Opinion ID: 2978738
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jury Instruction on Justification Defense

Text: Fowler also contends that the district court erroneously refused to give a jury instruction on the justification defense. “When reviewing a district court’s decision to deny a specific jury instruction request, this Court applies an abuse of discretion standard.” United States v. Adams, 583 F.3d 457, 468-69 (6th Cir. 2009) (citing United States v. Jones, 403 F.3d 817, 821 (6th Cir. 2005)). “A judgment may be reversed if the instructions, viewed as a whole, were confusing, misleading and prejudicial.” United States v. Burchard, 580 F.3d 341, 345 (6th Cir. 2009).6 In order to receive a jury instruction on justification, there must be a showing of each of the following five elements: 6 The government argues that Fowler has failed to preserve this objection, so we should review it for plain error only. Fowler’s counsel argued that a justification instruction was needed at the charge conference. The district court disagreed, and told him that a self-defense instruction would be given, but that it was inappropriate to bootstrap a larger justification theory onto that instruction during closing arguments. When asked what he thought, Mr. O’Neill, Fowler’s counsel, said “I have no comment.” Rule 30(d) requires a party to object to a failure to give a requested jury instruction before the jury retires to deliberate. If a party fails to object, we can still review the matter for plain error. Because we find no error in the instruction under the higher level of review, we need not decide whether the error was preserved. 16 (1) that defendant was under an unlawful and present, imminent, and impending threat of such a nature as to induce a well-grounded apprehension of death or serious bodily injury; (2) that defendant had not recklessly or negligently placed himself in a situation in which it was probable that he would be forced to choose the criminal conduct; (3) that defendant had no reasonable, legal alternative to violating the law, a chance both to refuse to do the criminal act and also to avoid the threatened harm; . . . (4) that a direct causal relationship may be reasonably anticipated between the criminal action taken and the avoidance of the threatened harm; [and] . . . [5] that the defendant show that he did not maintain the illegal conduct any longer than absolutely necessary. United States v. Newcomb, 6 F.3d 1129, 1134 (6th Cir. 1993) (internal quotations and alterations omitted). The defense also applies when an individual other than the defendant is threatened with harm. Id. at 1135. “A defendant must produce sufficient evidence concerning each element to warrant an instruction on justification to the jury.” United States v. Milligan, 17 F.3d 177, 182 (6th Cir. 1994) (citing United States v. Paolello, 951 F.2d 537, 543 (3d Cir. 1991)). “The defendant’s initial burden in establishing these elements is not a heavy one, and is met even where there is weak supporting evidence for the defense. But a jury instruction on justification should not be given if [the defense] lacks evidentiary support or is based upon mere suspicion or speculation.” United States v. Kemp, 546 F.3d 759, 765 (6th Cir. 2008) (quotations omitted). What the defendant must do is “‘produce[] evidence upon which a reasonable jury could conclude by a preponderance of the evidence that each’” element of the defense has been met. Id. (quoting United States v. Ridner, 512 F.3d 846, 849 (6th Cir. 2008)). Fowler has not shown that he was entitled to the defense. It is true that on the morning of September 1, 2006, Fowler and several other individuals were at imminent risk of harm by Eck. Evidence was introduced that Eck had armed himself with a weapon, and actually caused injury to 17 Fowler. However, no reasonable jury would find that Fowler had not recklessly or negligently placed himself in the situation calling for criminal conduct. Fowler sought out and pursued Eck, and initiated the attack, rather than seeking protection from a prison guard.7 Moreover, no reasonable jury would find that Fowler ceased the illegal conduct at the first available opportunity. Eck was backing away, but Fowler advanced on him rather than seeking help from a prison guard. Fowler then stabbed Eck repeatedly after Eck fell, ignoring prison staff’s demands that he stop and drop his weapon. There was no basis for a justification instruction. In any event, any error is harmless. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 52(a). The jury considered but rejected Fowler’s claim of self-defense. Self-defense, a particular type of justification, is far easier for a defendant to invoke successfully. The jury instruction for self-defense places the burden on the government beyond a reasonable doubt, while the defendant has the burden of establishing other justification defenses. Sixth Cir. Pattern Jury Inst. 6.06; 6.07. Moreover, justification has several additional elements that a defendant must establish above and beyond those in a self-defense instruction. If the jury found that the government had shown beyond a reasonable doubt that Fowler was not justified to act in his own defense, it is implausible that they would find that he had proven that he was justified to act in defense of another under the circumstances of this case. Accordingly, we AFFIRM Fowler’s conviction.