Opinion ID: 2610903
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Jury Instruction on Time Limitation

Text: Defendant entered not guilty pleas and stood trial on count II, charging criminal sexual contact of a minor, a third degree felony [7] , and on count IV, charging contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a fourth degree felony. The evidence indicates the victim was the same for each offense and that the incident giving rise to the charges occurred on one occasion during the month of September, 1983. Defendant contends the district court erred by failing to instruct the jury on time limitation, arguing it is an essential element of the offenses charged. Generally, an instruction that parallels the language of the statute and contains all essential elements of the crime is sufficient. State v. Jennings, 102 N.M. 89, 691 P.2d 882 (Ct.App.), cert. quashed, 102 N.M. 88, 691 P.2d 881 (1984); cf. Ortiz v. State, 106 N.M. 695, 697, 749 P.2d 80, 82 (1988) (reversible error committed where applicable jury instruction failed to substantially track statutory language and failed to apprise jury of an essential element). In the present case, the record shows the instructions given on these two counts tracked the language of the respective statutes and were in the approved form under our Uniform Jury Instructions. See NMSA 1978, § 30-9-13; SCRA 1986, 14-925; NMSA 1978, § 30-6-3; SCRA 1986, 14-601. In order for time limitation to be considered an essential element of the charges, the information and the evidence must fail to show that the offenses occurred within the limitation period, making it necessary to instruct the jury on the limitation period to avoid giving the jury a misleading or prejudicial instruction regarding the nature of the charges against the defendant. See State v. Salazar, 86 N.M. 172, 174, 521 P.2d 134, 136 (Ct.App. 1974). Here, time limitation was not an essential element of the offenses of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and criminal sexual contact of a minor. Trial testimony revealed the victim's birthday as October 8, and that the offenses occurred within a week or two of her birthday. Assuming the maximum two week period, the offenses could have occurred no earlier than September 24, a date within the five-year limitations period applicable to each charge. [8] Based upon the instructions given, it is possible for the jury to have found that the offenses charged fell within the limitation period. A review of the record indicates that the instructions given neither misled nor prejudiced the jury regarding this issue. No error was committed by the court's failure to instruct the jury on time limitations in connection with the charges at issue. The convictions are affirmed. Finally, because of our holding above that time limitation was not an essential element of the offenses charged, we find it unnecessary to address the jurisdictional issue of whether any error properly was raised below. See Ortiz, 106 N.M. at 698, 749 P.2d at 83 (if proof of element is essential and court fails to instruct thereon, jurisdictional error occurs and issue could be raised on appeal notwithstanding failure to preserve it); State v. Jennings, 102 N.M. at 93, 691 P.2d at 886 (same).