Opinion ID: 508775
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: District Court's Failure to Answer the Jury's Question

Text: 38 The defendants claim that the trial court failed to properly respond to the jury's question. During deliberation, the jury sent the following question to the judge: 39 We need to clarify overall conspiracy Between the years 1983 and 1986. Does this mean the defendents [sic] (each) (or) had to be continuing conspiring during all this time, like contact in 1984 and 1985. Also Does Between mean the same as Thru. 40 Record at 122. The district judge responded: It is suggested you read all the conspiracy instructions as a whole and rely on your collective recollections of the facts. Id. The judge declined the defendants' request to give the jury the dictionary definition of between. 41 We have repeatedly held that it is within the trial court's discretion to decide what supplemental instructions to give to a deliberating jury that seeks clarification of the law. United States v. Zabic, 745 F.2d 464, 475 (7th Cir.1984); Davis v. Greer, 675 F.2d 141, 145 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 975, 103 S.Ct. 310, 74 L.Ed.2d 289 (1982); United States v. Papia, 560 F.2d 827, 843 (7th Cir.1977); United States v. Castenada, 555 F.2d 605, 611 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 847, 98 S.Ct. 152, 54 L.Ed.2d 113 (1977); United States v. Braverman, 522 F.2d 218, 224 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 985, 96 S.Ct. 392, 46 L.Ed.2d 302 (1975). If the original jury charge clearly and correctly states the applicable law, the judge may properly answer the jury's question by instructing the jury to reread the instructions. Davis, 675 F.2d at 145-46; Papia, 560 F.2d at 843; Castenada, 555 F.2d at 611. Because the defendants did not challenge the correctness of the instructions that the jury received, it was within the judge's discretion to direct the jury to reread the original instructions rather than giving the jury the dictionary definition of between as the defendants had requested. United States v. Lang, 644 F.2d 1232, 1239 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 870, 102 S.Ct. 338, 70 L.Ed.2d 174 (1981). Thus, we find that the court did not abuse its discretion in referring the jury to the original instructions which correctly and clearly stated the law. See supra note 5 (quoting the relevant jury instruction). 42