Opinion ID: 900409
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Failure to Request Cautionary Instruction

Text: [¶ 23.] Next, New contends Molstad failed to request an instruction to limit the jury's consideration of Black Bear's guilty plea and White Horse's acquittal and guilty plea as an accessory. New asserts this instruction was necessary because the existing instructions did not explain the purpose for which the evidence could or could not be used. He argues that without proper instruction, the jury could use White Horse's acquittal and plea and Black Bear's guilty plea as evidence of New's guilt. New's premise is that a competent attorney would have requested such an instruction and the failure to do so deprived him of a fair trial. The habeas court rejected this argument, and we conclude that even if failure to request the instruction was somehow deficient, New has failed to establish the requisite prejudice.