Court Opinion

ID: 9797361
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 04:19:04.947546+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:54:33.152563
License: Public Domain

VOIGT, Justice,
specially concurring.
[129] I agree with the result and reasoning of the majority opinion. I write separately only to contrast this situation with that in Black v. State, 2002 WY 72, 46 P.3d 298 (Wyo.2002), where I dissented. In Black, the dissent maintained that the jury could not convict the appellant of aiding and abetting the principal crimes unless it made a factual determination that aiding and abetting had actually occurred. Because the jury instructions in that case did not make clear to the jury that such a determination had to be made, the appellant was prejudiced. Here, to the contrary, to convict of the lesser felony, the jury did not need to make a factual determination on the additional element to allow enhancement of the penalty under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-2-204(d) (LexisNexis 2001), so the failure to so instruct the jury did not prejudice the appellant. If anyone was prejudiced, it was the State, and it was the State's fault for not offering an instruction covering Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-2-204(d).