Ebeling v. State
Decision Date | 15 June 2004 |
Docket Number | No. 38315.,38315. |
Parties | Gregg E. EBELING, Appellant, v. The STATE of Nevada, Respondent. |
Court | Nevada Supreme Court |
Michael R. Specchio, Public Defender, and Cheryl D. Bond, Deputy Public Defender, Washoe County, for Appellant.
Brian Sandoval, Attorney General, Carson City; Richard A. Gammick, District Attorney, and Gary H. Hatlestad, Deputy District Attorney, Washoe County, for Respondent.
Before BECKER, AGOSTI and GIBBONS, JJ.
Appellant Gregg E. Ebeling was convicted of multiple counts arising from sexual acts involving five minor victims. Ebeling contends that his convictions for sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under the age of fourteen arising from one instance of anal penetration are redundant and the lewdness conviction must be reversed. Ebeling also asserts that only one conviction can result from a single act of indecent exposure regardless of the number of persons who viewed the act.1
We conclude that a defendant cannot be convicted of both sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under the age of fourteen when those convictions involve a single act. We also conclude that NRS 201.220 allows for only one charge of indecent exposure, regardless of the number of victims. Therefore, we vacate one conviction of lewdness with a minor under the age of fourteen and one conviction of indecent exposure. We remand this case to the district court for resentencing in accordance with this opinion.
The State charged Gregg E. Ebeling with four counts of sexual assault, seven counts of lewdness with a child under fourteen, one count of attempted sexual assault, and three counts of indecent exposure. Following a lengthy jury trial, the jury convicted Ebeling on all fifteen charges. The district court sentenced Ebeling to eleven life sentences with the possibility of parole after eighty years.
Redundant convictions
Before trial, the district court filed an order stating that Ebeling could not be convicted of both sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under the age of fourteen as alleged by the State in counts twelve and fourteen, because those charges are based on a single incident. The information alleged in count twelve that Ebeling committed sexual assault by engaging in anal intercourse with W.C. Count fourteen alleged that Ebeling committed lewdness with a minor under the age of fourteen by placing his penis on W.C.'s buttocks.
At trial, W.C. testified that Ebeling showered with him, and during that shower, Ebeling performed anal sex on him. W.C. also indicated that Ebeling's penis touched W.C.'s buttocks just before it penetrated his anus. Based on this testimony, the jury convicted Ebeling of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under the age of fourteen as alleged in counts twelve and fourteen. Despite the pretrial order, the district court sentenced Ebeling to life in the Nevada State Prison with the possibility of parole after ten years for the lewdness with a minor under the age of fourteen conviction, and to life in the Nevada State prison with parole eligibility after twenty years for the sexual assault conviction.
Multiple indecent exposure charges
The State alleged in the information that Ebeling indecently exposed himself to N.E. and F.P. at the Peppermill Hotel and Casino (Peppermill) located in Reno, Nevada. The allegations involved one act witnessed by both N.E. and F.P.
At trial, N.E. testified that around January 2000, a pipe broke at Ebeling's house. As a result, Ebeling, F.P., and N.E. spent the night at the Peppermill. F.P. and N.E. testified that while they were in their room at the Peppermill, Ebeling exposed his penis to them. The jury found Ebeling guilty of two counts of indecent exposure for this incident at the Peppermill. The district court sentenced Ebeling to twelve months in the Washoe County Jail for each indecent exposure conviction.
Ebeling contends that the district court erred in sentencing him on both the sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under the age of fourteen convictions involving the shower incident. We agree.
"When a defendant receives multiple convictions based on a single act, this court will reverse `redundant convictions that do not comport with legislative intent.'"2 "[M]ultiple convictions for lewdness and sexual assault based on the same act would not comport with legislative intent and would be unlawful ...."3 The State argues that Ebeling's penis rubbing against W.C. is a separate act of lewdness and is distinct from Ebeling's insertion of his penis into W.C.'s anus. The testimony does not support such a conclusion. The record reflects the touching of the buttocks was incidental to the penetration, not a separate act.4 We conclude the convictions for sexual assault and lewdness arising from this incident are redundant and count fourteen, Ebeling's lewdness with a minor conviction, should be reversed.
Ebeling also contends that the district court erred in sentencing him on two counts of indecent exposure for the simultaneous exposure of his penis to F.P. and N.E. at the Peppermill. We agree.
Whether NRS 201.220(1) permits multiple charges based on a single incident is an issue of first impression for this court. The United States Supreme Court has held that "[w]hether a particular course of conduct involves one or more distinct `offenses' under the statute depends on" the legislative intent.5 "The construction of a statute is a question of law subject to review de novo."6 If a statute is unambiguous, we look to the statute's plain meaning.7 "[A] court should normally presume that a legislature did not intend multiple punishments for the same offense absent a clear expression of legislative intent to the contrary ...."8 Criminal statutes must be "strictly construed and resolved in favor of the defendant."9
Ebeling was convicted of two counts of indecent exposure for his act at the Peppermill pursuant to NRS 201.220(1).
NRS 201.220(1) provides:
In Young v. State, we held that 10
NRS 201.220(1) provides a sanction for indecently exposing oneself. A violation of NRS 201.220(1) does not require that the indecent...
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...that a conviction violates the Double Jeopardy Clause generally is subject to de novo review on appeal.”). See Ebeling v. State, 120 Nev. 401, 404, 91 P.3d 599, 601 (2004) (reviewing de novo a redundancy challenge to multiple convictions for an assertedly single offense).A.1. The Double Jeo......
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