Opinion ID: 1188768
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The General Verdict

Text: The defendant challenges his conviction for felony child abuse because the jury instruction outlined two alternative ways the crime could be committed but the verdict forms merely recited a guilty verdict for child abuse without specifying the precise manner in which the crime was committed. Thus, the defendant claims that he was denied his right to a unanimous jury verdict. We conclude otherwise. The statutory definition of child abuse in section 18-6-401(1), C.R.S. 1973 (1978 Repl. Vol. 8), lists several alternative ways the offense may be committed. The various methods of committing the offense are somewhat similar in character and include the two methods charged in this case, i. e., knowingly causing or permitting the child to be placed in a situation that endangers its life or health, and knowingly causing or permitting the child to be cruelly punished. As charged, the crime of felony child abuse does not involve alternative forms of culpability or conduct which are so discrete and independent that, as a practical matter, a verdict of guilty to one alternative reasonably could be interpreted as exclusive of the other. A person can be well aware that his conduct is causing or permitting a child to be placed in a situation likely to endanger the child's life or health and concomitantly be aware that this same conduct is cruelly punishing the child. In People v. Taggart, supra , we dealt with the issue of verdict unanimity in a child abuse case and, under circumstances similar to those present here, upheld a general verdict of guilty. See also, People v. Ledman, Colo., 622 P.2d 534 (1981); Claxton v. People, 164 Colo. 283, 434 P.2d 407 (1967); Hernandez v. People, 156 Colo. 23, 396 P.2d 952 (1964). In the instant case, as in Taggart, the court instructed the jury on the general requirement of a unanimous verdict and the record discloses ample evidence to support a guilty verdict on either or both methods of committing the offense. Considering the entire record of this case, we cannot say that defendant was deprived of his right to a unanimous verdict.