Opinion ID: 1959682
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Burden of ProofMental Retardation

Text: Johnson asserts that the trial court erred in instructing the jury that he had the burden of proving mental retardation by a preponderance of the evidence. The court submitted jury instruction MAI-CR 3d 313.38, which instructed the jurors that if they unanimously found by a preponderance of the evidence that Johnson was mentally retarded, then they must return a verdict for life imprisonment without eligibility for probation, parole, or release except by act of the governor. Johnson objected to this instruction, alleging that it violated his Sixth Amendment right because it should have been the State's burden to prove he was not mentally retarded. He submitted his own instruction providing that the State had the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that he was not mentally retarded. The trial court declined to give his instruction because it was not in compliance with the MAI or Missouri law. See MAI-CR 3d 313.38 and section 565.030.4(1). It is within the trial court's discretion to decide whether a tendered jury instruction should be submitted. State v. Hartman, 224 S.W.3d 642, 648 (Mo.App. 2007). A court is presumed to commit prejudicial error if it fails to use an applicable MAI. See Hudson v. Carr, 668 S.W.2d 68, 71 (Mo. banc 1984). If there is an applicable MAI-CR instruction, that instruction must be given to the exclusion of any others. State v. Ervin, 979 S.W.2d 149, 158 (Mo. banc 1998). If a proffered instruction is in conflict with substantive law, a court should decline to follow it. State v. Carson, 941 S.W.2d 518, 520 (Mo. banc 1997). Under section 565.030.4(1), life imprisonment shall be assessed `[i]f the trier finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is mentally retarded. The statute necessarily implies that it is defendant's burden, not the State's, to prove to a jury that he is mentally retarded. It would be illogical for the State to be the proponent. If the jury finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is mentally retarded, it shall impose a sentence of life imprisonment. Johnson contends that based on the United States Supreme Court cases Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304, 122 S.Ct. 2242, 153 L.Ed.2d 335 (2002), and Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584, 122 S.Ct. 2428, 153 L.Ed.2d 556 (2002), this standard is incorrect, and the jury should have been required to find beyond a reasonable doubt that he is not mentally retarded before having the option of imposing the death penalty. In Atkins , the Supreme Court held that the Eighth Amendment prohibits sentencing a mentally retarded offender to death because such punishment is excessive in that it does not advance the deterrent or retributive purposes of the death penalty. 536 U.S. at 321, 122 S.Ct. 2242. Although the Court set forth this basic standard, it did not articulate whose burden it was to prove mental retardation and, instead, left it to the states to develop appropriate ways to enforce this constitutional restriction. Id. at 317, 122 S.Ct. 2242. [3] In Ring , the Supreme Court examined Arizona's statutory scheme that allowed a judge to determine the existence of a statutory aggravating circumstance, which was necessary to impose the death penalty on a defendant. 536 U.S. at 588, 122 S.Ct. 2428. The Court found that under the Sixth Amendment, such a finding must be made by a jury. Id. at 602, 122 S.Ct. 2428. It held that if a State makes an increase in a defendant's authorized punishment contingent on the finding of a fact, that factno matter how the State labels it must be found by a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. Based on the holdings in Atkins and Ring , Johnson alleges that any facts that are necessary to put a defendant to death must be found by a jury beyond a reasonable doubt, and since the Eighth Amendment prohibits a mentally retarded offender from being sentenced to death, mental retardation is now a factual issue upon which a defendant's eligibility for death turns. He contends that the prosecution must first prove lack of mental retardation beyond a reasonable doubt before he can be sentenced to death. Johnson's claim is without merit. Under section 565.030.4(1), a finding of mental retardation is made by the jury and, if such a finding is made, the potential punishment for a capital defendant is limited to life imprisonment. Determining a defendant is mentally retarded is not a finding of fact that increases the potential range of punishment; it is a finding that removes the defendant from consideration of the death penalty. The Supreme Court's holding in Ring requiring a jury to find statutory aggravating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt does not apply to the issue of mental retardation. The instruction the trial court submitted to the jury, MAI-CR 3d 313.38, is not in conflict with substantive law, or Ring . The court did not err in instructing the jury that Johnson had the burden of proving mental retardation by a preponderance of the evidence.