Opinion ID: 1932327
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Single Theory Unanimity

Text: We are also concerned that the instructions to the jury did not specifically state that the jury must be unanimous with regard to the mode or manner by which it found Probst guilty. In particular, the jury was not instructed that it must agree unanimously upon the particular act or acts of criminality, i.e., actus reus. The State's case against Probst was submitted to the jury under the theory that Probst was guilty of shooting Walla herself or that she was guilty of shooting Walla as a result of importuning Miller to fire at Walla. The jury was instructed that its verdict must be unanimous, [7] as follows: In summary, you may find the following verdicts as to each charge. First, as to the charge of assault in the second degree, you may find one of two verdicts: One, guilty as charged; that is, guilty of assault in the second degree or, two, not guilty of any offense  not guilty of assault in the second degree. As to the charge of possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, you may find the defendant, one, guilty as charged or, two, not guilty. In other words, as to each charge against the defendant, you may either find him guilty or not guilty. You should come to a separate and independent decision as to each charge and whatever decision you make must be unanimous. In the routine case, a general unanimity instruction is sufficient to insure that the jury is unanimous on the factual basis for a conviction. However, this rule is inapplicable where there are factors in a case which create the potential that the jury will be confused. United States v. Beros, 833 F.2d 455, 460 (3d Cir.1987). [8] Cf. Ciccaglione v. State, Del.Supr., 474 A.2d 126, 130 (1984). A more specific unanimity instruction is required if (1) a jury is instructed that the commission of any one of several alternative actions would subject the defendant to criminal liability, (2) the actions are conceptually different and (3) the state has presented evidence on each of the alternatives. State v. Edwards, 10 Conn.App. 503, 524 A.2d 648, 653 (Conn. App.Ct.) (footnote omitted), appeal denied, 204 Conn. 808, 528 A.2d 1155 (Conn.1987). See also United States v. Gipson, 553 F.2d 453, 456-59 (5th Cir.1977). In this case, the State argued that Probst was guilty by virtue of her own conduct or in the alternative as an accomplice to her brother's conduct. When the State chooses to prosecute under alternative or multiple theories, it must prove at least one of the theories beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of the entire jury. United States v. Beros, 833 F.2d at 462. The State cannot rely on a composite theory of liability, producing twelve jurors who unanimously thought the defendant was guilty but who were not unanimous in their assessment of which act supported the verdict. Id. In this case, for example, it is possible that twelve jurors agreed that Probst was guilty of assault even though they may have been equally divided about whether the shot which struck Walla came from Probst's gun or from Miller's gun. Gipson recognized that [t]he unanimity rule ... requires jurors to be in substantial agreement as to just what a defendant did as a step preliminary to determining whether the defendant is guilty of the crime charged. United States v. Gipson, 553 F.2d at 457-58. On appeal, as we stated earlier, our task is to determine whether the potential for juror confusion existed, not whether the jury in fact was confused. See United States v. Beros, 833 F.2d at 461. We adhere to what has been characterized as the simpler and the constitutionally more correct rule: When it appears ... that there is a genuine possibility of jury confusion or that a conviction may occur as the result of different jurors concluding that the defendant committed different acts, the general unanimity instruction does not suffice. To correct any potential confusion in such a case, the trial judge must augment the general instruction to ensure the jury understands its duty to unanimously agree to a particular set of facts. United States v. Echeverry, 719 F.2d 974, 975 (9th Cir.1983), quoted in United States v. Beros, 833 F.2d at 461. Accord United States v. Payseno, 782 F.2d 832, 837 (9th Cir.1986). The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution requires that there be a conviction by a jury that is unanimous as to the defendant's specific illegal action. United States v. Beros, 833 F.2d at 462. The jury must be properly instructed to achieve such unanimity. We conclude that under the circumstances of this case, the Probst jury should have received specific instructions regarding jury unanimity with regard to their assessment of which act (Probst's shot or Miller's) supported the verdict. Cf. id. at 461-62. A specific instruction requiring unanimity on the theory of criminal liability for assaulting Walla would have also had a direct bearing upon the jurors' assessment of the weapons charge since both Probst and Miller were armed. [9] The absence of a specific unanimity instruction undoubtedly compounded the jurors' potential for confusion. However, it is unnecessary for us to reach the question of whether the failure to give a specific unanimity instruction in this case constitutes reversible error because of the gender confusion which provided an independent basis to reverse Probst's convictions. We have addressed that issue in this case only because there will be a new trial. If the State presents its case against Probst in the same manner at her next trial, it would be appropriate to give a more detailed unanimity instruction. Ciccaglione v. State, 474 A.2d at 130.