Opinion ID: 1693842
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Jailhouse Admission

Text: In addition to presenting this evidence at trial, the state presented testimony from Leroy DeMeules, who met Green while they were in jail together. DeMeules testified that Green asked DeMeules if he was in the same cellblock as Medal-Mendoza. DeMeules said he was and Green asked him to relay a message. DeMeules testified: He [Green] wanted Michael to take the case, because he hadn't been charged with any felony before. He wanted me to relay that if Michael did take it, that he would be tooken (sic) care of up in prison, if he didn't, he would also be tooken (sic) care of. DeMeules took this to mean that Medal-Mendoza would be rewarded if he took the blame for the murders or punished if he did not. DeMeules also testified that Green bragged to him about the murders. He said Green seemed excited about it and told him that his role was to check the woman (Crosby) to make sure she was dead. Green told DeMeules that he kicked her in the ribs and as Green said this he made a motion with his hand like he was holding a pistol. DeMeules relayed the message to Medal-Mendoza, who told his attorney. His attorney in turn told the prosecutor who subpoenaed DeMeules to testify. DeMeules did not receive any benefit for testifying against Green. Green denied saying this to DeMeules and speculated that DeMeules fabricated the story after reading Green's police reports, which he kept unsecured in his jail cell. The jury found Green guilty as charged and he was sentenced to consecutive life terms for aiding and abetting the first-degree intentional felony murder of two victims and a concurrent term of 240 months for aiding and abetting attempted murder of the third victim. Valtierra was tried separately and also convicted. In Valtierra's appeal we rejected his arguments that he was denied a fair trial by the submission of pattern jury instructions on accomplice liability and flight. State v. Valtierra, 718 N.W.2d 425, 2006 WL 2075194 at -6 (Minn. July 27, 2006). Green's first two arguments are virtually identical to those made in Valtierra.
Green first argues that the district court erred in giving an unmodified version of the pattern jury instruction on accomplice liability for crimes of another. Minn.Stat. § 609.05, subd. 2 (2004); 10 Minn. Dist. Judges Ass'n, Minnesota PracticeJury Instruction Guidelines, Criminal, CRIMJIG 4.01 (4th ed. 1999) (amended in 2006 supplement to read reasonably foreseeable to the defendant.). He argues that it was error to not add the words to appellant after the phrase the defendant is also guilty of any other crime the person commits while trying to commit the intended crime if that other crime was reasonably foreseeable. The state points out that Green not only failed to object to CRIMJIG 4.01, he specifically requested it. We need not decide whether plain error applies or whether Green's request increased his burden or constituted a waiver because we have already held on several occasions that CRIMJIG 4.01 is not erroneous. See State v. Earl, 702 N.W.2d 711, 721 (Minn.2005); State v. White, 684 N.W.2d 500, 509 (Minn.2004); State v. Peirce, 364 N.W.2d 801, 809-10 (Minn. 1985). We confirmed these holdings in Valtierra. Green argues that because in Earl we suggested that all future jury instructions include the entire statutory phrase reasonably foreseeable to the person, this court was implying that there may be other cases that would lead us to conclude that the instruction is erroneous. Green argues that his is that type of case because the language from the instruction was repeated to the jury three times. Green emphasizes the centrality of the instruction to his conviction and the heightened importance of correctly responding to the jury's question during deliberations. In Earl we suggested a modification of CRIMJIG 4.01 [t]o avoid the necessity of dealing with this issue in the future. 702 N.W.2d at 722. In Valtierra, we concluded that  Earl's suggestion to use the entire statutory phrase does not apply to this case since Valtierra's trial was conducted before our decision in Earl, and was not, therefore, a `future instruction[] on accomplice liability.' The result here is identical to the result in Earl, which held that giving the standard instruction was not error. 718 N.W.2d at 434, 2006 WL 2075194, at  (emphasis in original) (citations omitted). We continue to adhere to the position taken in Valtierra and Earl.
Green also argues that the district court erred in submitting the permissive-inference instruction on flight, CRIMJIG 4.04. Over Green's objection, the district court instructed the jury: [I]t is for you alone to decide whether or not the defendant fled after the alleged crimes. If you determine that he did flee, then you may take such flight into consideration as an inference of guilty intention at the time of the incident giving rise to these charges. Flight, in itself, is not conclusive evidence of a guilty intent; but if you find that such flight existed, then you may consider it, along with all of the other pertinent evidence in this case, in determining whether or not the State has established that the defendant possessed the requisite intent at the time and place of the alleged crimes. Although we approved of this instruction in State v. McLaughlin, 250 Minn. 309, 319, 84 N.W.2d 664, 671-72 (1957), in Valtierra we concluded: Flight instructions are a species of permissive-inference instruction, and the factors leading us to reject such instructions in [ State v. ] Litzau[, 650 N.W.2d 177 (Minn.2002)] and [State v.] Olson [, 482 N.W.2d 212 (Minn.1992)] apply with full force to flight instructions. Cf. Litzau, 650 N.W.2d at 186 & n. 7, 187; Olson, 482 N.W.2d at 215-16. See also State v. Oates, 611 N.W.2d 580, 584 (Minn.App.2000) (There is no need to instruct the jury that a [suspect] fleeing the scene is displaying a `consciousness of guilt.'). Therefore, we hold that the district court erred by instructing the jury on the permissive inference that may be drawn from evidence of flight. 718 N.W.2d at 433, 2006 WL 2075194, at . Thus, the only issue is whether the error in giving the permissive inference instruction was harmless. In Valtierra we held the error in giving the instruction was harmless because, unlike Olson, the flight was only peripheral to the state's case, which was otherwise supported by Crosby's testimony that Valtierra had a gun and by Crosby's prior consistent statement to that effect. 718 N.W.2d at 433, 2006 WL 2075194, at . The state's case against Green was even stronger. Green organized the drug deal and was the common link between the suspects and the victims. After the shooting the three met at Green's girlfriend's housewhere Green said he livedto discuss their getaway plans. Finally, there is evidence from the jailhouse informer that Green admitted that, after the shooting, he returned to the scene and nudged Crosby to make sure she was dead. In Valtierra we noted that any potential harm that could have resulted from the jury unduly focusing on his flight was mitigated by the fact that Valtierra reversed his flight and returned home. Id. The potential harm caused by the instruction in Green's trial was even further mitigated because a police officer testified that Green, on his own accord, contacted the police and made arrangements to turn himself in, and that Green was arrested in Saint Paul shortly before the prearranged meeting time. Finally, we note that, as in Valtierra, the error in giving the flight instruction is that it is argumentative, not that it inaccurately conveys the law or improperly suggests that the jury was compelled to make the inference. For these reasons we conclude that the erroneous jury instruction was harmless.
By pro se supplemental brief, Green asserts reversible error in the denial of a Batson challenge, nonsequestration of the jury during deliberations, and juror misconduct. He also challenges the sufficiency of the evidence and the credibility of a witness. Finally, he argues he was denied effective assistance of counsel.