Court Opinion

ID: 9599442
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:18:42.452934+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:45.292976
License: Public Domain

SUTIN, Judge (dissenting). I dissent. The majority opinion reversed because the trial court refused defendant’s request to instruct the jury as follows: You are instructed that you are to consider and find the defendant guilty or innocent of acts which occurred on either the evening of the 18th or early morning of the 19th of August, 1972, on count one of the indictment, and on either the evening of the 23rd or early morning of the 24th of August, 1972, on count two of the indictment, and no others. To determine reversal, Rule 41(a) and (g) of the Rules of Criminal Procedure are controlling. Section 41-23-41 (a) (g), N.M.S.A.1983 (2nd Repl.Vol. 6, 1973 Supp.). (a) The court must instruct the jury upon all questions of law necessary for guidance in returning a verdict. * * * * * * (g) Except as provided in paragraph (a) of this rule, for the preservation of error in the charge * * * in case of failure to instruct on any issue, a correct written instruction must be tendered before the jury is instructed. [Emphasis added]. The court instructed the jury as to the formal charges alleged in the indictment. This instruction stated in part that defendant was charged with burglary on the 18th day of August, 1972 in the first count and the 24th day of August, 1972 in the second count. It concluded that the burden was on the State to prove every material allegation beyond a reasonable doubt. This instruction covered the issue tendered by defendant. It was not erroneous to refuse defendant’s requested instruction. State v. Cranford, 83 N.M. 294, 491 P.2d 511 (1971). In State v. Poich, 34 N.M. 423, 431, 282 P. 870, 874 (1929) a similar instruction problem arose. The instruction contained the date of the offense and the limitation period of two years. The court said: But the very reason that rendered the instruction unnecessary in this case also makes it nonprejudicial. In Poich, supra, the jury was confused on the date of the offense, but in the instant case, the jury was not confused about the date of the offense. The jury cannot have understood that there could be a conviction of any other offense than those set forth in the indictment. Furthermore, defendant objected to instruction No. 2 on time limitations which applied to Roy’s Drive-In, but did not object to an identical instruction No. 3, which applied to Mini-Golf Drive-In. Since no objection was made to instruction No. 3, defendant’s tendered instruction does not raise an issue on the time limitation instruction in count II, which involved burglary of Mini-Golf Drive-In. Finally, defendant’s objections to'the instruction given and the instruction refused were not sufficient to alert the mind of the trial court and to preserve the error for review. McBee v. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Co., 80 N.M. 468, 457 P.2d 987 (Ct.App.1969); State v. Compton, 57 N.M. 227, 257 P.2d 915 (1953); State v. Orfanakis, 22 N.M. 107, 159 P. 674 (1916). Compare, State v. Rodman, 44 N.M. 162, 99 P.2d 711 (1940). The trial court instructed the jury upon all questions of law and on every issue. Instructions are to be considered as a whole in determining whether the jury was improperly instructed. Instructions are sufficient, if considered as a whole, they fairly represent the issues and the applicable law. State v. McFerran, 80 N.M. 622, 459 P.2d 148 (Ct.App.1969). In State v. Polsky, 82 N.M. 393, 398, 482 P.2d 257, 262 (Ct.App.1971) this court said: The responsibility of an appellate court is to review the trial proceedings, consistent with principles of appellate review, for the purpose of making sure the accused had a fair trial, consistent with applicable principles of law and rules of procedure. In making this review, the appellate court must affirm a conviction unless the record reveals a very real possibility of a miscarriage of justice. The refusal to give defendant’s tendered instruction did not reveal “a very real possibility of a miscarriage of justice.” The conviction below should be affirmed.