Opinion ID: 2208560
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: instruction proper

Text: McDonald claims in the second assignment of error that he was, in any event, prejudiced by the trial judge's error in instructing the jury. He urges there was no evidence to support the instruction that in order to find McDonald guilty, the State need not prove McDonald himself committed the unlawful acts in question. In summary, and to the extent relevant, the jury was told it was sufficient for the State to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he aided and abetted others to so do by having (1) engaged others to commit the unlawful acts, (2) engaged with others in common, concerted unlawful acts, or (3) incited or encouraged others to commit the unlawful acts. McDonald maintains that not only is there no evidence persons other than he were involved, but the instruction assumed the fire was set intentionally and further relieved the State of the burden to establish that McDonald had the opportunity to set the fire, as the State needed only to convince the jury he aided and abetted another. However, it is not error to give an aiding and abetting instruction where the evidence indicates that a second person might be involved. State v. Garza, 193 Neb. 283, 226 N.W.2d 768 (1975). Contrary to McDonald's contention, there is, as established by our earlier analysis, evidence from which the jury might reasonably infer that McDonald attempted to provide himself with an alibi by being away from the premises at the time of the fire and caused the fire to be set through another. The fact that two pickup trucks were seen loaded with boxes such as were later found at McDonald's home supports an inference, should the jury choose to draw it, that some other person was involved. The fact that one of the insurance policies was placed in the name of McDonald's son does likewise, as does McDonald's statement to his former wife that something was going to happen to his business and that he did not want her to know what he was talking about. McDonald's contention that the aiding and abetting instruction assumed the fire was set intentionally is equally without factual foundation. Quite the contrary, it requires the jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt that there was an unlawful act. It is of course true, as McDonald contends, that the questioned instruction made it unnecessary for the State to prove McDonald himself had the opportunity to set the fire. That fact, however, does not make the instruction faulty; the legal principle involved is that one who participates with another in committing an unlawful act is as responsible for the act as the one who actually performs it. See State v. Schreck, 224 Neb. 650, 399 N.W.2d 830 (1987). Thus, the second assignment of error is also meritless.