Opinion ID: 1879070
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: whether the trial court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on the state of law concerning the testimony of a law enforcement officer?

Text: ¶ 18. The standard of review for challenges to jury instructions is as follows: Jury instructions are to be read together and taken as a whole with no one instruction taken out of context. A defendant is entitled to have jury instructions given which present his theory of the case, however, this entitlement is limited in that the court may refuse an instruction which incorrectly states the law, is covered fairly elsewhere in the instructions, or is without foundation in the evidence. Humphrey v. State, 759 So.2d 368, 380 (Miss.2000)(citing Heidel v. State, 587 So.2d 835, 842 (Miss.1991)). ¶ 19. Austin argues that the trial court erred by refusing his request for a level playing field jury instructionthat is, one that noted that the testimony of a police officer is not entitled to greater weight than any other witness. The requested instruction would have advised the jury that: The testimony of a law enforcement officer should be considered by you just as any other evidence in the case. In evaluating his or her credibility you should use the same guidelines which you apply to the testimony of any witness. In no event should you give either greater or less credence to the testimony of any witness merely because he or she is a law enforcement officer. The trial court refused the instruction because it was duplicitous of another instruction that had already been granted. ¶ 20. This Court has previously held that the very same instruction offered by Austin was properly refused. See Stewart v. State, 355 So.2d 94, 96 (Miss.1978); Washington v. State, 341 So.2d 663, 664 (Miss.1977). The Court recently reiterated its stance in Hansen v. State, 592 So.2d 114, 139 (Miss.1991), noting that the trial court had given the jury the following general instruction: As sole judges of the facts in this case, your exclusive province is to determine what weight and what credibility will be assigned the testimony and evidence of each witness in this case. You are required to use your common sense and sound honest judgment in considering and weighing the testimony of each witness who has testified in this case. Id. at 140. This same instruction was granted in the case sub judice. Hansen further stated that: Our law of criminal procedure has long perceived dangers in comments upon the evidence, and in that regard we have for years had a statute, Miss.Code Ann. § 99-17-35 (1972), which reads in pertinent part: The judge in any criminal cause, shall not sum up or comment on the testimony, or charge the jury as to the weight of evidence.... It is certainly true that of late our attitude toward comments upon the evidence may have relaxed, see Nichols v. Munn, 565 So.2d 1132, 1136-37 (Miss.1990); Weaver v. State, 497 So.2d 1089, 1094 (Miss.1986), but not so much that we will require the instruction at issue. We affirm on this issue. Id. at 141. ¶ 21. Though Mississippi law is clear on this issue, Austin nonetheless argues that the refusal of the trial court to level the playing field resulted in a denial of his right to due process. Austin argues that courts routinely act contrary to the holdings in Stewart, Washington, and Hansen by granting cautionary instructions regarding informant testimony. It is true that where the State's case is based upon the testimony of an accomplice, corroborated only by a confidential informant, the trial court must grant a cautionary instruction. See Edwards v. State, 630 So.2d 343, 344 (Miss.1994); Parker v. State, 378 So.2d 662, 663 (Miss.1980). The policy behind granting a cautionary informant instruction, however, is based on the fact that informant or accomplice testimony, by its very nature, is looked upon with suspicion and distrust. This rationale does not extend to police officer testimony. ¶ 22. For the aforementioned reasons, this assignment of error is without merit.