Title: State v. Juergens

State: iowa

Issuer: Iowa Supreme Court

Document:

240 N.W.2d 647 (1976) STATE of Iowa, Appellee, v. Alvin JUERGENS, Appellant. No. 58572. Supreme Court of Iowa. April 14, 1976. *648 Hutcheson & Liles, Fort Madison, for appellant. Richard C. Turner, Atty. Gen., Earl W. Roberts, Jr., Asst. Atty. Gen., Des Moines, and Joel J. Kamp, Asst. County Atty., Fort Madison, for appellee. Heard by MOORE, C. J., and MASON, REES, UHLENHOPP and REYNOLDSON, JJ. REES, Justice. Defendant, an inmate of the State Penitentiary at Fort Madison, was charged by county attorney's information with the crime of carrying a concealed weapon, contrary to § 695.2, The Code, 1975. Following his plea of not guilty, he was tried to a jury, convicted and sentenced. He now appeals. We reverse and remand for a new trial. On April 24, 1975, the defendant was taken by two custodial officers of the penitentiary from the general population area of the institution to cellhouse 20, a maximum security area. Pursuant to what was characterized by State's witnesses as a "strip shake" search, officers took off defendant's handcuffs and ordered defendant to remove all his clothing. As defendant was in the process of removing his clothing, he reached behind himself and pulled a knife with a seven-inch blade from the waistband of his trousers and handed it to one of the custodial officers. At trial, one of the officers was asked on cross-examination whether the defendant could, at the time he handed the knife to one of the officers [Officer Duncan], have assaulted Mr. Duncan with the knife. Objection was made that the question was irrelevant and immaterial to any issue in the case. The objection was sustained. Defendant assigns said ruling as error. Defendant also contends the court erred in giving two instructions to the jury and further erred in overruling defendant's motion for a mistrial *649 when the defendant was produced in the courtroom by the prison authorities in clothing which defendant now contends was "prison garb". Finally, defendant in a separate stated issue, contends he did not have a fair trial. I. In his first issue stated for review defendant contends trial court erred in sustaining State's objection to a question propounded to Custodial Officer Meirotte on cross-examination. The record reflects the following: Clearly, there was no error in the court's ruling on the objection to the question set out above. The question required the witness to engage in conjecture and surmise. The opinion of the witness was obviously sought as an answer to the question posed. Counsel for the State did not interpose the proper objection. We perceive no merit in this issue stated for review. II. In his second proposition defendant contends trial court erred in giving Instruction No. 7 of its final instructions to the jury. Instruction No. 7 corresponded verbatim with Uniform Jury Instruction No. 530.2, and reads as follows: The only exception taken by defendant to the foregoing instruction was to the inclusion of the term "or defense" in the definition given of a dangerous or offensive weapon. In the context in which Instruction No. 7 was given to the jury, we cannot agree with the defendant that the phrase "or defense" should have been deleted. We agree the instrument carried by the defendant, same being a knife with a seven-inch blade, is not a weapon specifically listed in § 695.2 for use as either an offensive or defensive weapon. In State v. Watts, 223 N.W.2d 234 (Iowa 1974), at page 239 we said: *650 See also State v. Hill, 258 Iowa 932, 140 N.W.2d 731. The trial court did not err in refusing to delete the phrase "or defense" from Instruction No. 7. III. Defendant next contends the court erred in instructing the jury as it did in Instruction No. 9, which is a verbatim reiteration of Uniform Instruction 530.3 and reads as follows: Defendant contends the trial court should not have incorporated in Instruction No. 9 that portion thereof which reads as follows: "The object or purpose of carrying a concealed weapon is immaterial in this case." We must agree. Instructions must be viewed together and not separated into parts or treated piecemeal. State v. Morelock, 164 N.W.2d 819, 822 (Iowa 1969). "The ultimate test for instructions is whether they clearly set out for the jury the issues to be determined or whether the jury is likely to be confused or misled." Id. at 823. Section 695.2, The Code, 1973, provided that it should be unlawful for any person " * * * to go armed with or carry a dirk, dagger, sword, pistol, revolver, stiletto, metallic knuckles, pocket billy, sandbag, skull cracker, slug shot or other offensive or dangerous weapon, except hunting knives adapted and carried as such, concealed either on or about his person, * * *." Clearly, the knife defendant produced and handed to the custodial officer was not such a weapon as is referred to, and the carrying of which is proscribed by, the cited statute. Clearly, the purpose or motive of the defendant in carrying a weapon not specifically referred to in § 695.2 is a material element of the offense. See also State v. Hill, supra. Trial court's error with respect to Instruction No. 9 necessitates reversal. IV. At the close of the State's case, out of the presence of the jury, defendant's counsel dictated into the record a motion for mistrial based on the fact defendant had been brought to court during the voir dire questioning of the jury panel in what his counsel characterized as "prison garb, consisting of a blue shirt, denim jeans, and white tennis shoes, clearly distinguishing him as an inmate." Counsel asserted defendant suffered prejudice from his appearance so clad which would deny him a fair trial. In ruling on the defendant's motion for a mistrial, the court observed, `I didn't totally recognize, at leastI thought prison garb was blue pants and blue shirt and black shoes. I observed that the defendant was wearing brown pants and white shoes and what appeared to me to be a regular prison garb shirta blue cotton twill shirt." The court advised counsel that he had consulted with the officers who escorted defendant to court just prior to noon or just after the noon recess and requested that the defendant be returned to court in "lay" clothes, and that all witnesses from the institution subpoenaed by the defendant be in like attire. The court ruled that since the jurors had all been told in voir dire that the crime was allegedly committed in the penitentiary and that defendant was an inmate there, defendant's *651 dress did not result in prejudice to him sufficient to require a mistrial. The court further observed it felt in all fairness all defendants should be dressed as "any other member of the court". Defendant asks us to adopt in its entirety § 4.1(b) of the American Bar Association Standards for Criminal JusticeTrial by Jury. In light of our conclusion this case must be reversed for the error of the court in the giving of Instruction No. 9, we need not belabor this point. We assume that upon retrial of this case the prison authorities and the officers of the court will be doubly cautious in seeing to it defendant is not required to appear in the distinctive garb of an inmate of the penitentiary. V. In view of our determination to reverse and remand this case to the trial court for further proceedings, we deem it unnecessary to comment upon defendant's last proposition, namely, his assertion he failed to receive a fair trial. In sum, we conclude the trial court erred in the giving of Instruction No. 9. We therefore reverse this case and remand it for a new trial. REVERSED AND REMANDED.