MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2023 Regular Session
To: Judiciary A
By: Representatives McLean, Arnold, Carpenter, Darnell, Owen
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 97-3-69, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE EVIDENTIARY REQUIREMENTS FOR RAPE TRIALS; TO REPEAL SECTION 97-3-99, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDES FOR SPOUSAL RAPE; TO AMEND SECTION 97-3-65, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING SECTION; TO AMEND SECTION 97-3-68, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDES THE EVIDENTIARY PROCEDURES FOR RAPE PROSECUTIONS TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING PROVISIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 97-3-71, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THE ELEMENTS OF THE CRIME OF RAPE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 97-3-69, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
97-3-69. In the trial of
all cases under * * * Section 97-3-68, no person shall be convicted
upon the uncorroborated testimony of the injured * * * person.
SECTION 2. Section 97-3-99, Mississippi Code of 1972, which provides for spousal rape, is repealed.
SECTION 3. Section 97-3-65, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
97-3-65. (1) The crime of statutory rape is committed when:
(a) Any person seventeen (17) years of age or older has sexual intercourse with a child who:
(i) Is at least fourteen (14) but under sixteen (16) years of age;
(ii) Is thirty-six (36) or more months younger than the person; and
(iii) Is not the person's spouse; or
(b) A person of any age has sexual intercourse with a child who:
(i) Is under the age of fourteen (14) years; and
(ii) Is twenty-four
(24) or more months younger than the person * * *.
* * *
(2) Neither the victim's consent nor the victim's lack of chastity is a defense to a charge of statutory rape.
(3) Upon conviction for statutory rape, the defendant shall be sentenced as follows:
(a) If eighteen (18) years of age or older, but under twenty-one (21) years of age, and convicted under subsection (1)(a) of this section, to imprisonment for not more than five (5) years in the State Penitentiary or a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or both;
(b) If twenty-one (21) years of age or older and convicted under subsection (1)(a) of this section, to imprisonment of not more than thirty (30) years in the State Penitentiary or a fine of not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or both, for the first offense, and not more than forty (40) years in the State Penitentiary for each subsequent offense;
(c) If eighteen (18) years of age or older and convicted under subsection (1)(b) of this section, to imprisonment for life in the State Penitentiary or such lesser term of imprisonment as the court may determine, but not less than twenty (20) years;
(d) If thirteen (13) years of age or older but under eighteen (18) years of age and convicted under subsection (1)(a) or (1)(b) of this section, such imprisonment, fine or other sentence as the court, in its discretion, may determine.
(4) (a) Every person who shall have forcible sexual intercourse with any person, or who shall have sexual intercourse not constituting forcible sexual intercourse or statutory rape with any person without that person's consent by administering to such person any substance or liquid which shall produce such stupor or such imbecility of mind or weakness of body as to prevent effectual resistance, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned for life in the State Penitentiary if the jury by its verdict so prescribes; and in cases where the jury fails to fix the penalty at life imprisonment, the court shall fix the penalty at imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for any term as the court, in its discretion, may determine.
(b) This subsection (4) shall apply whether the perpetrator is married to the victim or not.
(5) In all cases where a victim is under the age of sixteen (16) years, it shall not be necessary to prove penetration where it is shown the genitals, anus or perineum of the child have been lacerated or torn in the attempt to have sexual intercourse with the child.
(6) (a) Upon conviction under this section, the court may issue a criminal sexual assault protection order prohibiting the offender from any contact with the victim, without regard to the relationship between the victim and offender. The court may include in a criminal sexual assault protection order any relief available under Section 93-21-15. The term of a criminal sexual assault protection order shall be for a time period determined by the court, but all orders shall, at a minimum, remain in effect for a period of two (2) years after the expiration of any sentence of imprisonment and subsequent period of community supervision, conditional release, probation, or parole. Upon issuance of a criminal sexual assault protection order, the clerk of the issuing court shall enter the order in the Mississippi Protection Order Registry within twenty-four (24) hours of issuance, with no exceptions for weekends or holidays as provided in Section 93-21-25, and a copy must be provided to both the victim and offender.
(b) Criminal sexual assault protection orders shall be issued on the standardized form developed by the Office of the Attorney General.
(c) It is a misdemeanor to knowingly violate any condition of a criminal sexual assault protection order. Upon conviction for a violation, the defendant shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or both. Any sentence imposed for the violation of a criminal sexual assault protection order shall run consecutively to any other sentences imposed on the offender. The court shall also be empowered to extend the criminal sexual assault protection order for a period of one (1) year for each violation. The incarceration of a person at the time of the violation is not a bar to prosecution under this section. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the imposition of any other penalties or disciplinary action otherwise allowed by law or policy.
(7) For the purposes of this section, "sexual intercourse" shall mean a joining of the sexual organs of a male and female human being in which the penis of the male is inserted into the vagina of the female or the penetration of the sexual organs of a male or female human being in which the penis or an object is inserted into the genitals, anus or perineum of a male or female.
SECTION 4. Section 97-3-68, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
97-3-68. (1) In any prosecution
for rape under Section 97-3-65 * * * or 97-3-71, if evidence
of sexual conduct of the complaining witness is offered to attack the credibility
of said complaining witness, the following procedure shall be followed:
(a) A written motion shall be made by the defendant to the court and prosecutor stating that the defense has an offer of proof of the relevancy of evidence of the sexual conduct of the complaining witness proposed to be presented and its relevancy in attacking the credibility of the complaining witness.
(b) The written motion shall be accompanied by an affidavit in which the offer of proof shall be stated.
(c) If the court finds that the offer of proof is sufficient, the court shall order a closed hearing in chambers, out of the presence of the jury, if any, and at such closed hearing allow the questioning of the complaining witness regarding the offer of proof made by the defendant.
(d) At the conclusion of the hearing, if the court finds that evidence proposed to be offered by the defendant regarding the sexual conduct of the complaining witness is relevant and otherwise admissible, the court may make an order stating what evidence may be introduced by the defendant, and the nature of the questions to be permitted. The defendant may then offer evidence pursuant to the order of the court.
(2) As used in this section and Section 97-3-70, "complaining witness" means the alleged victim of the crime charged, the prosecution of which is subject to this section.
SECTION 5. Section 97-3-71, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
97-3-71. Every person who
shall be convicted of an assault with intent * * * of forcible sexual penetration
of any person shall be punished by imprisonment in the Penitentiary
for life, or for such shorter time as may be fixed by the jury, or by the court
upon the entry of a plea of guilty.
SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.