Opinion ID: 1917141
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: CRIMJIG 3.20, Pattern Jury Instruction on Lesser Crimes

Text: Appellant also argues that the district court erred by failing to instruct the jury regarding lesser crimes, as provided in CRIMJIG 3.20, which provides: The law provides that upon the prosecution of a person for a crime, if the person is not guilty of that crime, the person may be guilty of a lesser crime. (A) (The) lesser crime(s) in this case (is)(are): ____________. The presumption of innocence and the requirement of proof beyond a reasonable doubt apply to these lesser crimes. If you find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant has committed each element of the lesser crime, but you have a reasonable doubt about any different element of the greater crime, the defendant is guilty only of the lesser crime. 10 Minn. Dist. Judges Ass'n, Minnesota Practice  Jury Instruction Guides, Criminal, CRIMJIG 3.20 (5th ed.2006). Because the court did not give CRIMJIG 3.20, appellant argues that the jury was not clearly instructed that second-degree murder was a lesser offense of first-degree murder. We first consider whether it was plain error for the district court to fail to sua sponte read CRIMJIG 3.20. Griller, 583 N.W.2d at 740. The jury instructions must adequately state the law, and appellant concedes that the district court properly instructed the jury as to the elements of first- and second-degree murder. Thus, unless we have required district courts to sua sponte read CRIMJIG 3.20 when instructing a jury as to first- and second-degree murder, there is no plain error here. Cf. State v. Reed, 737 N.W.2d 572, 584 (Minn.2007) (stating that because a district court is required by case law to sua sponte deliver an accomplice corroboration instruction to the jury, failure to give it was error which was plain). Appellant relies on State v. Bolte, 530 N.W.2d 191 (Minn.1995), to support his argument that the district court was required to read CRIMJIG 3.20 in this case. The defendant in Bolte was convicted of both premeditated first-degree murder and intentional second-degree murder. Id. at 193. The district court read the full CRIMJIG 11.02, but not CRIMJIG 3.20. Id. at 199. Defense counsel did not request CRIMJIG 3.20, and we held that the trial court did not commit plain error by failing to sua sponte read the instruction because the court expressly instructed the jury pursuant to CRIMJIG 11.02, that if it had a reasonable doubt on the issue of premeditation, but found that all the other elements of premeditated murder were present, the jury should find [the] defendant guilty of second-degree intentional murder. Id. We agreed with the comment to CRIMJIG 3.20 that `[i]n appropriate cases it may be necessary to use this instruction even though the lesser-included offenses are charged as counts in the complaint.' Id. (quoting CRIMJIG 3.20 cmt.). But the Bolte court did not require district courts to read the last paragraph of CRIMJIG 11.02 and/or CRIMJIG 3.20 when instructing a jury as to first- and second-degree murder. Cf. State v. Fields, 730 N.W.2d 777, 784 (Minn. 2007) (holding that prosecutorial error was not established because prior case law did not clearly indicate that failure to satisfy its procedural requirements    would result in the evidence being ruled inadmissible). When read in their entirety, the district court's instructions accurately described the elements of first- and second-degree murder. The court also highlighted the distinction between the two murder charges and emphasized the State's burden of proof. Finally, the court instructed the jury that if the jury found that the State did not meet its burden of proof on any element of a charge, that the jury's verdict as to that charge must be not guilty. Under these circumstances, we hold that appellant did not show that the court committed plain error in failing to sua sponte read CRIMJIG 3.20.