Commonwealth v. D'Ambrosio, 61 N.E.2d 852

Exceptions overruled. The defendant, who has been found guilty of the rape of a ‍​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‍girl over sixteen years of age, brings this case before us on his exceptions to the denial of his motion for a directed verdict of not guilty ‍​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‍and to certain instructions given to the jury by the judge. The evidence would have warranted the jury in finding, as they impliedly did, that the defendant ‍​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‍had sexual intercourse with the girl involved while she was so stupefied by intoxicating liquor served to her by the defendant that she was incapable of ‍​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‍consenting to the act. The action of the judge in denying the motion for a directed verdict of not guilty was therefore right. Commonwealth v. Burke, 105 Mass. 376, and cases ‍​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‍cited. An examination of the instructions complained of discloses no prejudicial error of law.

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. D'Ambrosio

Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Date Published: May 9, 1945

Citations: 61 N.E.2d 852; 318 Mass. 779; 1945 Mass. LEXIS 586

Court Abbreviation: Mass.