Opinion ID: 2330386
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Issue 5: Inconsistent verdict

Text: [¶ 50] Mr. Counts claims that the jury returned an inconsistent verdict because it convicted him on the charge of aggravated burglary, but acquitted him on the charge of aggravated assault and battery. A person is guilty of aggravated burglary in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-3-301(c)(i) if he, in the course of committing the crime of burglary... [i]s or becomes armed with or uses a deadly weapon. A person is guilty of aggravated assault and battery in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-2-502(a)(iii) if he [t]hreatens to use a drawn deadly weapon on another. Mr. Counts claims it was inconsistent for the jury to find that he was, or became, armed with a deadly weapon (thereby finding him guilty of aggravated burglary), but that he did not threaten to use a drawn deadly weapon (thereby acquitting him of aggravated assault and battery). [¶ 51] There is no inconsistency. A person may be armed with a deadly weapon without threatening to use it. In Mr. Counts' case, there was evidence from which the jury could find that he held a knife in his hand when he broke into BP's home (supporting his conviction for aggravated burglary), but the jury could also believe that he did not actually threaten her with it (supporting his acquittal on the charge of aggravated assault and battery). Moreover, the argument lacks legal merit. As Mr. Counts conceded in his brief: This Court has repeatedly held that inconsistent verdicts between criminal counts do not justify reversal. State v. Hickenbottom, 63 Wyo. 41, 178 P.2d 119, 127 (1947); Lessard v. State, 719 P.2d 227, 230-32 (Wyo.1986); Eatherton v. State, 810 P.2d 93, 98 (Wyo.1991); Hankinson v. State, 2002 WY 86, 47 P.3d 623, 628 (Wyo.2002); Moore v. State, 2003 WY 153, [¶ 16,] 80 P.3d 191, 196 (Wyo.2003).... The United States Supreme Court has [also] refused to consider inconsistent verdicts to be grounds for reversal. Dunn v. United States, 284 U.S. 390, 52 S.Ct. 189 [76 L.Ed. 356] (1932); United States v. Powell, 469 U.S. 57, 105 S.Ct. 471 [83 L.Ed.2d 461] (1984). Mr. Counts presents no cogent argument for departing from this precedent.