Opinion ID: 2514469
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Jury instructions, the prosecution's closing argument, and the family court's judgment

Text: After the defense rested its case, the family court instructed the jury regarding, among other things, Carlut's defenses of use of force for the protection of property, use of force in self-protection, and consent. During closing argument, the prosecution discussed the 911 recording and the VVS form, asserting that: When I gave my opening statement, I told you what I expected the evidence to show in this case. And you heard on the 911 call that was admitted into evidence, so you will be able to take it in the back and listen to it again if you need to do that. And what you are able to observe on the victim voluntary statement form submitted to the police that night was consistent with what I said the evidence would show. The prosecution further maintained that: This was not about a drunk and belligerent woman on a rampage. There was no evidence of that. You heard the 911 call yourselves. You will be able to listen to it again when you deliberate. And you heard her speak in court. Listen to the 911 call. It will be obvious that she is not speaking with slurred speech. She is able to  or broken speech. She is able to communicate with the operator, answer questions, give information and communicate about what happened to her in particular that he had abused her. . . . [A]lthough she had admitted to having been drinking, . . . there was no evidence that she was drunk and impaired. Both of the officers testified to that. They both communicated with her. After the 911 call dispatched them to the location, both had a chance to observe her and talk with her. In fact, Officer Wright said he stood up with her by the car, the trunk of the car, and helped her fill out the form, but she was so shaken, he did it for her, and then he wrote down what she reported to him. She reviewed the form and signed it at that time adopting it as her signature [sic]. And she testified that she  that is her signature and she remembered signing it. The only thing she backed off on saying was[, ]I didn't really look at it when I signed it.[] But it's curious because what is on the form, the officer didn't add anything there, because  other than what she told him, because it's consistent with what was on the 911 call. The officer was not involved in the 911 call. What she reported to the operator, you will see by looking at the victim voluntary statement, is exactly what she reported to the police later. Th[ose were] her words. She reported the fact[s] as they occurred that night. Following its deliberations, the jury found Carlut guilty as charged. On September 2, 2005, the family court entered its judgment of conviction and probation sentence, sentencing Carlut to, among other things, forty-eight hours of incarceration, with credit for time served, and one year of probation. Carlut filed a timely notice of appeal on September 30, 2005.