State v. Guess

THIS OPINION HAS NO PRECEDENTIAL VALUE.  IT
SHOULD NOT BE CITED OR RELIED ON AS PRECEDENT IN ANY PROCEEDING EXCEPT AS PROVIDED
BY RULE 239(d)(2), SCACR.

THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

In The Court of Appeals

The State,       
Respondent,

v.

Patrick Guess,       
Appellant.

Appeal From Richland County

Henry F. Floyd, Circuit Court Judge

Unpublished Opinion No. 2004-UP-399

Submitted May 12, 2004 – Filed June 22, 2004

AFFIRMED

Assistant Appellate Defender Aileen P. Clare, of Columbia,
for Appellant.

Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney
General John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Charles H. Richardson,
all of Columbia; and Solicitor Warren Blair Giese, of Columbia; for Respondent.

PER CURIAM:  Patrick Guess was convicted
of second-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC) with a minor and sentenced to
twelve years imprisonment.  Guess’s appeal was originally filed pursuant to
Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967).  After reviewing the record
and briefs pursuant to Anders, this Court found the only issues of arguable
merit were whether assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature (ABHAN)
was a lesser-included offense of second-degree CSC with a minor, and, if so,
whether the trial judge erred in failing to charge the jury on the lesser-included
offense.  The parties have re-briefed these issues, which are the only issues
considered on appeal.  We affirm.
[1]

FACTS

The State presented evidence at
trial that eighteen-year-old Guess lured his fourteen-year-old neighbor (Victim)
to an abandoned house and sexually assaulted her.  Victim testified that Guess
grabbed her wrist when he led her to the abandoned house, and there he penetrated
her vagina during the assault.   Victim further testified that Guess repeatedly
inserted his penis into her vagina and subsequently ejaculated on the ground. 
Semen collected from Victim’s underwear was confirmed through DNA testing to
be a positive match to Guess.  However, a medical examination of Victim was
inconclusive as to penetration.   Guess did not testify at trial.  However,
in his statement to police and in a conversation with Victim’s mother, Guess
denied sexually assaulting or even touching Victim.  

At the close of the evidence, Guess requested a
charge of ABHAN as a lesser-included offense of second-degree CSC with a minor. 
The court denied the request, and Guess was ultimately convicted of second-degree
CSC with a minor and sentenced to twelve years imprisonment.  Guess appeals. 

LAW/ANALYSIS

Guess argues the trial court erred in failing
to charge the jury on the law of ABHAN because it is a lesser-included offense
of second-degree CSC with a minor.  Even assuming ABHAN is a lesser-included
offense of second-degree CSC with a minor, the evidence did not support the
requested instruction.  See Moultrie v. State, 354 S.C. 646,
648, 583 S.E.2d 436, 437 (2003) (implicitly recognizing ABHAN as a lesser-included
offense of CSC with a minor).  Thus, we find no error.

The law charged to the jury is determined by
the evidence presented at trial.  State v. Blurton, 352 S.C. 203, 207,
573 S.E.2d 802, 804 (2002).  With regard to lesser-included offenses, “[t]he
trial judge is required to charge the jury on a lesser[-]included offense
if there is evidence from which it could be inferred that the defendant committed
the lesser rather than the greater offense.”  State v. Murphy, 322
S.C. 321, 325, 471 S.E.2d 739, 741 (Ct. App. 1996).  In other words, “where
there is no evidence to support a finding that the defendant was guilty of
the lesser offense, there can be no error in the failure to charge the lesser
offense.”  State v. Gadsden, 314 S.C. 229, 232, 442 S.E.2d 594, 596-97
(1994).  This Court cannot reverse the trial court’s refusal to give a requested
jury instruction unless the refusal was both erroneous and prejudicial.  State
v. Burkhart, 350 S.C. 252, 263, 565 S.E.2d 298, 304 (2002); State v.
Harrison, 343 S.C. 165, 173, 539 S.E.2d 71, 75 (Ct. App. 2000). 

Second-degree CSC with a minor is statutorily
defined as the sexual battery of a minor between the ages of eleven and fourteen
years old.  S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-655(2) (2003).  ABHAN, however, is an “unlawful
act of violent injury accompanied by circumstances of aggravation.”  State
v. Fennell, 340 S.C. 266, 274, 531 S.E.2d 512, 516 (2000).  “Circumstances
of aggravation include the use of a deadly weapon, the intent to commit a
felony, infliction of serious bodily injury, great disparity in the ages or
physical conditions of the parties, a difference in gender, the purposeful
infliction of shame and disgrace, taking indecent liberties or familiarities
with a female, and resistance to lawful authority.”  State v. Primus,
349 S.C. 576, 580-81, 564 S.E.2d 103, 105-06 (2002). 

In the present case, there is nothing
in the record that could support a charge of ABHAN.  Guess not only verbally
denied touching Victim, but in his statement to police, he denied having sex
with her at all.  At trial, Guess’s counsel contended, “it could be argued
that [Guess and Victim] were together, and there was no penetration but a
sexual battery.”  Sexual battery, however, is an element of second-degree
CSC with a minor.  As the trial judge correctly stated, “either sexual intercourse
occurred or it did not.”   If no sexual battery occurred, Guess would simply
be found not guilty of second-degree CSC with a minor.  The evidence does
not otherwise support a charge of ABHAN.

Under the evidence presented at trial, we conclude
the jury could not have inferred Guess took indecent liberties or familiarities
with the female victim – an aggravating circumstance that would support a
conviction for ABHAN – without finding him guilty of second-degree CSC with
a minor.  See Moultrie, 354 S.C. at 648, 583 S.E.2d at 437 (“Under
the evidence presented, respondent was guilty of a sexual battery or no battery
at all.  In such a case, the defendant is not entitled to a charge of ABHAN
as a lesser-included offense of CSCM.”).  Because there was no evidence to
support ABHAN, the trial court did not err in declining to charge ABHAN.

CONCLUSION

Based upon the foregoing, Guess’s
conviction and sentence are

AFFIRMED.

HEARN, C.J., STILWELL, J. and
CURETON, A.J., concur.

[1] We decide this case without oral argument pursuant to Rule 215, SCACR.