Opinion ID: 2116540
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 34

Heading: tampering with a witness:

Text: (a) The Defendant, John L. Lotter, believing that an official proceeding or investigation of a criminal matter was pending or about to be instituted, attempted to induce or otherwise cause a witness, Teena Ray Brandon, to testify or inform falsely; or withhold any testimony, information or thing. Lotter argues that the trial court should have used Lotter's proposed jury instruction, which set out the individual elements for premeditated murder and felony murder in separate paragraphs. In an appeal based on the claim of an erroneous instruction, the appellant has the burden to show that the questioned instruction was prejudicial or otherwise adversely affected a substantial right of the appellant. State v. McHenry, 250 Neb. 614, 550 N.W.2d 364 (1996). In State v. Buckman, 237 Neb. 936, 941, 468 N.W.2d 589, 592 (1991), this court addressed an instruction very similar to that in the instant case, stating: This instruction correctly states the law, is not misleading, and adequately states the issues of the case. This assignment of error is without merit.