Opinion ID: 1657407
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Limiting Instructions on Expert Testimony on Gangs and Three Gang-related Shootings

Text: A failure to object to jury instructions results in a waiver of the right to appeal absent plain error. State v. Gutierrez, 667 N.W.2d 426, 433 (Minn.2003). Blanche claims that Clemons unreasonably failed to ask for a limiting instruction to ensure that the jury did not consider Martin's testimony about gang activities as proof of [Blanche's] propensity to commit the charged crimes, or that because gang members commit certain crimes [Blanche] likely committed the charged offenses. Blanche contends that a limiting instruction was required so that the jury would use only Martin's testimony to determine whether the crime had been committed for the benefit of a gang. The court did provide a limiting instruction on expert testimony. Based on our independent review of the record and our previous conclusion that the admission of Martin's testimony was harmless error, and without deciding whether the omission of a more specific instruction was erroneous, we conclude that the omission did not have a significant impact on the verdict in this case. Therefore, Blanche has not shown that Clemons' failure to ask for the limiting instruction caused him prejudice. Blanche also contends that Clemons was prejudicially ineffective when he failed to request a limiting instruction regarding the testimony on the three gang-related shootings. Blanche does not indicate what would have constituted an appropriate limiting instruction, but appears to suggest that the jury should have been instructed that the three gang-related shootings could not be used to show that Blanche had a propensity to commit crime. Character evidence is inadmissible under Minn. R. Evid. 404, but the state did not introduce the three gang-related shootings that preceded Phillips' murder as Spreigl evidence. [10] Rather, the state introduced the previous shootings as being directly related to the murder  to establish the reason why Blanche and Bernard had targeted rival gang member Scott and to link Blanche to the murder weapon. Therefore, we conclude that Blanche has failed to prove that Clemons' failure to ask for a limiting instruction on this issue caused him prejudice. After reviewing all of Blanche's specific allegations of ineffective assistance of trial counsel, we hold that the postconviction court did not err in concluding that Blanche had failed to establish that Clemons' representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness and that, but for Clemons' errors, the outcome would have been different.