Opinion ID: 1940768
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Failure to Give Defendant's Requested Jury Instructions.

Text: Defendant argues that error was committed by the trial court's failure to give certain jury instructions requested by him. His primary assertion in this regard is that a limiting instruction should have been given on the jury's consideration of circumstantial evidence similar to the language of Uniform Jury Instruction No. 501.13 prior to our decision in State v. O'Connell, 275 N.W.2d 197 (Iowa 1979). In particular, defendant wanted the jury to be told that in order to warrant a conviction on circumstantial evidence alone the facts proved must be inconsistent with any rational theory of [defendant's] innocence. The court of appeals determined this claim adversely to defendant. We reach a similar result. To the extent that Iowa Code section 801.5(1) (1983) renders pre-1978 substantive and procedural law applicable to defendant's trial, this does not mandate the giving of former uniform jury instructions, which this court has declared to be inappropriate. Our opinion in O'Connell advances several arguments why that instruction should not be given in criminal cases. Defendant also argues that the trial court should have given his requested instructions concerning the effect of the lapse of time on the credibility of testimony. We believe that the jury was adequately advised as to this concern by the general instructions on witness credibility given by the trial court. A party cannot posit error on the fact that instructions do not present a concept in exactly the same language in which the party wishes to have it presented. State v. Horn, 282 N.W.2d 717, 717 (Iowa 1979). Finally, defendant urges that the instructions did not adequately distinguish between aiding and abetting as an accessory after the fact and aiding and abetting the primary crime. At defendant's request, the trial court modified its instructions to provide that subsequent conduct may be considered only as it may tend to prove the defendant's prior encouragement or participation but not as the sole basis for establishing defendant's guilt. We believe this change of language was adequate to satisfy defendant's concerns. We have considered the assignment of error based upon refusal to give proposed instructions and find no basis for reversing on these claims.