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of kidnapping, three counts of rape, and one count of aggravated criminal sodomy.
At Flynn’s trial, after the presentation of State’s witnesses, the trial judge and the parties discussed whether any special jury instructions should be submitted and considered. The trial judge and Flynn’s counsel discussed a special instruction regarding a defendant’s responsibility to cease intercourse within a reasonable time after the victim withdraws her consent. The trial judge indicated that he did not plan to give a special instruction, but if Flynn’s counsel wanted to draft the instruction and request it be given to the juiy, then he would consider it again. Almost immediately thereafter, the trial judge stated that he was not going to give the instruction, because Flynn’s counsel had not specifically requested that the instruction be given. The trial judge said that he would wait to see if the juiy asked a question about it.
That evening, at the close of all the evidence, neither party objected to the juiy instructions suggested, nor did the parties request any additional juiy instructions.
After a 4-day trial, the juiy found Flymi guilty of one count of rape, pertaining to the encounter on the ground in front of the car. He was acquitted of all other charges. He was sentenced to an aggravated sentence of 186 months’ imprisonment.
ANALYSIS

The trial court erred by failing to give an instruction regarding the defendant’s responsibility when the victim withdraws consent during intercourse.

Flynn asserts that the trial court erred when it failed to give the juiy a special instruction, based on State v. Bunyard, 281 Kan. 392, *1116133 P.3d 14 (2006), that a defendant has a reasonable amount of time to end the intercourse after the victim withdraws her consent. Flynn believes that there is a real possibility that the jury’s verdict would have been different if it had been given what has been referred to as the Bunyard instruction.
If there is sufficient evidence to support it, a defendant is entitled to instructions on the law applicable to his or her theory of defense. State v. Hendrix, 289 Kan. 859, 861, 218 P.3d 40 (2009). Evidence of the defendant’s theory of defense can be supported solely by the defendant’s own testimony. State v. Anderson, 287 Kan. 325, 334, 197 P.3d 409 (2008). However, the testimony must be such that, when viewed in the light most favorable to die defendant, a rational fact finder would be justified in finding in accordance with that theory. 287 Kan. 325, Syl. ¶ 1.
Because Flynn did not request or proffer an instruction regarding withdrawal of consent and he did not object to its omission, we apply a clearly erroneous standard of review. See K.S.A. 22-3414(3); State v. Martinez, 288 Kan. 443, 451, 204 P.3d 601 (2009). “An instruction is clearly erroneous only if the reviewing court is firmly convinced there is a real possibility the jury would have rendered a different verdict if the trial error had not occurred.” 288 Kan. at 451-52.
In determining whether an instruction was required and, if given, would have made a difference in this case, a brief review of our Supreme Court’s ruling in Bunyard is in order.
In Bunyard, there was no dispute that the sexual intercourse between the defendant and the victim was initially consensual, but the victim withdrew her consent after the defendant had already penetrated her. The Kansas Supreme Court held “that the defendant should be entitled to a reasonable time in which to act after consent is withdrawn and communicated to the defendant.” 281 Kan. at 414. Moreover, the Bunyard court ruled that, in response to a jury question, “the trial court had a duty to instruct the jury that post-penetration rape can occur under Kansas law and that the defendant has a reasonable time’ to respond to the withdrawal of consent.” 281 Kan. at 415. Furthermore, our Supreme Court held that “[a] treasonable time depends upon-the circum*1117stances of each case and is judged by an objective reasonable person standard to be applied by the trier of fact on a case-by-case basis.” 281 Kan. at 416. Recognizing that it always encourages trial courts to follow the Pattern Instructions for Kansas (PIK) and recognizing that no such instruction existed in PIK for this situation, the Supreme Court outlined with approval responses to jury questions drat had been given in other states under similar circumstances. 281 Kan. at 415-16.
Shortly after Bunyard, the following paragraph was added to the comments section of PIK Crim. 3d 57.01:
“A person may be convicted of rape if consent is withdrawn after the initial consensual penetration but intercourse is continued by the use of force or fear. However, when consent is withdrawn after penetration the defendant is entitled to a reasonable time in which to act after the withdrawn consent is communicated to the defendant. Whether the termination of intercourse occurs within a reasonable time is to be determined by the jury, taking into account the manner in which consent was withdrawn and the particular facts of each case. [Citation omitted.]”
Since Bunyard was decided, this court has recognized that if the facts support a Bunyard instruction one must be given. See State v. Robinson, No. 99,443, 2009 WL 1140256 (Kan. App. 2009), rev. denied 290 Kan. 1102 (2010) (unpublished opinion) (finding that the facts did not support the giving of such an instruction).
Turning back to this case, Flynn testified that at the time he and A.S. ended up on the ground, the sexual encounter was consensual. A.S. told Flynn to stop after they were on the ground by saying, “No. Not on the ground.” Flynn did not stop immediately and testified that it took him anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes to stop. This was consistent with what he told investigators at the time. A.S. testified that at no point during the encounter was there ever consent. This was consistent with what she told investigators at the time. At the conclusion of the State’s case, before Flynn even testified, the trial judge indicated some concern that, based on the evidence, the jury might send out a question regarding withdrawal of consent. Although he indicated he was not familiar with Bunyard, he indicated he would wait and deal with the issue if a juiy question arose. Based on the defendant’s subsequent testimony, as well as his statement to investigators at the time, and the *1118judge’s concern that the jury might be confused, we find that when viewed in the light most favorable to Flynn, a rational fact finder would be justified in finding in accordance with Flynn’s theory of defense; therefore, a Bunyard instruction should have been given in this case.
However, that does not end our inquiry. Because Flynn did not request such an instruction, under the “clearly erroneous” standard, we must next decide whether there was a real possibility that the jury would have rendered a different verdict if the instruction had been given.
The jury convicted Flynn of the rape that occurred on the ground in front of A.S.’s vehicle. This was the only sexual encounter during which Flynn admitted A.S. told him to stop, she did not wish to continue having sex. He also admitted that he did not stop immediately, but instead continued for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Apparently, the jury found Flynn’s testimony generally more credible than A.S.’s testimony because it acquitted Flynn of the remaining counts of rape: one on the hood of the car, which he claimed was consensual and she claimed was not, and one in the backseat of the car, which he claimed never occurred at all. Additionally, Flynn was acquitted of both aggravated kidnapping and kidnapping, the jury presumably finding that die State was unable to prove that Flynn confined A.S. by force or threat with the intent to commit a crime. And finally, the jury acquitted Flynn of the aggravated criminal sodomy or oral sex charge. Although the dissent suggests that in convicting Flynn of only one count of rape the jury may have been simply responding to the multiple charges filed from essentially one continuing sexual encounter, we have to assume that the jurors acted according to the instructions given and considered each crime as separate and distinct, deciding each charge separately on the evidence and law applicable to it, uninfluenced by their decision as to any other charges. See State v. Tyler, 251 Kan. 616, 638, 840 P.2d 413 (1992).
Based on the foregoing, there is reason to believe that if the jury had been given the special Bunyard instruction, the juiy might have acquitted Flynn of the remaining rape charge. Accordingly, *1119we find that the trial court erred when it failed to give the special Bunyard instruction.
Given our holding, the remaining issues raised by Flynn are moot. Flynn’s rape conviction is reversed, and the case is remanded to the district court for a new trial.
# # #