Opinion ID: 2569354
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Whether the prosecution and the trial court misled the jurors during voir dire about the affirmative defense of voluntary intoxication.

Text: Harlan claims that prospective jurors were misled about the prosecution's burden of proof with respect to voluntary intoxication as an affirmative defense. As explained in the body of the opinion, voluntary intoxication is not an affirmative defense to a specific intent crime. See supra Opinion Part III.A. Rather, a defendant is allowed to introduce evidence of voluntary intoxication to negate the existence of the requisite specific intent of the charged offense. See § 18-1-804(1), 6 C.R.S. (1999). However, the purpose of voir dire is not to instruct prospective jurors on the law, but to determine whether they could conscientiously apply the law given by the court in its instructions. See People v. Davis, 794 P.2d 159, 207 (Colo.1990). Accordingly, any error the trial court may have committed in its rulings regarding voluntary intoxication during the jury selection phase is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.