Opinion ID: 2621772
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Instruction on Court's Lack of Authority to Order LRA

Text: The majority asserts, without benefit of citation or analysis, the state is entitled to an instruction which informs the jury the court has no authority to order the defendant into an LRA or to undergo treatment in an LRA. Majority at 1044. Although this is an accurate statement of the law, it defeats the purpose of a proper instruction, which is to furnish guidance to the jury in its deliberations. State v. Allen, 89 Wash.2d 651, 654, 574 P.2d 1182 (1978). It fails to furnish guidance because, as the majority has determined, the court's ability to order an LRA is irrelevant to the factual determination of whether or not the individual could be safely placed in an LRA, regardless of whether or not one actually exists. Not only does the instruction fail to furnish guidance helpful to the jury's performance of its duties, it affirmatively misdirects the attention of the jury to a legal circumstance which is irrelevant to its deliberation, and consideration of which is prejudicial to the rights of the defendant. Such an instruction can serve no purpose other than invite the jury to require incarceration because no LRA is available to the court.