Opinion ID: 2244925
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Refusal to give certain jury instructions.

Text: Four instructions tendered by defendant that relate to witness credibility were refused by the trial court. One instruction cautioned against giving undue consideration to the testimony of law enforcement officers; another advised the jury to give special scrutiny to the testimony of those who may have reason to be hostile to defendant; a third asked the jury not to disregard testimony that might be provided by friends of defendant; and the fourth would have instructed the jury to consider whether the testimony of Kaidi Harvell may have been influenced by the State's promise of immunity. Defendant readily concedes that the instructions of the type refused by the trial court have been disapproved in Indiana on the basis that they serve to unduly emphasize the testimony of particular witnesses and constitute an improper comment on the competency or weight of such evidence, which invades the province of the jury. (Br. at 29.) A similar concession was made at trial. [1] Defendant nevertheless invites this Court to change the law in Indiana. We decline this invitation at this time and in this case. The jury was made aware that Harvell was testifying under a grant of immunity and the trial court instructed the jury generally with regard to taking into account any interest, bias or prejudice the witnesses who testified may have, in compliance with Indiana law. The trial court did not err in refusing the tendered instructions.