Court Opinion

ID: 9565316
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:19:11.201146+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:33.322613
License: Public Domain

Dolliver, J.
(dissenting) — It is hardly breaking new judicial ground to assert jury instructions are to be read as a whole and each instruction must be read in connection with all others given. State v. Thompson, 88 Wn.2d 518, 564 P.2d 315 (1977). While I agree with the majority that the jury must be instructed on each element of the crime, State v. Emmanuel, 42 Wn.2d 799, 820, 259 P.2d 845 (1953), there is no constitutional requirement that the court further define one of the elements. State v. Pawling, 23 Wn. App. 226, 232-33, 597 P.2d 1367 (1979). Rather, jury instructions are sufficient if they are readily understood, not misleading to the ordinary mind, and permit the theory of the case to be argued by a party to the jury. Petersen v. State, 100 Wn.2d 421, 441, 671 P.2d 230 (1983).
The only error defendant assigns is that proposed instruction 8 was not given:
A person acts with intent or intentionally when acting with the objective or purpose to accomplish a result which constitutes a crime.
*363The following instructions were given by the court:
No. 4
To convict the defendant Gregory Allen of the crime of Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree, each of the following elements of the crime must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt:
(1) That on or about July 10, 1981, the defendant unlawfully attempted to enter a building;
(2) That the attempted entering or remaining was with intent to commit a crime against a person or property therein; and
(3) That the acts occurred in King County, Washington.
If you find from the evidence that each of these elements has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, then it will be your duty to return a verdict of guilty.
On the other hand, if, after weighing all of the evidence, you have a reasonable doubt as to any one of these elements, then it will be your duty to return a verdict of not guilty.
No. 6
A person commits the crime of Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree when, with intent to commit that crime, he or she does any act which is a substantial step toward the commission of that crime.
Instruction 4 tracks the language of the second degree burglary statute, RCW 9A.52.030. Courts generally should use the language of the statute in instructing the jury where the law governing the case is expressed in the statute. State v. Hardwick, 74 Wn.2d 828, 830, 447 P.2d 80 (1968). This the court correctly did. There has never been a requirement, however, that the language of a statute must be used in an instruction. Lindsey v. Elkins, 154 Wash. 588, 283 P. 447 (1929).
Except for the omission of a gender reference, proposed instruction 8 is identical to the language of RCW 9A.08-.010(l)(a). Instruction 6 and proposed instruction 8 both further define the element "intent". I fail to see any fundamental difference between the message conveyed by the language in instruction 6 and the proposed instruction 8. Instruction 6 says essentially the same as proposed instruc*364tion 8 and is certainly less turgid. Reading the two instructions side by side, I believe any member of a jury would understand what was involved in "intent" and would probably understand the meaning much more clearly under the instruction given than the one proposed. State v. Dana, 73 Wn.2d 533, 536, 439 P.2d 403 (1968).
The court stated intent was an element of the crime (instruction 4) and gave a lucid and statutorily correct instruction on intent. Defendant's conviction should be affirmed.
I dissent.
Williams, C.J., and Brachtenbach and Dimmick, JJ., concur with Dolliver, J.