Court Opinion

ID: 9484231
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 09:44:51.823382+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:50:06.195809
License: Public Domain

EBEL, Circuit Judge,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent.
In my opinion, there is adequate evidence in the record to have justified submitting the defense of coercion and duress to the jury. The defendant testified that he was threatened by Mr. Harold Guy and others if he didn’t smuggle cocaine into the prison for them. He produced several independent witnesses to corroborate those threats and his fears.
Although the district court concluded that the defendant had a reasonable opportunity to escape the threatened harm by telling a guard about the threat and seeking protective custody, the defendant testified that this was not a reasonable alternative for the following reasons: (1) he knew that if he reported a threat to his safety, it would be investigated and those who had threatened him would inevitably learn that he was a snitch; (2) Harold Guy controlled other inmates in prison, and although the prison guards might be able to protect him from Harold Guy directly, they could never protect him from all of the unknown inmates who were controlled by Harold Guy; (3) he was concerned about the safety of his girlfriend, Ms. Dossett. Because she lived on the outside, the prison authorities could not protect her; and (4) he was serving a very long sentence, and it was not practical or realistic to stay in protective custody (which means substantial restrictions on freedom) for the entire term.
Admittedly, there were inconsistencies in the defendant’s story, and the jury may or may not have believed him. But, in our system of justice, the jury, and not the judge, is the ultimate arbiter of guilt or innocence. A defendant is entitled to jury instructions on any theory of defense finding support in the evidence and the law, and the failure to so instruct is reversible error. United States v. Scafe, 822 F.2d 928, 932 (10th Cir.1987) (citing United States v. Lofton, 776 F.2d 918, 920 (10th Cir.1985)).
Here, in my opinion, there was a sufficient factual and legal basis in the record to have entitled the defendant to the requested jury instruction presenting the defense of coercion and duress. Accordingly, I would reverse *1098the conviction on that ground and remand for a new trial.