Court Opinion

ID: 9516910
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 23:55:47.11899+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:39:59.868911
License: Public Domain

Loring, Chief Justice
(dissenting).
I agree with the majority that the record discloses sufficient evidence to support a conviction and that, if the record also disclosed a fair trial, there should be an affirmance; but, as I view the record, there was error prejudicial to defendant, who, even though he may have been guilty, was nevertheless entitled to a fair trial. That would be true even if the evidence against him were conclusive, which it is not. Even against conclusive evidence of guilt, the jury, under our constitution, has the power to acquit.
Not only do I think that there is reversible error in the record, but, in my opinion, the majority opinion announces an erroneous rule of law with reference to exculpatory circumstantial evidence offered by defendant. The cases which they cite do not support their statement of the law. The majority opinion states as a principle of law that “instructions for the evaluation of circumstantial evidence in a criminal case by their very nature and purpose are applicable only to inculpatory evidence.” It also states that “the law of circumstantial evidence, as used in the jury charge, has no application to exculpatory evidence.” It is true that there is a *419difference between tbe measure of tbe effect to be given circumstances introduced by defendant for exculpatory purposes and tbe rule given to juries with reference to inculpatory circumstances. In the latter case, such evidence, to be persuasive, must be inconsistent with innocence. In the case of exculpatory evidence, if it is believed by the jury, it need not lead to a necessary inference of innocence; but, if it weakens the force of the evidence for the prosecution sufficiently to arouse a reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors as to defendant’s guilt, there should be an acquittal. When, as in the case as bar, circumstantial evidence was introduced by both prosecution and defense, the jury should be told how to weigh its effect. All the argument to the effect that the presumption of innocence sufficiently protects the accused is without merit, because the jury is entitled to know that exculpatory circumstantial evidence should, if believed by them, require an acquittal if it arouses a reasonable doubt, and that the jury should not disregard it, as they were instructed to do in this case.
In the case at bar, there was the following inculpatory evidence introduced by the state: (1) Direct testimony by the injured party that defendant committed the crime; (2) circumstantial evidence (testimony by a doctor) that the wound was of a type to be caused by a knife; and (3) circumstantial evidence (testimony by a police officer) that there was no broken glass in the immediate vicinity where the injury happened. The defense introduced the following: (1) Circumstantial evidence tending to show that defendant did not have a knife; (2) circumstantial evidence to show that what was mistaken for a knife in his hand was really only a ring he was wearing; (3) circumstantial evidence tending to show that the injury was caused by broken glass from a thrown beer bottle; and (4) circumstantial evidence (testimony by a doctor) that the wound was one caused by broken glass.
Nevertheless, the court instructed the jury:
“During the course of your examination as prospective jurors, you were questioned by counsel regarding the rule of circumstantial evidence and the rule of law concerning self-defense or the defense *420of another. The Court is giving you no instruction regarding circumstantial evidence, because all of the evidence upon which the State relies in this case is direct evidence, and circumstantial evidence is not involved. You are given no instruction regarding the law of self-defense, as no claim of self-defense is made by the defendant, it being his claim simply that he did not commit an assault upon the person of Mr. Porter. In other words, this is not a case where a/n assault is admitted, and the defendmvt seeks to justify such an assault T>y a claim of defense of Ms own person or the person of another. Therefore, you will dismiss from your mind any consideration regarding the law of circumstantial evidence and the law of self-defense or the defense of another.” (Italics supplied.)
It is quite obvious that in the last two sentences the court was referring to exculpatory circumstantial evidence introduced by defendant. Otherwise, why would he couple the statement with regard to such evidence with the statement with regard to self-defense or the defense of another?
It was a plain misstatement when the court said that “all of the evidence upon which the State relies in this case is direct evidence, and circumstantial evidence is not involved.” The record discloses that the prosecution’s case did include circumstantial evidence. When Dr. Allen testified that the wound was “cleanly incised, not jagged” and that the instrument causing it “must have been at least one inch long, three quarters of an inch wide or less, and quite sharp,” this was circumstantial evidence from which the jury was expected to be persuaded that a knife caused the wound. Similarly, when the police officer testified that he did not find any glass anywhere along the fence, but that he did find glass — apparently from a beer bottle — in the yard and gutter across the street, this was circumstantial evidence from which the jury were expected to be persuaded that the wound could not have been caused by the broken bottle.
