Court Opinion

ID: 9652988
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 17:36:34.981994+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:55.628023
License: Public Domain

BARDGETT, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent as to the holding reference instructing the jury regarding the punishment of a fine.
In my opinion the jury must be instructed as to the fine. It may well be that the matters required to be considered in arriving at the amount of the fine are such that the jury could not be given the information without prejudicing the case. In my opinion the jury should be instructed that it may declare by its verdict that the punishment shall be a fine and not imprisonment. This would, at least, let the jury know of the fine option and let it decide what type of punishment is appropriate. In short, the jury should have the option of rejecting imprisonment in favor of a fine.