Opinion ID: 2061735
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Strict Construction Instruction

Text: Defendant argues the trial court erred by refusing to charge the jury with his tendered instruction number 1 regarding the strict construction of penal statutes and the necessity to resolve ambiguities in favor of the accused. To determine whether error resulted from the refusal of a tendered instruction, this Court must evaluate: 1) whether the tendered instruction correctly states the law; 2) whether there is evidence in the record which supports the tendered instruction; and 3) whether another instruction covered the substance of the tendered instruction. Jackson v. State (1986), Ind., 490 N.E.2d 1115. There is no dispute that the tendered instruction correctly states the law in Indiana. However, we discern no ambiguity in the relevant statutes to warrant an instruction dictating that ambiguities should be resolved in favor of the accused. At trial, defendant suggested the instruction was relevant to construe the self-defense statute; however, as we have already held, the defense of self was not a valid defense under the facts of this case. Moreover, as the State points out, the jury was adequately charged on the concept of reasonable doubt, defendant's presumption of innocence, the State's burden of proof, the lack of any proof burden on defendant, and the jury's right to determine the law. There was no prejudice to the defense as a result of the trial court's refusal of the tendered instruction.