State v. Gray, 4534

• Decision Date: 01 May 1979
• Docket Number: No. 4534,4534
• Citation: 595 P.2d 990,122 Ariz. 445
• Parties: STATE of Arizona, Appellee, v. Robert Dale GRAY, Appellant.
• Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Page 990

595 P.2d 990

122 Ariz. 445

STATE of Arizona, Appellee, v. Robert Dale GRAY, Appellant.

No. 4534.

Supreme Court of Arizona, In Banc.

May 1, 1979.

Rehearing Denied June 5, 1979.

John A. LaSota, Jr., Former Atty. Gen., Robert K. Corbin, Atty. Gen. by William J. Schafer III and Gerald R. Grant, Asst. Attys. Gen., Phoenix, for appellee.

Ross P. Lee, Maricopa County Public Defender by Joel M. Glynn, Deputy Public Defender, Phoenix, for appellant.

HAYS, Justice.

This is an appeal by Robert Dale Gray from his convictions of second degree rape and of lewd and lascivious acts, and from his concurrent sentences of fifty to sixty years in prison for the rape and four and one-half to five years for the lewd and lascivious acts. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 17A A.R.S. Supreme Court Rules, rule 47(e)(5). We must address six issues:

1. Whether A.R.S. § 13-611(B) denies Gray equal protection of the law;

2. Whether the court erred by instructing the jury and submitting a form of verdict on second degree rape;

3. Whether the court erred by giving an instruction on flight;

4. Whether Gray's sentence for second degree rape is excessive;

5. Whether the court erred by failing to credit Gray's sentence with time spent in presentence incarceration; and

6. Whether the record accurately reports Gray's sentence for lewd and lascivious acts.

Gray claims that his conviction of second degree rape under A.R.S. § 13-611(B) violated his constitutional right to equal protection of the laws, since the statute prohibits consensual intercourse by an adult male with a minor female but not by an adult female with a minor male.

In sustaining legislatively created classifications, the reviewing court must find that they are not patently arbitrary and that they bear at least a rational relationship to a legitimate governmental interest. Frontiero v. Richardson, 411 U.S. 677, 683, 93 S.Ct. 1764, 1768, 36 L.Ed.2d 583, 589 (1973). There are, however, some classifications described as inherently suspect that require more than a rational basis. Classifications based on race, alienage and national origin are subject to close scrutiny requiring a compelling state interest in their formulation to be constitutionally permissible. Graham v. Richardson, 403 U.S. 365, 91 S.Ct. 1848, 29 L.Ed.2d 534 (1971); Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1, 87 S.Ct. 1817, 18 L.Ed.2d 1010 (1967).

Although a plurality in Frontiero v. Richardson, supra, would have also required a compelling state interest when a classification is based on gender, that position was apparently abandoned in Craig v. Boren, 429 U.S. 190, 97 S.Ct. 451, 50 L.Ed.2d 397 (1976). There the Court applied a middle-tier approach holding that any distinction in treatment based on gender must be substantially related to the achievement of an important governmental objective. Id. U.S. at 197, 97 S.Ct. at 457, 50 L.Ed.2d at 407. We therefore must determine whether our second degree rape statute serves an important governmental purpose and whether its limitation of protection to minor females is substantially related to that purpose. ^*

Our statute, A.R.S. § 13-611, was adopted from a California statute, Cal.Pen.Code § 261 (West). The California Legislature enacted that statute primarily to prevent unwanted pregnancies in females under the statutory age, along with all the attendant psychological, medical, sociological, and moral problems including, more recently, questions of whether to have an abortion. People v. McKellar, 81 Cal.App.3d 367, 146 Cal.Rptr. 327 (1978). We think that the same objective must have been at least one of the reasons for the adoption of the statute by our legislature, and we think such an objective cannot be characterized as anything but important.

Next, we must determine whether providing protection only to females is substantially related to that governmental objective. Although young persons of either sex may experience psychological injury from sexual intercourse with an adult, only the young female is likely to suffer physical injury, and certainly only she may become pregnant. The young male simply is not as likely to be injured nor can he be injured to the same extent as a young female. Limiting protection to young females is therefore substantially related to the purpose of the statute. The statute is constitutional. The weight of authority clearly supports our reasoning and holding. E. g., People v. McKellar, supra; State v. Brothers, 384 A.2d 402 (Del.Super.1978); State v. Rundlett, 391 A.2d 815 (Me.1978); State v. Thompson, 162 N.J.Super. 302, 392 A.2d 678 (1978).

