Opinion ID: 2571685
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the district court's instructions misstated the law and were apt to confuse or mislead the jury

Text: The propriety of jury instructions is a question of law over which this Court exercises free review. State v. Row, 131 Idaho 303, 310, 955 P.2d 1082, 1089 (1998). This Court has upheld jury instructions that do not strictly comply with those contained in the Idaho Criminal Jury Instructions (ICJI), but this Court has cautioned: [w]e emphasize, however, that any court which varies from jury instructions previously approved by this Court does so at considerable risk that the verdict rendered will be overturned on appeal. State v. Merwin, 131 Idaho 642, 647, 962 P.2d 1026, 1031 (1998). When reviewing jury instructions, this Court must first ask whether the instructions as a whole, and not individually, fairly and accurately reflect the applicable law. Row, 131 Idaho at 310, 955 P.2d at 1089. To be reversible error, instructions must have misled the jury or prejudiced the complaining party. Id. Young argues that the district court's jury instructions misstated the law and were apt to confuse and mislead the jury in two ways. First, he argues, the instructions misstated the law regarding a parent's legal duty to secure medical treatment for his or her children. Second, he argues, the instructions misstated the mental state the prosecution was required to show in order to secure a conviction. Idaho Code section 18-1501(1) provides the following: Any person who, under circumstances or conditions likely to produce great bodily harm or death, willfully causes or permits any child to suffer, or inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, or having the care or custody of any child, willfully causes or permits the person or health of such child to be injured, or willfully causes or permits such child to be placed in such situation that its person or health is endangered, is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one (1) year, or in the state prison for not less than one (1) year nor more than ten (10) years. A plain reading of section 18-1501(1) indicates that its purpose is to punish conduct or inaction that intentionally causes a child to suffer. In this case application of the statute would require that the State prove that Young failed to take the child for medical treatment after the child was burned and that this failure was done with the knowledge that it would cause the child to suffer or would inflict unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering. The purpose of the statute is not to punish mistakes in judgment that are reviewed in hindsight. If Young knew that failure to take the child for medical care would cause unnecessary suffering or unjustifiable physical pain, then he would be guilty. The question is not limited to the issue of whether he failed to obtain reasonable medical attention. Once established that the child should have received reasonable medical attention, there must be a further showing that the failure to obtain that medical attention was done with knowledge that this would cause unnecessary suffering or unjustifiable physical pain. Otherwise custodians of children may be subjected to criminal penalties for good faith decisions that turn out poorlyinnocent mistakes in judgment. Read by itself section 18-1501(1) leads a jury to the proper analysis. In this case, however, the jury was given Instruction 13 based upon Idaho Code section 18-101(1). Instruction 13 provides the following: The word willfully, when applied to the intent with which an act is done or omitted, implies simply a purpose or willingness to commit the act or make the omission referred to. It does not require any intent to violate the law, or to injure another, or to acquire any advantage. Idaho Code section 18-101(1) provides the following: The following words have in this code the signification attached to them in this section, unless otherwise apparent from the context: 1. The word wilfully, when applied to the intent with which an act is done or omitted, implies simply a purpose or willingness to commit the act or make the omission referred to. It does not require any intent to violate law, or to injure another, or to acquire any advantage. Generally giving an instruction in statutory language is not error. However, section 101 has its own built in warning that it is not appropriate in all instances in which the word willfully is used in the charging statute. Section 101 expressly provides that the term willfully is to be applied as defined unless otherwise apparent from the context. It is apparent from the context of section 18-1501(1) that the generalized definition of willfully should not be used. Section 18-1501(1) tells the jury that the State must prove that Young willfully caused or permitted the child to suffer or inflicted unjustifiable physical pain. Instruction 13 told the jury that Young would be guilty even if he did not intend to injure the child by his conduct or omission. At best this is confusing. At worst it misstates the lawit allowed Young to be convicted even if he made a good faith mistake believing that the treatment he provided was adequate for the injuries. Idaho Code section 18-1501(1) is a criminal statute not a barometer for stupidity. It should have been instructed as written without the embellishment of section 18-101(1), which from the context was not applicable. This was not harmless error. The case must be remanded for new trial with proper instructions.