Peck v. State

• Court: Nevada Supreme Court
• Writing for the Court: LEAVITT, J.
• Citation: Peck v. State, 116 Nev. 840, 7 P.3d 470 (Nev. 2000)
• Decision Date: 24 August 2000
• Docket Number: No. 32031.,32031.
• Parties: Frank M. PECK, Appellant, v. The STATE of Nevada, Respondent.

7 P.3d 470

116 Nev. 840

Frank M. PECK, Appellant, v. The STATE of Nevada, Respondent.

No. 32031.

Supreme Court of Nevada.

August 24, 2000.

Amesbury & Schutt, Las Vegas; Law Offices of Lloyd Douglas Dix, LLP, and Julius A. Dix, Calabasas, California, for Appellant.

Frankie Sue Del Papa, Attorney General, Carson City; Richard A. Gammick, District Attorney, and Terrence P. McCarthy, Deputy District Attorney, Washoe County, for Respondent.

BEFORE THE COURT EN BANC.

OPINION

LEAVITT, J.:

Appellant Frank M. Peck was convicted of two counts of sexual assault. His defense at trial was that the sexual encounter with the victim was consensual. On appeal he asserts that the district court erred by: (1) failing to instruct the jury on the lesser-included offense of battery with intent to commit sexual assault and the lesser-related crimes of indecent exposure and open or gross lewdness; (2) denying his motion to suppress evidence obtained after a search of his apartment; and (3) allowing his wife to testify against him. He further claims that his conviction is barred by double jeopardy and the principle of merger of offenses. We have considered appellant's claims and conclude that they lack merit. Therefore, we affirm appellant's conviction.

FACTS

The events leading to the convictions below occurred following a University of Nevada football game in Reno, Nevada. The victim, who had been drinking, was accosted by appellant Frank M. Peck (hereinafter "Peck") as she was urinating under some trees bordering a parking lot near Mackay Stadium. Peck grabbed her around the neck, covered her mouth, and told her that he had a knife and would kill her if she screamed. He dragged her backwards causing her to fall down. According to the victim, Peck digitally assaulted her and then forcibly engaged her in sexual intercourse. She also claimed that, after discontinuing the assault, he masturbated. Peck testified at trial that he approached the victim while she was urinating and admitted digitally penetrating her prior to consensual sexual intercourse. He denied that the victim fell to the ground and claimed they had consensual sexual intercourse while standing up.

While on her back, the victim felt a set of keys on the ground. She took the keys and ran to a friend's house nearby. The police were notified and began an investigation of the incident. The victim and the officers returned to the parking lot where the officers located the automobile. The car was registered to Peck and his wife.

The victim was taken to the hospital for an examination. She had no serious physical injuries, but the nurse noticed that she had leaves and grass in her hair and on her clothing.

Upon arrival at the Peck residence, officers were greeted by Mrs. Peck. She partially opened the door and asked the officers to wait while she retrieved a bathrobe. The evidence is conflicting with regard to the events that followed. The officers testified that Peck's wife invited them to enter the apartment. Mrs. Peck testified that the officers barged in while she was getting her bathrobe. She admitted signing a consent to search form, but claimed the officers told her that if she refused to sign the form, they would get a warrant, return, and tear up the apartment.

The officers testified they asked her if her husband was hiding in the bathroom and she responded, "Yeah." The officers entered the bathroom and found Peck attempting to crawl into a closet. They also found evidence in the bathroom that Peck had shaved his beard after he returned home that night. This evidence was the subject of a motion to suppress, which was denied by the district court.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict at Peck's first trial, and the district court declared a mistrial. Prior to the declaration of mistrial, the jury foreman had completed and signed the jury verdict forms, both forms for guilty and not guilty on both counts and a form which stated that Peck's statements to the police were voluntary. The verdicts were not accepted by the trial judge, the jury was not questioned to determine if the verdicts were unanimous, and they were not recorded in the minutes of the court.

Peck was retried and the jury returned a verdict of guilty on both counts.

DISCUSSION

Instructions to the jury

Peck contends that the district court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on proffered lesser-related or lesser-included offenses. The requested instructions included indecent exposure, open or gross lewdness, and battery with intent to commit sexual assault.

"We have previously held that `[a] defendant in a criminal case is entitled, upon request, to a jury instruction on his theory of the case so long as there is some evidence, no matter how weak or incredible, to support it.'" Harris v. State, 106 Nev. 667, 670, 799 P.2d 1104, 1105-06 (1990) (quoting Roberts v. State, 102 Nev. 170, 172-73, 717 P.2d 1115, 1116 (1986) (quoting Williams v. State, 99 Nev. 530, 531, 665 P.2d 260, 261 (1983))).

