The Region - News from June 3, 1987

A state appellate court in Santa Ana cut a 73-year prison sentence of a convicted rapist almost in half, ruling that the man had committed only three rapes, rather than eight. Robert E. Morehead, now 33, was convicted of raping three women a total of eight times in 1983. He also was convicted of sexual assault, burglary and false imprisonment in attacks involving two other women. Fourth District Court of Appeal Justices Thomas F. Crosby Jr. and Edward J. Wallin voted to dismiss five of the rape convictions, ruling that only three separate rapes had occurred. The other acts, they said, were part of those three rapes. But Justice Sheila P. Sonenshine, in a strong dissent, said each of the acts caused the victims to undergo “separate humiliating violations of their bodies.” The appellate court ruling cut his sentence to 37 years and four months.