Court Opinion

ID: 9959571
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-12 06:07:11.724761+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:17.204955
License: Public Domain

If this opinion indicates that it is “FOR PUBLICATION,” it is subject to
                 revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports.

                           STATE OF MICHIGAN

                            COURT OF APPEALS

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN,                                     UNPUBLISHED
                                                                     April 11, 2024
               Plaintiff-Appellee,

v                                                                    No. 360171
                                                                     Saginaw Circuit Court
JUMAANE AMUNRA JONES,                                                LC No. 20-046833-FH

               Defendant-Appellant.

Before: LETICA, P.J., and CAVANAGH and SWARTZLE, JJ.

CAVANAGH, J. (concurring in part and dissenting in part).

        I concur with the majority in the result, but would hold that defense counsel’s failure to
timely request an instruction on the definition of “reasonable force” likely fell below an objective
standard of reasonableness. However, defendant has failed to establish that it is reasonably likely
that counsel’s error affected the outcome of the case because the instructions that were given fairly
presented the issues to the jury. See People v Trakhtenberg, 493 Mich 38, 51; 826 NW2d 136
(2012); People v Montague, 338 Mich App 29, 38; 979 NW2d 406 (2021).

        Further, I would hold that a specific unanimity instruction should have been given. See
People v Cooks, 446 Mich 503, 512, 524; 521 NW2d 275 (1994) (a specific unanimity instruction
is warranted if “more than one act is presented as evidence of the actus reus of a single criminal
offense” and any of the acts are materially distinct). However, plain error warranting reversal has
not been demonstrated. See People v Gonzalez, 468 Mich 636, 643; 664 NW2d 159 (2003).

                                                              /s/ Mark J. Cavanagh

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