SECOND DEGREE RAPE INSTRUCTION

Gray was charged with violating A.R.S. § 13-611(A), first degree rape. Following the presentation of evidence, the court instructed the jury and gave it a form of verdict on second degree rape, pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-611(B). Gray alleges error.

We recognize that procedural due process requires notice of the charge and an opportunity to be heard in defense thereof. State v. Klem,108 Ariz. 349, 350, 498 P.2d 216, 217 (1972). We also acknowledge that an accused charged under A.R.S. § 13-611(A) may be taken by surprise if the proof offered brings him within A.R.S. § 13-611(B) and a form of verdict is submitted thereon, even though both sections are merely different circumstances in which the crime of rape may be committed. State v. Klem, supra. However, if the accused has received notice of such a possibility in time to defend, he is not prejudiced by its occurrence. State v. Carrico, 116 Ariz. 547, 570 P.2d 489 (1977); State v. Klem, supra.

The victim testified at the preliminary hearing that she was seventeen years old. Gray was therefore on notice at that time that another part of the rape statute was applicable. He was not denied due process.

FLIGHT INSTRUCTION

The court instructed the jury on the implications permissible from evidence of flight by the defendant. Gray claims this was error since a flight instruction was unsupported by any evidence before the jury. We disagree.

In Arizona, a flight instruction is proper if the evidence supports a reasonable inference that there was flight upon immediate pursuit or if the evidence supports the inference that the defendant concealed or attempted to conceal himself. State v. Garcia, 102 Ariz. 468, 433 P.2d 18 (1967); State v. Shields, 26 Ariz.App. 121, 546 P.2d 846 (1976).

The trial transcript shows that after Gray had intercourse with the victim, he left the apartment through a kitchen window. He was seen leaving and was pursued by a neighbor. He got away by speeding through a residential area with his lights turned off. Police officers were called but were unable to locate Gray at his apartment or at his place of employment where a paycheck was waiting. About three months later he was found and arrested. We think the evidence before the jury was more than enough to justify a flight instruction.

EXCESSIVENESS OF SENTENCE

This allegation of error is twofold. First, Gray claims that the court's denial of his motion to supplement his presentence report was an abuse of discretion. We think not.

Gray initially claimed there were errors in the presentence report. The court asked him if he wanted a hearing at which he could question the probation officer who made the report, and if so, whom did he want to be present. Gray responded that he did want the hearing but he wished to question only the officer. At the hearing Gray questioned the probation officer to establish that the report was in error by showing that he had been paroled twice rather than once but, on the other hand, that he had three convictions instead of two. Gray also asked the officer if he had interviewed anyone for a personal reference. The officer responded in the negative recalling that Gray had given him no such references indicating he had no close personal contacts with anyone. Gray moved for an order to require the officer to supplement the report by interviewing Gray's ex-landlady whom he had known for about six months. The court refused, ruling that Gray should have provided the references to the investigator before the hearing. The court also found that Gray had read the report two days before and had made no objection at that time nor had he indicated to the court or counsel before the hearing that he wanted any further investigation.

Gray was given the opportunity to obtain whatever personal reference his former landlady might have given him: he could have given her name as a personal reference to the probation officer when he was interviewed instead of affirmatively misleading him; he could have asked the court for the order when he first read the report; he could have asked the court to have the landlady testify at the hearing rather than indicating he wanted to question only the officer. In view of the entire record, we conclude that the court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion.

Gray also argues that his sentence of fifty to sixty years for second degree rape is excessive. We disagree. We have consistently held that if the sentence imposed is within statutory limits it will not be reduced unless there is a clear abuse of discretion and that the court should take into account both the crime before it and the past conduct and moral character of the defendant so that the punishment may fit the offense and the offender. State v. Myers, 117 Ariz. 79, 90, 570 P.2d 1252, 1263 (1977), Cert. denied, 435 U.S. 928, 98 S.Ct. 1498, 55 L.Ed.2d 524 (1978). The statutorily authorized maximum sentence for second degree rape is life in prison. A.R.S. § 13-614(B). In addition to the rape in question, Gray had three prior convictions one for armed robbery and two for forcible rape. The court did not abuse its discretion.

PRESENTENCE INCARCERATION TIME

Gray was incarcerated for about seven months before he was sentenced. The court sentenced him to fifty to sixty years for the rape conviction and four and one-half to five years...