Opinion

State v. Lester

  • 70 N.C. App. 757
  • 321 S.E.2d 166
  • 1984 N.C. App. LEXIS 4020
Court
Court of Appeals of North Carolina
Filed
Oct 16, 1984
Status
Published
Author
Phillips
On the bench
Hedrick, Becton, Phillips
Cited by
4 cases
Authority
More cited than 5.6%

Overruled by State v. Etheridge, 319 N.C. 34 (1987)

Later courts went against this

  • Overruled by State v. Etheridge, 319 N.C. 34 (1987)

    We therefore expressly overrule State v. Lester, 70 N.C. App. 757, 321 S.E. 2d 166, aff’d per curiam, 313 N.C. 595, 330 S.E. 2d 205.
    Supreme Court of North CarolinaFeb 3, 1987Read it

The opinion

Judge Phillips

dissenting.

I dissent from the holding of the majority that the evidence presented was not sufficient to support defendant’s conviction on the rape charge. Two significant circumstances in this case, which were not present in State v. Alston, 310 N.C. 399 , 312 S.E. 2d 470 (1984), where the victim was defendant’s independently situated former girl friend who followed him to their accustomed rendezvous place, are that the child was under defendant’s constant and continuing control and dominion, and the incident occurred where they lived. The first of these circumstances, it seems to me, is a foundation which supports the other evidentiary circumstances and enables them to support each other, and when the jury considered his many cruelties and threats from that base, they were justified, I think, in concluding that the girl submitted to defendant out of fear. In the situation that existed, the threat of force, though implicit, was constant, and having stated that she did not wish to submit, the circumstances did not require her to physically resist.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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