Opinion ID: 1785608
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Intoxication Evidence

Text: Owsley complains that his right to due process was violated when he was prohibited under section 562.076.3, RSMo 1994, from introducing during the guilt phase evidence of his alleged intoxication. Evidence of his intoxication from alcohol and drugs, he submits, would have negated the requisite mental state of deliberation. In the alternative, he claims that Instruction No. 12, based on MAI-Cr3d 310.50the voluntary intoxication instructionshould not have been submitted to the jury. The instruction, he alleges, violated his right to due process, because it relieved the State of proving all of the elements of the crime. Moreover, he claims that the limited evidence of his consumption of alcoholevidence that was admitted on other groundsdid not support the submission of Instruction No. 12. The introduction of voluntary intoxication evidence is severely restricted by section 562.076.3, that states: Evidence that a person was in a voluntarily intoxicated or drugged condition may be admissible when otherwise relevant on issues of conduct but in no event shall it be admissible for the purpose of negating a mental state which is an element of the offense. In a trial by jury, the jury shall be so instructed when evidence that a person was in a voluntarily intoxicated or drugged condition has been received into evidence. Because defendant made no clear or direct challenge to this statute either at trial or in his motion for new trial, he has not preserved the issue for review. Refusing the admission of Owsley's intoxication evidence did not constitute manifest injustice; therefore, we decline to undertake plain error review. Owsley's alternative claim, while preserved for appeal, has no merit. Instruction No. 12 accurately tracks MAI-CR 310.50, which reflects this Court's decision in State v. Erwin, 848 S.W.2d 476 (Mo. banc 1993), and the subsequent statutory change to section 562.076. See sec. 562.076; MAI-CR 310.50. As this Court has already decided, MAI-CR 310.50 does not relieve the State of its burden of proving all of the elements of a crime, State v. Taylor, 944 S.W.2d 925, 936 (Mo. banc 1997); thus, it did not violate defendant's due process rights. To support the submission of Instruction No. 12, there need only be evidence that a person was voluntarily intoxicated. See sec. 562.076; MAI-CR 310.50, Notes on Use. In this case, evidence of Owsley's voluntary intoxicationthat he drank a pint and a half of gin before committing the murder was admitted through the testimony of Detective Cridlebaugh and the dialogue on the video taped confession. This evidence was more than sufficient. Accordingly, the instruction was properly given to prevent that evidence from being used to negate Owsley's mental intent. See Taylor, 944 S.W.2d at 936. The point is denied.