Meland v. Commonwealth

SIMS, Judge.

Harold W. Meland was sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of twenty years upon being convicted of raping a 12-year old girl, Ardotha Melton. From the verdict and instructions it is impossible to determine whether the conviction was for forcible rape, which carries a penalty of death, life imprisonment or imprisonment for not less than 10 nor more than 20 years, or for having carnal knowledge of a girl under 16 years of age, often referred to as “statutory rape”, which carries a penalty of imprisonment of not less than 5 nor more than 20 years.

On this appeal a reversal is…