Opinion ID: 1846260
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether the Jury Should Have Been Given an Instruction on the Defense Theory of the Case.

Text: ¶ 44. Kolberg next tells us that he requested an instruction which would have stated his theory of the case, but that the instruction was improperly denied. Jury Instruction No. 11 which Kolberg requested reads as follows: The Court instructs the jury that it is the defense theory of the case that Madison Watson suffered a brain injury on August 12, 1988, while in the care and custody of her aunt Lisa Watson. That Madison sustained a second brain injury in a fall from the bed on August 19, 1988. This fall, in part because of the established brain injury, resulted in the catastrophic brain injury that led to her death. The defense is not required to prove this theory but rather the State of Mississippi is required to disprove this theory and prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt and to exclusion [sic] of every other reasonable hypothesis except that of guilt. ¶ 45. The State responds that: [i]n a homicide case, as in other criminal cases, the court should instruct the jury as to theories and grounds of defense, justification, or excuse supported by the evidence, and a failure to do so is error requiring reversal of a judgment of conviction. Even though based on meager evidence and highly unlikely, a defendant is entitled to have every legal defense he asserts to be submitted as a factual issue for determination by the jury under proper instruction of the court. Where a defendant's proffered instruction has an evidentiary basis, properly states the law, and is the only instruction presenting his theory of the case, refusal to grant it constitutes reversible error. (quoting Giles v. State, 650 So.2d 846, 849 (Miss.1995)). We agree with the State's assertion that this instruction contained no instruction of law except identifying the State's burden of proof. The State's burden of proof was contained within other jury instructions. Since this proffered jury instruction did not instruct upon the principles of a defense beyond a general denial of the allegations in the indictment, the given Jury Instruction No. 14 was sufficient. Jury Instruction No. 14 stated: If there is a reasonable hypothesis under which the death was due to causes which were either accidental or due to actions not caused directly by the defendant, the occurrence is one for which the defendant is not liable. This instruction sufficiently comported with Kolberg's entire theory of the case and evidence he presented at trial. Accordingly, this assignment of error is without merit.