This court has held "to determine whether an offense is necessarily included in the offense charged, the test is whether the offense charged cannot be committed without committing the lesser offense." Lisby v. State, 82 Nev. 183, 187, 414 P.2d 592, 594 (1966) (citing State v. Carter, 79 Nev. 146, 379 P.2d 945 (1963); State v. Holm, 55 Nev. 468, 37 P.2d 821 (1935)). Where "there is evidence which would absolve the defendant from guilt of the greater offense or degree but would support a finding of guilt of the lesser offense or degree," an instruction on the lesser-included offense is mandatory even if not requested. Id. at 187, 414 P.2d at 595. However, it is not error to refuse to instruct the jury on an issue that is contrary to the defendant's testimony. Ruland v. State, 102 Nev. 529, 531, 728 P.2d 818, 819 (1986).

Here, a jury instruction on the lesser-included offense of battery with intent to commit sexual assault was inconsistent with Peck's testimony that the sexual encounter was consensual. Thus, the district court did not err in refusing to give the instruction.

In Moore v. State, 105 Nev. 378, 383, 776 P.2d 1235, 1238 (1989), we concluded, "fairness to the defendant requires instructions on related but not necessarily included offenses." We held that a "jury should receive instruction on a lesser-related offense when three conditions are satisfied: (1) the lesser offense is closely related to the offense charged; (2) defendant's theory of defense is consistent with a conviction for the related offense; and (3) evidence of the lesser offense exists." Id. The principle was taken from People v. Geiger, 35 Cal.3d 510, 199 Cal.Rptr. 45, 674 P.2d 1303, 1304 (1984).

Prior to the decision in Moore we held "... if the offense for which the defendant is found guilty is not necessarily included within the offense charged, the conviction is void and must be set aside." McKinnon v. State, 96 Nev. 821-22, 618 P.2d 1222 (1980). See also State v. Carter, 79 Nev. 146, 379 P.2d 945 (1963) where this court held a jury verdict was a nullity and void for purporting to convict a defendant for an offense that was not charged in an information nor necessarily included as a lesser offense.

The California Supreme Court recently overruled Geiger in People v. Birks, 19 Cal.4th 108, 77 Cal.Rptr.2d 848, 960 P.2d 1073 (1998). The court stated, "since Geiger was decided, all arguable federal support for its conclusions has been withdrawn ... and the rationale of that decision has been unequivocally repudiated by the United States Supreme Court." Id. at 1082 (citing Hopkins v. Reeves, 524 U.S. 88, 118 S.Ct. 1895, 141 L.Ed.2d 76 (1998), reh'g denied, 524 U.S. 968, 119 S.Ct. 5, 141 L.Ed.2d 766 (1998); Schmuck v. United States, 489 U.S. 705, 109 S.Ct. 1443, 103 L.Ed.2d 734 (1989)). The Birks court noted that "[t]he Geiger rule contravenes the principle of mutual fairness by giving the defendant substantially greater rights either to require, or to prevent, the consideration of lesser nonincluded offenses than are accorded to the [State], the party specifically responsible for determining the charges." Id. at 1084. Additionally, by allowing convictions only on lesser-included offenses and not on lesser-related offenses both the prosecution and defense will know in advance what elements must be proven at trial, what jury instructions will be available and may prepare accordingly.

Given the recent evolution of the "lesser related" doctrine and our previous holdings on this issue, a reexamination of our decision in Moore is appropriate. We therefore now conclude that allowing instructions on offenses that are not included offenses, but are merely related offenses, makes the fairness of a verdict questionable. To allow a conviction on a crime that the State has not even attempted to prove is not a reliable result, therefore, we expressly overrule Moore as it pertains to the necessity of giving a jury instruction on a lesser-related offense.

In view of our decision, we determine that the district court did not err in refusing to give a jury instruction on the lesser-related offenses of indecent exposure, or open or gross lewdness.

Evidence obtained from appellant's apartment

Peck claims that the entry and search of his apartment was illegal and that the evidence obtained should have been suppressed. There was conflicting evidence presented during the suppression hearing. The police testified that Peck's wife invited them into the apartment and she voluntarily signed a consent to search form. Peck's wife stated that the officers came in when she went to get her bathrobe and she signed the consent form only after the officers threatened that if she did not sign they would obtain a search warrant, return and tear up the apartment. The district court denied the motion to suppress.

"[F]indings of fact in a suppression hearing will not be disturbed on appeal if supported by substantial evidence." Stevenson v. State, 114...