Louisiana Aggravated Rape Law
LSA-R.S. 14:42
A. Aggravated rape is a rape committed upon a person sixty-five years of age or older or where the anal, oral, or vaginal sexual intercourse is deemed to be without lawful consent of the victim because it is committed under any one or more of the following circumstances:
(1) When the victim resists the act to the utmost, but whose resistance is overcome by force.
(2) When the victim is prevented from resisting the act by threats of great and immediate bodily harm, accompanied by apparent power of execution.
(3) When the victim is prevented from resisting the act because the offender is armed with a dangerous weapon.
(4) When the victim is under the age of thirteen years. Lack of knowledge of the victim's age shall not be a defense.
(5) When two or more offenders participated in the act.
(6) When the victim is prevented from resisting the act because the victim suffers from a physical or mental infirmity preventing such resistance.
B. For purposes of Paragraph (5), “participate” shall mean:
(1) Commit the act of rape.
(2) Physically assist in the commission of such act.
C. For purposes of this Section, the following words have the following meanings:
(1) “Physical infirmity” means a person who is a quadriplegic or paraplegic.
(2) “Mental infirmity” means a person with an intelligence quotient of seventy or lower.
D. (1) Whoever commits the crime of aggravated rape shall be punished by life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
(2) However, if the victim was under the age of thirteen years, as provided by Paragraph A(4) of this Section:
(a) And if the district attorney seeks a capital verdict, the offender shall be punished by death or life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, in accordance with the determination of the jury. The provisions of C.Cr.P. Art. 782 relative to cases in which punishment may be capital shall apply.
(b) And if the district attorney does not seek a capital verdict, the offender shall be punished by life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. The provisions of C.Cr.P. Art. 782 relative to cases in which punishment is necessarily confinement at hard labor shall apply.
VALIDITY
R.S. 14:42(D)(2) was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in Kennedy v. Louisiana, 128 S.Ct. 2641, 2008 WL 2511282 (June 25, 2008).
_____________________________
The above statute is provided as a free service of the Babcock Partners' criminal defense team. Our Louisiana criminal defense lawyers provide extremely aggressive representation for individuals in local, state, and federal courts throughout all of Louisiana.
If you, a family member, or friend or loved one has been charged with this crime, please call us toll-free at 1-866-309-0911 for a free consultation or send us an email by filling out the Free Consultation information on the right side of this page. The criminal attorneys at Babcock Partners are standing by to assist you with your legal matter.
Updated: April 9, 2012
