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47 Mitchell Hamline L. Rev. 1 (2020-2021)

handle is hein.journals/wmitch47 and id is 1 raw text is: FROM COMMON LAW TO AFFIRMATIVE CONSENT: REFORMING MINNESOTA'S CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT LAWS Nate Summerst I. IN T RO D U CT IO N ...............................................................................1 A . The Problem .................................................................................3 B . O utlin e ....................................................................................... 4 II. A HISTORY OF PAST REFORMS OF MINNESOTA CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT LAWS ..........................................................................5 A. First Rape Statutes and Early Reforms ....................................5 B. Modern CSC Statutory Scheme .................................................10 1. Consent Definition .....................................................................11 2. CS C Fram ew ork .........................................................................12 3. Physically Helpless ......................................................................14 III. A FFIRM ATIVE CONSENT................................................................16 A. DefiningAfirmative Consent.....................................................17 1. Yes M eans Yes....................................................................17 B. Affirmative Consent in Action....................................................19 IV. ARGUMENTS AGAINST AFFIRMATIVE CONSENT AND THEIR COUNTERARGUM ENTS .......................................................................... 21 A. Affirmative Consent Shifts the Burden ofProof....................22 B. Affirmative Consent Ruins Sexual Intimacy...........................22 C Affirmative Consent Will Cause False Rape Claims ..................24 D. Affirmative Consent Does Not Solve the Voluntarily Intoxication P roblem ............................................................................................ 25 V . PROPOSED AM ENDMENTS ............................................................26 VI. MODEL LANGUAGE .......................................................................27 I. INTRODUCTION The time to reform Minnesota's criminal sexual conduct (CSC) laws is now.' Conceptions of sex, rape, and consent have evolved from paternalistic ideals and given way to modern reforms and an ever-expanding understanding of sexual relationships. One need only watch cringeworthy interactions of sex symbols of earlier decades to understand how drastic this shift has been. For example, take what was an entirely acceptable scene in the PG-rated, 1964 film Goldfinger. James Bond corners his female co- 4 Nate Summers is a recent graduate of the University of St. Thomas School of Law and current law clerk for the Honorable Judge Diane Bratvold. The opinions expressed here are his own, with considerable thanks to Professor Mark Osler of St. Thomas and Christina Warren and James Hanneman of the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, for their thoughtful guidance in composing this article and ceaseless service to the community. 'See MINN. STAT. SS 609.341-.3451 (2019). ' GOLDFINGER (EON Productions 1964).