Opinion ID: 1291981
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Failure to request a jury instruction and failure to object to the instructions given on sexual assault.

Text: Doyle argues that the district court erred in denying relief based on Doyle's contention that trial counsel were ineffective for failing to request a jury instruction stating that sexual penetration of a dead body does not constitute sexual assault and for failing to object to the instruction given on sexual assault. We disagree. Doyle attempts to demonstrate prejudice by stating that any error as to the jury instruction on sexual assault was not preserved for appeal. However, Doyle fails to demonstrate the existence of any meritorious issues related to the jury instruction on sexual assault. We note that we have already determined on Doyle's direct appeal that the sexual assault instruction given did not constitute plain error. Doyle, 112 Nev. at 900, 921 P.2d at 915. Moreover, Doyle concedes that any prejudice may have been alleviated by this court's reversal on direct appeal of his conviction for sexual assault. For these reasons, we conclude that Doyle has failed to demonstrate prejudice flowing from the failure to preserve for appeal issues related to the jury instruction on sexual assault. Doyle further argues that counsel's failure to ensure that the jury was properly instructed during the guilt phase resulted in the jury's belief that Doyle committed a sexual assault. This, he contends, may have tipped the scales in the jury's decision to return a verdict of death. In support of his argument, he points to the fact that in the penalty phase the jury was instructed that it could find as an aggravator to first-degree murder that the murder was committed while the person was engaged in the commission of or an attempt to commit any sexual assault. Our review of the record, however, reveals that the jury only found three aggravators: that the murder was committed by a person under sentence of imprisonment; that the murder was committed while the person was engaged in the commission of or attempt to commit any first-degree kidnapping; and that the murder was committed to avoid or prevent a lawful arrest or to effect an escape from custody. Therefore, we conclude that Doyle has failed to demonstrate that the jury's verdict of death was influenced by counsel's performance in relation to the jury instruction on sexual assault.