Opinion ID: 1216911
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: cautionary jury instruction regarding defendant's admissions

Text: After his arrest in Chicago, defendant was interviewed by an FBI agent on two occasions. Each time, after being warned of his Miranda rights, defendant signed waiver forms and voluntarily agreed to answer questions. The agent dictated reports from his notes approximately five days after the interviews. Defendant was never given an opportunity to review or sign the transcribed reports. At trial, the agent testified from the reports regarding certain statements made by defendant that were inconsistent with his other statements and testimony in the case. At the close of evidence, in a conference on jury instructions, defense counsel stated: I object [that] an instruction is not given similar to the one in the California Criminal Jury Instructions, form 2.71 specifically the section that refers to the fact that evidence of an oral admission of the defendant ought to be viewed with caution. We believe that is a legitimate instruction and should be given in this case. No proposed cautionary instruction appears in the record. While a cautionary instruction may have been appropriate in this case, see State v. Hymas, 102 Utah 371, 377, 131 P.2d 791, 793-94 (1942), it cannot be said that the trial court erred in omitting it when defendant did not submit a proposed text. Utah R.Crim.P. 19(a) & (b); State v. Day, Utah, 572 P.2d 703, 705 (1977); State v. Erickson, Utah, 568 P.2d 750, 751 (1977). Cases cited to the effect that a cautionary instruction is mandatory even without a specific request are distinguishable. The Oregon ruling in State v. Swee, 51 Or. App. 249, 624 P.2d 1108 (1981), is required by statute. The California courts have relied on their rule of civil procedure in engrafting this requirement in criminal cases. People v. Bemis, 33 Cal.2d 395, 399, 202 P.2d 82, 85 (1949), citing People v. Dail, 22 Cal.2d 642, 656, 140 P.2d 828, 836 (1943). Utah has no comparable statute or rule. We adhere to the general rule that it is not error to omit a particular jury instruction that has not been specifically requested, unless the failure denies the defendant a fair trial. See State v. Baker, 126 Ariz. 531, 617 P.2d 39 (1980). The application of this rule is especially appropriate where the instructions that were given generally covered the subject matter. In this case, the trial judge instructed the jurors that they were the sole judges of the facts and that it was their responsibility to determine the credibility of the witnesses and the value of their testimony. As in State v. Brooks, Utah, 638 P.2d 537, 542 (1981), we find the preliminary and final instructions, taken together, sufficiently conveyed to the jury the need for careful examination and comparison of all the evidence. Under these circumstances, the defendant was not denied a fair trial by the court's failure to give the cautionary instruction.