Opinion ID: 1716770
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Did the trial court err in granting the State's only instruction?

Text: The only instruction granted to the State was No. 8, as follows: The Court instructs the jury that if you believe from the evidence in this case beyond a reasonable doubt that on or about January 1, 1977, the defendant, Gary McGee, while acting purposely, knowingly, or recklessly, caused serious bodily injury to one Milton R. Wilkinson by running into Milton R. Wilkinson with an automobile, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, it is your sworn duty to find the defendant guilty as charged, in which case, your verdict, which should be written on a separate piece of paper, should be in the following form: `We, the jury, find the defendant guilty as charged.' The above instruction was not supported by the evidence. Although no specific objection was made to the instruction, we are of the opinion that manifest injustice would result unless we raise the objection here. Miss.Sup.Ct. Rules 6 and 42. The appellant did not move for a directed verdict of not guilty at the conclusion of all the evidence, nor did he ask for a peremptory instruction of not guilty, and, of course, no such assignment of error is before this Court. If such an assignment were presented here, probably, on the record before us, it would be sustained and the appellant discharged. In this status of the record, we are of the opinion that granting Instruction No. 8 was reversible error and that the judgment of the lower court should be reversed and the cause remanded. In view of our holding on this assignment of error, it is not necessary to discuss the last assignment. REVERSED AND REMANDED. PATTERSON, C.J., SMITH and ROBERTSON, P. JJ., and SUGG, WALKER, BROOM, BOWLING and COFER, JJ., concur.