Opinion ID: 2463705
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Definition of Escape

Text: Finally, Townsend contends that the trial court's definition of escape as a continuing activity commencing with the conception of the design to escape could have permitted the jury to convict him for merely thinking about failing to remain within the extended limits on his confinement under the ISP, rather than actually failing to do so. The People, however, alleged that Townsend escaped by failing to remain within the extended limits on his confinement, not merely by thinking about failing to remain within them. Accordingly, the error in the definition, if any, was harmless, and we need not address it further. See Key v. People, 715 P.2d 319, 323 (Colo.1986) (citing Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967); Graham v. People, 705 P.2d 505 (Colo.1985); People v. Myrick, 638 P.2d 34 (Colo.1981); People v. Blair, 195 Colo. 462, 579 P.2d 1133 (1978)). Moreover, because we recognize only the mere possibility of a single harmless error in one jury instruction, we find no cumulative error warranting the reversal of Townsend's conviction.