Court Opinion

ID: 9853957
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:58:20.544282+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:24.343940
License: Public Domain

BOYLE, Justice,
specially concurring.
I write specially to express my concurrence in the majority opinion that mistake of the victim’s age is not a defense to the crime of statutory rape. Statutory rape is a crime with a unique history and is a recognized exception to the principle that the accused must intend to commit each element of the crime charged. Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246, 251, 72 S.Ct. 240, 244, 96 L.Ed. 288 (1952).
In my opinion the issue presented to us on appeal can be resolved by simply holding that mistake of the victim’s age is not a defense to the crime of statutory rape. It is not necessary that we place this unique *411crime into a general or specific intent crime category or analyze the effect of mens rea or make a distinction between acts mala in se and acts mala prohibita as those principles relate to statutory rape. If I felt it necessary to make an analysis of general and specific intent distinctions I would urge adoption of the language used by Judge Burnett in his special concurring opinion in State v. McDougall, 113 Idaho 900, 749 P.2d 1025 (Ct.App.1988). However, I do not feel that is necessary in resolving this case and it is sufficient to conclude that mistake of the victim’s age is not a defense to statutory rape. The legislature’s adoption of I.C. § 18-201(1) does not change this well-established principle of law as applied to statutory rape. Accordingly, I concur in the result for the reasons stated herein.