Opinion ID: 1657407
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Limiting Instructions

Text: We are also concerned that the district court did not explicitly instruct the jury in its final instructions that Bernard's statements, whether provided through the testimony of other witnesses or by Bernard directly, could not be used against Blanche. The Bruton line of cases explicitly stresses the importance of limiting jury instructions. When the videotape was played, the court instructed the jury as follows: [Y]ou can consider the statements of Mr. Bernard and Mr. Blanche only as they relate to their own case. So you should not consider, for instance, Mr. Blanche's statements in Mr. Bernard's case. And you should not consider Mr. Bernard's statements in Mr. Blanche's case. But when the court gave the jury instructions, the court generally stated that each defendant's case must be tried separately and that the jury should analyze what the evidence shows with respect to that defendant, leaving out of consideration entirely any evidence admitted solely against the other defendant. [5] The court should have provided specific limiting instructions both at the time the evidence was introduced and when providing final instructions to the jury. We nevertheless conclude that here the combination of the instructions provided by the court was sufficient to provide Blanche the protections required by Bruton. See State v. White, 684 N.W.2d 500, 509 (Minn.2004) (explaining that jury instructions are not in error when, viewed in their entirety, they fairly and adequately explain the law of the case). Based on the foregoing, we hold that Blanche's Sixth Amendment Confrontation Clause rights were not violated by admission of Davis's testimony, Detective Kelly's testimony, Duan Gaines's testimony, or the videotaped statement by Bernard.
Blanche also argues that the district court erred when it joined Blanche's trial with Bernard's, claiming that the court incorrectly determined that there were no Bruton violations or other unfairly prejudicial issues, including the letter from Robert Williams to Blanche, requiring separate trials. In reviewing a court's pretrial decision regarding joinder, we make an independent inquiry into any substantial prejudice to defendants that may have resulted from their being joined for trial. State v. DeVerney, 592 N.W.2d 837, 842 (Minn.1999) (quoting State v. Hathaway, 379 N.W.2d 498, 502 (Minn.1985)). If joinder was erroneous, it is subject to harmless error analysis. Santiago v. State, 644 N.W.2d 425, 450 (Minn.2002). Pretrial joinder is governed by Minn. R.Crim. P. 17.03, subd. 2(1), which requires the district court to analyze four factors when determining whether to order joint trials. See Santiago, 644 N.W.2d at 444 (concluding the procedural rules are controlled by the rules of criminal procedure rather than statute). The rule provides in relevant part: When two or more defendants are jointly charged with a felony, they may be tried separately or jointly in the discretion of the court. In making its determination on whether to order joinder or separate trials, the court shall consider [1] the nature of the offense charged, [2] the impact on the victim, [3] the potential prejudice to the defendant, and [4] the interests of justice. Minn. R.Crim. P. 17.03, subd. 2(1). The district court analyzed each of these factors and determined that the joinder of Blanche and Bernard was appropriate. We will analyze each of these four factors in turn.