Opinion ID: 1550932
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: jury instructions in regard to separate charges

Text: The defendant asserts error in the failure of the trial justice to give a requested instruction to the effect that each charge should be considered separately in respect to the principal charge and lesser included offenses. An examination of the extensive instructions given by the trial justice discloses that he referred to each count of the indictment, defined the offenses set forth, and stated to the jury that each charge must be considered individually. The jury was also furnished with a verdict form upon which each count was set forth individually, along with possible lesser included offenses where applicable. The jurors were instructed to and did return separate verdicts on each count. Thus there seems little doubt that the court did in substance instruct the jury to consider each charge separately. Moreover, it is abundantly clear that the jurors did so. It is the rule in this jurisdiction that when requested instructions are adequately covered by the trial justice's charge actually given to the jury, refusal to give the requested instruction is not error. State v. D'Alo, 435 A.2d 317 (R.I. 1981); State v. Sharbuno, 120 R.I. 714, 390 A.2d 915 (1978); State v. Casala, 113 R.I. 690, 325 A.2d 540 (1974). Since we find in the case at bar that the trial justice adequately covered the subject matter contained in defendant's requested instruction, there is no error in his having refused to give the instruction in the form submitted by defendant.