Court Opinion

ID: 9790379
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 01:52:22.462434+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:29.265643
License: Public Domain

Lockett, J.,
dissenting: I respectfully dissent from the majority’s expansion of the finding in State v. Moppin, 245 Kan. 639, 783 P.2d 878 (1989), that oral-genital stimulation by the tongue of the male, without penetration, of the female external sex organ is not included in the definition of sodomy found in K.S.A. 21-3501(2). See State v. Crawford, 247 Kan. 223, 795 P.2d 401 (1990), for a complete discussion of the majority’s interpretation of State v. Moppin. _
The elements of sodomy and ways that the crime of sodomy may be committed have varied with the terms used by the legislature in defining the offense. Sodomy was originally defined as “a crime against nature.” G.S. 1868, ch. 31, § 231 stated, “Every person who shall be cónvicted of the detestable and abominable crime against nature, committed with mankind or with beast, shall be punished by confinement and hard labor not exceeding ten years.” In 1969 the legislature expanded “the crime against nature” by enacting the offense of sodomy. K.S.A. 21-3505 (Weeks). The offense of sodomy was defined as “oral or anal copulation between persons who are not husband and wife or consenting adult members of the opposite sex, or between a person and an animal, or coitus with an animal.” In 1983 the legislature again expanded the crime of sodomy. K.S.A. 21-3501(2) states:
“ ‘Sodomy’ means oral or anal copulation; oral or anal copulation or sexual intercourse between a person and an animal; or any penetration of the anal opening by any body part or object. Any penetration, however slight, is sufficient to constitute sodomy.”
Aggravated criminal sodomy is sodomy with a child who is not married to the offender and is under the age of 16 years. K.S.A. 21-3506.
California’s statute which sets out the unlawful acts of sexual intercourse, penetration by foreign object or substance, oral copulation, and sodomy is similar to our sodomy statute, K.S.A. 21-3501(2). The California criminal statute states:
“Every person who induces any other person, except the spouse of the perpetrator, to engage in sexual intercourse, penetration of the genital or anal openings by a foreign object, substance, instrument, or device, oral *248copulation, or sodomy when his or her consent is procured by false.-or fraudulent representation or pretense that is made with the intent to create fear, and which does induce fear, and that would cause a reasonable person in like circumstances to act contrary to the person’s free will, and does cause the victim to so act, is punishable by imprisonment . . . .” Cal. Penal Code § 266c (West 1988).
The California code defines sodomy and oral copulation:
“Sodomy; punishment
(a) Sodomy is sexual conduct consisting of contact between the penis of one person and the anus of another person.’’ Cal. Penal Code § 286 (West 1988).
“Oral copulation; punishment
(a) Oral copulation is the act of copulating the mouth of one person with, the sexual organ or anus of another person.” Cal. Penal Code. § 288a (West 1988).
California courts have determined that the “crime against nature,” as contemplated by a statute relating to sex perversion, is the perverted act of uniting the mouth of one participant with the sexual organ of the other, with a view of gratifying sexual desire, and a mere kiss or lick of the private organ, even though lewdly done, is not a “copulation” within the statute. Cal. Penal Code § 288a (West 1988). The word “copulate has had primarily an unvarying significance, to wit, the act of gratifying sexual desire by the union of the sexual organs of two biological entities.” People v. Angier, 44 Cal. App. 2d 417, 419, 112 P.2d 659 (1941).
The word “copulation” has never had the meaning of mere contact and has always had the significance of the verb “to couple,” which is an English derivative of the Latin “copulare,” translated as “to couple, join, unite, band or tie together.” The Latin noun “copula” is translated as “that which joins together, as a band, tie or leash.” The English word “copulation” has no other significance than that of uniting in sexual intercourse, and its popular significance is the union of the sexes in the generative act. People v. Angier, 44 Cal. App. 2d at 419.
When amending K.S.A. 21-3501(2), our legislature expanded the crime of sodomy and intended that one of the methods of committing sodomy is by oral copulation. To commit the crime of oral copulation, the sodomy statute requires that the sex organ of at least one of the parties must be involved. The sex organ may be either the male or female sex organ. Oral copulation— *249construed as sodomy — includes cunnilingus, if the tongue penetrates the female sex organ, and fellatio, if the male sex organ penetrates the mouth.
I would affirm the trial court.
Miller, C.J., joins in the foregoing dissenting opinion.