Opinion ID: 1594360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Special Jury Instruction On Identity.

Text: Lohnes proposed jury instruction # 9 to specially instruct the jury on the issue of his identity. The instruction stated that the jury must find beyond a reasonable doubt that Lohnes was the person who committed the crime. The court refused this instruction. Lohnes claims this refusal constitutes reversible error because a defendant is entitled to receive an instruction on the theory of his defense. Salley v. United States, 353 F.2d 897 (D.C.Cir.1965); Levine v. United States, 261 F.2d 747 (D.C. Cir.1958). Salley reversed a narcotics conviction based on the trial court's refusal of an instruction on the defendant's identity. The Salley court held that narcotics cases are appropriate to require a special instruction on identity, as evidence of a defendant's identity may rest solely upon an eye-witness account. Lohnes' reliance on these cases is misplaced, as the rule applies only to special fact situations such as the narcotics case in Salley. United States v. Greene, 591 F.2d 471 (8th Cir.1979). While Lohnes raised identity as an issue, he had little competent evidence to support it as most of the evidence pointed toward him. There were no special facts which required the court to specially instruct on the issue of Lohnes' identity. The trial court instructed the jury that the State bore the burden of proving each element of the crime charged beyond a reasonable doubt. We have previously stated that where a defendant's proposed instruction is adequately contained in the trial court's other instructions there is no error in refusing to give the defendant's requested instruction. State v. Weisenstein, 367 N.W.2d 201 (S.D.1985).