The statement in the majority opinion that “the trial court gave some instructions to the jury relative to the law of circumstantial *421evidence” is obviously based on the court’s instruction to take into consideration “all the circumstances surrounding and connected with the case.” Here, the majority has again lilted a statement out of its context. This statement was not made by the court in connection with any instruction with regard to circumstantial evidence, but was made in connection with its charge as to the weight to be given the testimony of witnesses, which was as follows:
“* * * However, you have a right to and should take into consideration in arriving at your conclusion as to which party should prevail in this case, the demeanor and appearance of the several witnesses on the stand, their manner and conduct on the witness stand, their apparent candor, frankness and intelligence, or lack of any of those qualities, their opportunity or lack of opportunity, as disclosed by the evidence, of knowing the things to which they have testified, their temper, feeling, bias or prejudice, if any has been shown, their interest or lack of interest in the outcome of the proceeding, together with all the circumstances surrounding amd connected with the case, as disclosed by the evidence. Nothing, however, but such matters as I have indicated may be considered by you, and no outside comment or suggestion should be allowed to in any way influence your determination of the facts, and, as I have indicated, sympathy must not in any way enter into your consideration of the question to be determined by you.” (Italics supplied.)
Even if this charge to “take into consideration” “all the circumstances” was given independently of the subject matter then under consideration, it is wholly insufficient to advise the jury as to the measure of the effect of circumstantial evidence, whether exculpatory or inculpatory; and, even if it were to be given the effect attributed to it by the majority, it was in direct conflict with the charge to disregard the law of circumstantial evidence. Consequently, it was confusing to the jury to the prejudice of defendant.
“There is a violation of the principle against misleading instructions where the court gives contradictory instructions on a material *422issue. The instructions must be consistent and harmonious. The fact that one instruction is correct does not cure the error in giving another that is inconsistent with it.
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“* * * The defendant is entitled to instructions that are free from contradictions, and that are clear, succinct, and unambiguous.” 1 Reid’s Branson, Instructions to Juries (3 ed.) § 104, pp. 283, 286; accord, Murray v. State, 154 Fla. 683, 18 So. (2d) 782.
It is true that the rule as to the weight and effect to be given to circumstantial evidence is a subordinate rule to that which requires a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt; but it is a very important rule to be given the jury where, as here, circumstantial evidence was introduced on both sides. If the statement about “all the circumstances” be given the comprehensive effect of an instruction on circumstantial evidence which the majority gives it, then the court itself opened up the problem of circumstantial evidence; consequently, it should have correctly expounded the rules with reference to both inculpatory and exculpatory evidence of that character. Instead of that, the jury were told to dismiss from their minds “any consideration regarding the law of circumstantial evidence.” That instruction could not be otherwise interpreted by the jury than that they were to reject the circumstantial evidence on both sides.
The very cases cited by the majority in support of the doctrine that in criminal cases the rules with reference to circumstantial evidence do not apply to exculpatory circumstances state to the contrary that evidence of exculpatory circumstances, if believed by the jury, is sufficient to justify an acquittal if such evidence arouses doubt as to defendant’s guilt. In Sikes v. State, 120 Ga. 494, 495, 48 S. E. 153, cited by the majority, the court said:
“* * * Hence, if the defendant relies on circumstantial evidence to establish his innocence, and the proved facts establish an hypothesis consistent with his innocence and sufficient to create a reasonable doubt of his guilt, this is sufficient, * *
*423I believe this case to be clear authority that the rules of circumstantial evidence are applicable to exculpatory evidence. As the Georgia court said, we must not require of exculpatory evidence that all inferences drawn from such evidence be consistent only with innocence. It is sufficient if such evidence raises a reasonable doubt of guilt. The quoted rule is, in my opinion, the sound and logical rule and should be established as the law in this state. It is just ordinary common sense. Burrill, Circumstantial Evidence, p. 520. In Smith v. Nebraska, 61 Neb. 296, 303, 85 N. W. 49, 51, the court said:
“* * * j-fc js qitite true that it is only necessary that, under all the evidence, the jury should entertain a reasonable doubt of the defendant’s guilt, and the truth of the matter claimed by him as a defense need not further be determined. But in the truth or falsity of the claim made by him is also involved the truth of the charge made by the state, and any fact or circumstance connected with the substantive defense interposed is properly to be considered by the jury in determining the weight and credit which should be given to the testimony in support of the theory and hypothesis sought by the defendant to be impressed upon them for the purpose of raising a doubt as to the truth of the charge of the crime imputed to him.”
The majority state that the converse of the circumstantial-evidence rule would prejudice defendant; therefore, that the rule should not be applied to exculpatory evidence. I agree with the majority and the Georgia court that the converse of the rule should not be applied. The correct rule, whether pertaining to exculpatory or in-culpatory evidence, is set out' in State v. Johnson, 173 Minn. 543, 545, 217 N. W. 683, 684:
“* * * all the circumstances proved must be consistent with the hypothesis that the accused is guilty and inconsistent with any rational hypothesis except that of his guilt.” (Italics supplied.)
In that case, we went on to say that there may be testimony for the defense which the jury reject, and that this would not be “eir-*424cumstances proved.” The only Inference to be drawn from that statement is the converse — that, if exculpatory circumstances are proved, the circumstantial-evidence rule should be applied.
I believe that there was prejudicial error in the trial of this case and that a new trial should be ordered.