Opinion ID: 518450
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: inadequacy of instruction

Text: 9 Schoenfeld requested that the court follow the Eighth Circuit Pattern Instruction 6.04 as to the testimony of an accomplice. 4 Specifically, Schoenfeld argues that the last sentence of the instruction to the effect that the jury should consider the testimony of an accomplice with greater caution than that of an ordinary witness should have been given. This Court has held such language to be required only where the witness's testimony concerning the defendant's participation in the offense is uncorroborated, and that where the testimony is corroborated, the absence of such language is not error. United States v. McGinnis, 783 F.2d 755, 758 (8th Cir.1986). The Eighth Circuit Pattern Jury Committee has considered this language as not mandating use whenever an accomplice testifies. 5 Although we have held that such pattern jury instructions are helpful to the trial judge, they do not constitute adjudicative approval which must await case-by-case review by the appellate court. United States v. Ridinger, 805 F.2d 818, 821 (8th Cir.1986). This Court recently reaffirmed its decision in Esters v. United States, 260 F.2d 393, 397 (8th Cir.1958) to the effect that no absolute and mandatory duty is imposed upon the trial court to advise the jury by instruction that they should consider the testimony of an uncorroborated accomplice with caution. United States v. Schriver, 838 F.2d 980, 983 (8th Cir.1988). 10 Moreover, upon review of the record in this case, we find that the testimony of the accomplice Pat Carstensen was corroborated by other direct and circumstantial evidence. Accordingly, we find no error in the instruction as given. The jury was properly charged as to its duty to determine credibility. 11 The judgment of conviction is affirmed.