Case Title: Standard Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases

Citation: 636 So. 2d 502

Docket Number: 82438

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 1994-05-05T00:00:00Z

Document:
636 So. 2d 502 (1994)
STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CRIMINAL CASES (93-1).
No. 82438.

Supreme Court of Florida.
May 5, 1994.
Fredricka Greene Smith, Chair, The Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, Miami, Florida, for petitioner.
Bernie McCabe, State Atty., and Joseph M. Walker, III, Asst. State Atty., Sixth Judicial Circuit, Clearwater, and Stephen Krosschell, Valrico.
PER CURIAM.
The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions (Criminal) has submitted recommended amendments to the Florida Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases as follows:
1. The committee recommends an amendment to standard jury instruction 3.04(b) (page 38 of the manual) regarding proceedings in insanity cases. The committee believes that the amended instruction more accurately reflects the procedures established in Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.217.
2. The committee recommends a new instruction on insanity  psychotropic medication which is required by Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.215(c)(2). See Rosales v. State, 547 So. 2d 221 (Fla. 3d DCA 1989).
3. The committee recommends a new set of instructions on attempted murder and manslaughter because of its belief that an instruction integrating elements of attempt with the elements of murder is more understandable than reading the standard instruction on attempt to commit a crime together with the instruction on murder.[1]
Following publication of the recommendations in The Florida Bar News, the committee received two letters concerning its proposed amendments. As a result of one of these letters, the committee amended its recommendation with respect to attempted first-degree felony murder. As a result of the other letter, the committee amended its recommendation with respect to attempted voluntary manslaughter, and in order to maintain consistency also proposed a new instruction on manslaughter.
*503 With certain technical changes, the amendmendments recommended by the committee are set forth in the appendix attached to this opinion. We approve for publication the amendments set forth in the appendix. However, we caution all interested persons that the notes and comments reflect only the opinion of the committee and are not necessarily indicative of the views of this Court as to their correctness or applicability. The amendments as set forth in the appendix shall be effective when this opinion becomes final. We wish to express our appreciation to the committee for its dedication in presenting to the Court its recommendations.
It is so ordered.
GRIMES, C.J., and OVERTON, McDONALD, SHAW, KOGAN and HARDING, JJ., concur.
[1]  The committee noted that it had great difficulty in drafting an instruction on attempted felony murder which incorporated the language in Amlotte v. State, 456 So. 2d 448 (Fla. 1984). In fact, the committee observed that a majority of its members were persuaded by the dissenting opinion in that case that there could be no such crime as attempted felony murder. Recognizing, however, that its function was not to change existing law, the committee submitted a proposed instruction for that crime.