Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1.
Plain language categorization of United States felony criminal sexual conduct statutes based on definitions of victim incapacity to consent due to voluntary or involuntary intoxication.
(A) Map demonstrating four categories of felony criminal statutes relating to victim impairment or incapacity to consent to sexual contact or intercourse. Black denotes state statutes that only consider victims to be impaired or incapacitated if they are involuntarily intoxicated. Gray indicates states and the District of Columbia that consider a victim to be incapable of consent because of either voluntary or involuntary intoxication. White illustrates states that either have no statutory text relating to mental impairment or incapacity or do not include a statutory definition of mental incapacity. Finally, diagonal stripes show that Minnesota amended its definition of mental incapacity to include victims who are both involuntarily and voluntarily intoxicated. Classification based on plain language analysis is reproduced in Appendix A online. (B) Pie chart illustrating the number of jurisdictions falling into each of the categories listed in (A). Note that state courts may construe similarly worded statutes differently regardless of their plain meaning as illustrated here.52,53 Figure constructed using JMP Pro 16, SAS Institute Inc. (Cary, North Carolina) and Affinity Designer, Sarif (Europe) Ltd. (West Bridgford, United Kingdom).
Tables
- Table 1
Statutory Language Used to Describe the Effects of Intoxication on Victims of Sexual Offenses (citations listed in Appendix A online)
Jurisdiction Intoxication Included Operative Language Jurisdiction Intoxication Included Operative Language Alabama Yes Incapacitated
IncapableMontana No Mentally disordered or incapacitated Alaska No Incapacitated
IncapableNebraska No Mentally or physically incapable Arizona Yes Incapable
ImpairmentNevada No Mentally or physically incapable Arkansas Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableNew Hampshire Yes Mentally incapacitates California Yes Prevented New Jersey Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableColorado Yes Incapable
ImpairedNew Mexico N/A N/A Connecticut Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableNew York Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableDelaware Yes Impaired North Carolina No Mentally incapacitated
IncapableDistrict of Columbia Yes Impairs
IncapableNorth Dakota Yes Impaired Florida Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableOhio Yes Impairs Georgia N/A N/A Oklahoma Yes Administered Hawaii Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableOregon No Mentally incapacitated
IncapableIdaho Yes Unable Pennsylvania Yes Impaired Illinois Yes Unable
DeliversRhode Island Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableIndiana Yes Furnishing South Carolina Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableIowa Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableSouth Dakota Yes Incapable Kansas Yes Incapable Tennessee Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableKentucky Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableTexas Yes Impaired Louisiana Yes Incapable Utah Yes Impaired Maine Yes Impaired Vermont Yes Impair Maryland Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableVirginia No Mental incapacity
PreventsMassachusetts N/A N/A Washington Yes Mental incapacity
PreventsMichigan Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableWest Virginia Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableMinnesota Yes Mentally incapacitated Wisconsin Yes Incapable Mississippi Yes Mentally incapacitated
IncapableWyoming Yes Impairs Missouri Yes Impaired - Table 2
States That Do Not Explicitly Define Intoxication as a Reason a Victim May Lack Capacity to Consent to Sexual Contact or Intercourse
State Statute Pertinent Language Alaska Alaska Stat. § 11.41.470(2) (2021) “‘[I]ncapacitated' means temporarily incapable of appraising the nature of one’s own conduct or physically unable to express unwillingness to act” Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 45-5-501(b)(i) (2019) No statutory definition of “mentally … incapacitated” Nebraska Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 28-319 & -320 (2015) No statutory definition of “mentally … incapable” Nevada Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 200.366 (2021) No statutory definition of “mentally … incapable” North Carolina N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-27.20(2) (2019) “Mentally incapacitated.– A victim who due to any act is rendered substantially incapable of either appraising the nature of his or her conduct, or resisting the act of vaginal intercourse or a sexual act” Oregon Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 163.305(3) (2021) “‘Mentally incapacitated' means that a person is rendered incapable of appraising or controlling the conduct of the person at the time of the alleged offense” Virginia Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-67.10(3) (2004) ‘“Mental incapacity' means that condition of the complaining witness existing at the time of an offense under this article which prevents the complaining witness from understanding the nature or consequences of the sexual act involved in such offense and about which the accused knew or should have known” - Table 3
Examples of States Requiring a Higher Degree of Intoxication Where Victims of Sexual Offenses Are Voluntarily Intoxicated Compared to Victims Who Are Involuntarily Intoxicated
State Statutes Required Condition Due to Voluntary Intoxication Required Condition Due to Involuntary Intoxication Arkansas Ark. Code Ann. § 5-14-101(6) (2021) “That renders the person unaware a sexual act is occurring” “[T]emporarily incapable of appreciating or controlling the person’s conduct” Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-3-402(1)(b), (4)(d); § 18-3-404(1)(b), (1)(d) (2022) “[T]he victim is incapable of appraising the nature of the victim’s conduct” “The actor has substantially impaired the victim’s power to appraise or control the victim’s conduct” Rhode Island R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-37-1(5) (1999) “[I]s mentally unable to communicate unwillingness to an act” “[I]ncapable of appraising or controlling his or her conduct” - Table 4
Examples of Jurisdictions in Which Sexual Offenses Involving Involuntary Intoxication of the Victim Carry a Greater Penalty Than Cases in Which the Victim is Voluntarily Intoxicated
Jurisdiction Involuntary Intoxication Offense Statute Voluntary Intoxication Offense Statute District of Columbia First degree sexual abuse D.C. Code § 22-3002 (2013) Second degree sexual abuse D.C. Code § 22-3003 (2013) Illinois Aggravated criminal sexual assault 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/11-1.20 (2016) Criminal sexual assault 720 Ill. Comp Stat. Ann. 5/11-1.20 (2016) Louisiana Second degree rape La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 14:42.1 (2020) Third degree rape La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 14:43 (2015) Ohio Rape Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2907.02 (2021) Sexual battery Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2907.03 (2019) South Carolina Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-652 (2010) Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-654 (1977)
- Supplementary data
