Opinion ID: 1926022
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jury Instruction Regarding Youthful Age of the Defendant as a Mitigating Factor

Text: Appellant argues that the jury instruction concerning the mitigating factor of the youthful age of the defendant was inadequate, in that the instruction may have left the jury with the impression that youthful age meant chronological age only. Appellant failed to request the instruction that he now requests and never objected to the instruction regarding youthful age that he now claims was error. Where there has been no timely objection to the giving of or failure to give an instruction, the issue is not preserved. See Maryland Rule 4-325(e); Richmond v. State, 330 Md. 223, 235, 623 A.2d 630, 636 (1993). The issue is waived. See Maryland Rule 8-131; State v. Tichnell, 306 Md. 428, 465-66, 509 A.2d 1179, 1198 (1986); Foster v. State, 305 Md. 306, 316, 503 A.2d 1326, 1331 (1986). We find no plain error. Section 413(g) provides that, if the jury or court considering a death sentence finds beyond a reasonable doubt that an aggravating circumstance exists, then it must consider whether any mitigating circumstances exist. The statute sets out a non-exclusive list of possible mitigating circumstances. Section 413(g)(5) states as a statutory mitigator: The youthful age of the defendant at the time of the crime. In explaining the sentencing form to the jury, the judge said: For the purposes of the sentencing procedure, a mitigating circumstance is anything about the Defendant or the facts of this case that, in fairness or in mercy, may make the death sentence an inappropriate penalty for the defendant. The court identified the mitigating circumstances for the jury, and in regard to youthful age, stated: Five, the youthful age of the Defendant at the time of the crime. At the conclusion of the jury instructions, both sides told the court, at the bench, that there were no objections to the instructions as given. Appellant, who was 22 years old at the time of the murders, argues that the youthful age mitigator in Maryland includes many factors other than chronological age, see, e.g., Johnson v. State, 348 Md. 337, 353-54, 703 A.2d 1267, 1275 (1998), and that, without an explicit instruction regarding these other factors, the jury would likely assume that age means chronological age only. Appellant introduced the videotaped deposition of expert Laurie James Monroe as evidence of his background and upbringing. He argues that, if given a more detailed instruction, the jury could have considered this evidence, as well as Appellant's lack of experience with the criminal justice system and his poor anger control evidencing immaturity, when deciding whether the mitigating circumstance of youthful age existed. Finally, Appellant argues that, despite the lack of objection, the sentence should be reversed because the instruction as given was plain error. We disagree. It is well settled in Maryland that youthful age as used in this statute includes considerations other than mere chronological age, see Johnson, 348 Md. at 353-54, 703 A.2d at 1275; Lovell v. State, 347 Md. 623, 659-60, 702 A.2d 261, 279 (1997), but instructions on mitigating circumstances for purposes of capital sentencing proceedings are not excepted from the general rule that a party must request a specific instruction before a court is required to give it. Appellant does not contend that the instruction as given contained any misstatement, but only that the instruction provided the jury with no guidance in assessing the existence vel non of the youthful age mitigator. The constitutional standard for reviewing an allegedly ambiguous jury instruction is `whether there is a reasonable likelihood that the jury has applied the challenged instruction in a way that prevents the consideration of constitutionally relevant evidence.' Booth v. State, 327 Md. 142, 162, 608 A.2d 162, 171 (1992) (quoting Boyde v. California, 494 U.S. 370, 380, 110 S.Ct. 1190, 108 L.Ed.2d 316 (1990)). It is clear from a review of the closing arguments of the State and Appellant that the jury was not misled into believing that the statutory mitigator of youthful age was limited to chronological age only. The State, in closing, conceded that the defendant's age of twenty-two is not extremely old or very old in terms of chronological age. The prosecutor then went on to argue the maturity of Ware, his actions in the military and service in Desert Storm, and the cold and calculating nature of the crime as evidence of maturity. In response, as to youthful age, defense counsel argued the immaturity of Appellant and that he was acting out of youth, out of the impetuousness of youth. A court's obligation to give any particular instruction in a criminal case is governed by Maryland Rule 4-325. Rule 4-325(c) provides: The court may, and at the request of any party shall, instruct the jury as to the applicable law and the extent to which the instructions are binding. The court may give its instructions orally or, with the consent of the parties, in writing instead of orally. The court need not grant a requested instruction if the matter is fairly covered by instructions actually given. Rule 4-325(e) deals with objection and the right to assign error in connection with jury instructions: No party may assign as error the giving or failure to give an instruction unless the party objects on the record promptly after the court instructs the jury, stating distinctly the matter to which the party objects and the grounds of the objection. Upon request of any party, the court shall receive objections out of the hearing of the jury. An appellate court, on its own initiative or on the suggestion of a party, may however take cognizance of any plain error in the instructions, material to the rights of the defendant, despite a failure to object. We have long interpreted these rules and their predecessors to mean that a court does not err when it omits an instruction or, in this case, further amplification, that was never requested. The Supreme Court has established, in capital sentencing proceedings, that the sentencer may not be precluded from considering, and may not refuse to consider, any constitutionally relevant mitigating evidence, and that the State may structure the jury's consideration of mitigation so long as it does not preclude the jury from giving effect to it. Weeks v. Angelone, 528 U.S. 225, ___, 120 S.Ct. 727, 732, 145 L.Ed.2d 727, 68 U.S.L.W. 4060 (2000). In Ware's case, the jury was explicitly instructed to consider youthful age as a mitigating factor. The instruction given by the trial court was a correct statement of the law, and the jury did not ask for any supplemental instruction as to the meaning of youthful age. [13] There is no reasonable likelihood that the jury applied the instruction in a way that prevented the consideration of constitutionally relevant evidence of the statutory factor of youthful age. See Buchanan v. Angelone, 522 U.S. 269, 276, 118 S.Ct. 757, 139 L.Ed.2d 702 (1998); Mills v. Maryland, 486 U.S. 367, 108 S.Ct. 1860, 100 L.Ed.2d 384 (1988). There was no error.