Court Opinion

ID: 9622947
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 06:25:36.532815+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:21.841158
License: Public Domain

Rosellini, J.
(dissenting) — The majority in this case has ordered a new trial which it implicitly, if not explicitly, acknowledges will inevitably result in the second conviction of the petitioner, unless the jury totally disregards the evidence and renders an arbitrary and capricious verdict. It does so for the sole purpose of advising the lower courts that they have a duty to examine proposed instructions to see if they adequately protect all of the constitutional rights of the accused in a criminal case, and if they do not, to formulate their own instructions covering these rights.
There is nothing before the court to show that the superior court judges need this advice. There is nothing to indicate that the kind of oversight which in this case caused the omission of certain instructions, is a frequent occurrence. Judging by the number of cases which have come before this court, involving this type of omission, I would suggest that the situation rarely arises. I see no evidence before the court to justify it in assuming that trial court judges are unaware of their duty to see that the defendant receives a fair trial or that they do not generally conscientiously perform that duty. Here, it is agreed that the omission was inadvertent on everyone's part. I do not see that ordering a useless new trial will prevent an occasional incidence of inadvertent oversight.
While the giving of instructions on its own initiative is not required of the superior court by statute or court rule, I will agree that in a proper case, such action may be required as a part of the court's duty to see that the defendant is afforded a fair trial. This is not such a case.
In determining whether a defendant has been given a fair trial, it is necessary to examine the record in its entirety. This the majority has neglected to do for obvious reasons. *216Here, it is apparent upon the whole record that the jury was not misled, and that the prosecutor's burden of proof and the presumption of innocence, which is its corollary, were brought home to it repeatedly throughout the trial proceedings. Anyone familiar with trial practice must be aware that it is the custom of defense attorneys to "grill" the prospective jurors upon their ability to presume the defendant innocent and to require the prosecuting attorney to prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt. The record shows that this practice was adhered to in this case and that the prospective jurors all dutifully proclaimed their ability to understand and apply these principles. When the evidence, which was direct, corroborated and undisputed, was in and counsel argued the case to the jury, these basic principles were again brought to its attention. Not only did defense counsel argue to the best of his ability (though undoubtedly with little hope of success, considering the nature of the evidence) that the prosecutor had failed to meet his burden and that the jury should find that the presumption of innocence had not been overcome, but the prosecutor himself acknowledged his burden of proof. He argued to the jury that this burden had been sustained.
There seems to be no question but that the omission of instructions with respect to the burden of proof and the presumption of innocence was inadvertent. The prosecutor stated before this court that it is his custom to propose such instructions in criminal cases. That practice is commendable. However, I do not agree with the majority that his failure to do so on this occasion, assuming it can justly be inferred that there was such a failure, was a fault equal to that of defense counsel, who evidently failed to request the instructions and also failed to call the court's attention to the fact that they were missing from the charge. I know of no rule of law which places upon the prosecutor the affirmative duty of proposing instructions favorable to the defendant. No authority is cited in support of the proposition stated in the majority opinion that the court, defense counsel, and prosecutor were equally at fault.
*217Contrary to the assumption of the majority opinion, the rule requiring that error be called to the attention of the trial court, if it is to be relied upon on appeal, is not without its foundation in reason. The rule followed in Seattle v. Love, 61 Wn.2d 113, 377 P.2d 255 (1962), is well established. It may be said that it is fundamental to the orderly administration of justice. It was applied in State v. Goldstein, 58 Wn.2d 155, 361 P.2d 639 (1961) and State v. Cooke, 59 Wn.2d 804, 371 P.2d 39, 94 A.L.R.2d 564 (1962), where it was said that nondirection, in the absence of a request, is never error. It was reaffirmed in State v. Louie, 68 Wn.2d 304, 413 P.2d 7 (1966), where we observed that the rule has its basis in Rule of Pleading, Practice and Procedure, 101.04W (now embodied and further elaborated and refined in CrR 6.15), requiring that requests and exceptions be made before the instructions are read to the jury. We said of it at page 312:
We have, with almost monotonous continuity, recognized this procedural requirement and adhered to the proposition that, absent obvious and manifest injustice, we will not review assignments of error based upon the giving or refusal of instructions to which no timely exceptions were taken. We are satisfied that the requirements of this procedural rule are constitutional, and we do not conceive that requiring reasonable adherence to the rule violates due process concepts, especially where it does not appear that an accused is thereby deprived of a fair trial.
(Footnote omitted.)
The principle was again reaffirmed in State v. Jackson, 70 Wn.2d 498, 424 P.2d 313 (1967) and State v. Frazier, 81 Wn.2d 628, 503 P.2d 1073 (1972).
Also in accord is State v. Floyd, 11 Wn. App. 1, 521 P.2d 1187 (1974). The general rule is the same. 24 C.J.S. Criminal Law § 1674(b) (1961).
Where the trial court's instructions have had the effect of improperly directing a verdict, we have waived the requirement that exceptions be taken at the proper time in the court below. State v. Peterson, 73 Wn.2d 303, 438 P.2d 183 *218(1968), and see State v. Warwick, 105 Wash. 634, 178 P. 977 (1919). Also, where the prosecutor's misconduct is so flagrant that no instruction could cure its prejudicial effect, we have held a request for a curative instruction was unnecessary. State v. Case, 49 Wn.2d 66, 298 P.2d 500 (1956); State v. Reeder, 46 Wn.2d 888, 285 P.2d 884 (1955).1
It will be seen that all of these cases involved either an affirmative act on the part of the trial court or an occurrence, the prejudicial effect of which could not have been cured by an instruction. My research has revealed no case in which we have reversed the judgment of a trial court where the claimed error was nondirection and the error was not called to the court's attention, except two early cases of State v. Myers, 8 Wash. 177, 35 P. 580, 756 (1894), and Linheck v. State, 1 Wash. 336, 25 P. 452 (1890), where it was held that the court had a statutory duty to instruct, whether or not a request was made. The propriety of those holdings was questioned in a dissent written by Scott, J., in State v. Myers, supra (a 3-to-2 decision), calling attention to the fact that the statute was enacted for the benefit of the defendant, who should have the right to say whether an instruction should be given calling the jury's attention to his failure to testify. Their uniqueness was noted in Duteau v. Seattle Elec. Co., 45 Wash. 418, 88 P. 755 (1907).2
*219Insofar as I have been able to ascertain, this court has never again held that a statute or the constitution places upon the court the duty to give an instruction where there has been no request for it. The respondent cites the case of State v. Tyree, 143 Wash. 313, 255 P. 382 (1927). It was there held that an accused is entitled to an instruction on the presumption of innocence even though it is established that he killed the victim, thus raising a presumption of murder in the second degree. The opinion disposes of a number of errors assigned to the giving and refusing of instructions, without any reference to the question whether the error was brought to the trial court's attention. It would appear, therefore, that it was conceded in Tyree that proper exceptions were taken; and an examination of the briefs filed in the case confirms that no issue was made regarding the.preservation of the alleged errors.
This court has also said in recent cases that the jury must be instructed that in order to convict it must be convinced of the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt (State v. Higgins, 67 Wn.2d 147, 406 P.2d 784 (1965)), and that the failure to instruct upon the presumption of innocence or the burden of proof would be reversible error (State v. Swartos, 65 Wn.2d 335, 396 P.2d 971 (1964)). But in neither of these cases did we say that there would be no necessity of preserving the error.
I see no reason to depart from the general rule in this case. The elements of the alleged crime, as contained in an instruction, the correctness of which, insofar as it defined the crime, is not challenged, were that (1) in Pierce County (2) the respondent unlawfully possessed a controlled substance (3) which was heroin. The State's direct and corroborated evidence upon all of these elements was undisputed. It can be said, then, as a matter of law, that the guilt of the respondent was proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
Where the evidence is in dispute, the giving of instructions upon matters as fundamental as the presumption of innocence and burden of proof may well be essential to the enjoyment of the right of trial by jury. In such a case, a *220further exception to the rule requiring that errors be called to the attention of the trial court would be indicated.
While there is no express constitutional provision establishing the presumption of innocence or requiring that guilt be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, these common-law concepts are now embodied in a statute of the state (RCW 10.58.020) and undoubtedly are components of due process of law. The United States Supreme Court has held in In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358, 25 L. Ed. 2d 368, 90 S. Ct. 1068 (1970), relied upon in the majority opinion, that they are necessary to a fair trial. But because due process and the statute require that proof be made beyond a reasonable doubt, it does not follow that due process is denied or the statute is violated in every case in which the court fails to present this concept in formal instructions, and no authority cited in the majority opinion stands for such a proposition.
The requirement is that the accused be presumed innocent and his guilt be proved in the degree stated.
It may be conceded, as I have said, that in a case where the evidence is inconclusive or in dispute, the instructing of the jury upon the presumption of innocence and the burden of proof may be essential to a fair trial. But if the evidence is so overwhelming that the court can say as a matter of law, as is the case here, that the State's burden has been sustained — that no reasonable jury could find to the contrary — the requirements of the statute and of due process have been met. Proof has been made beyond a reasonable doubt.
Unlike the majority, the Court of Appeals recognized that a new trial could not properly be ordered unless prejudice was shown. The Court of Appeals tacitly admitted that it could find no reasonable basis upon which to doubt the State's evidence, but nevertheless deemed itself obliged to assume that the jury might have viewed the evidence in a different light. Understandably, the court did not suggest an approach which a reasonable jury might take which would justify it in concluding that the State had failed to *221•prove its case. The fact is that the evidence is so conclusive that even the respondent does not suggest a basis upon which the jury could have doubted the proof, and the majority offers none. Under such circumstances, the Ordering of a new trial exalts form over substance. When we consider the heavy demands made on superior court time, and particularly the clogged criminal calendars, it is irresponsible, in my view, to order a new trial in a case such as this. Even though the omission had been called to the attention of the trial court, and, incredibly, the error was not corrected, this would not be a proper case for reversal.
Viewing the trial as a whole, it is impossible to conceive that the jury went to the jury room laboring under any misconception regarding the presumption of innocence and the prosecutor's burden of proof. Further, there can be no reasonable surmise that upon a second trial, a different verdict will be rendered.
I would reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals and reinstate the verdict.
Hunter, Hamilton, and Wright, JJ., concur with Rosellini, J.
Petition for rehearing denied September 8, 1977.

There are other extraordinary cases in which it has been held unnecessary to call the error to the trial court's attention. For example, we have held that since the constitution guarantees the right to a public trial, a private trial is void and no objection is necessary. State v. Marsh, 126 Wash. 142, 217 P. 705 (1923).

In both State v. Myers, 8 Wash. 177, 35 P. 580, 756 (1894) and Linbeck v. State, 1 Wash. 336, 25 P. 452 (1890), a divided court held that a statute required the court to give an instruction to the effect that a defendant's failure to take the stand was not grounds for an inference of guilt, even though no instruction was requested. It appears that the holding of those cases did not prove to be as beneficent as expected, since this court has itself abrogated the statute imposing the duty on the trial court, in CrR 6.16(b). I would suspect that defense counsel have not always found it in their clients' interests to have the instruction given, calling attention as it does to their failure to take the stand.