In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases

156 So. 3d 1037
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJanuary 29, 2015
DocketNo. SC14-465
StatusPublished

This text of 156 So. 3d 1037 (In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, 156 So. 3d 1037 (Fla. 2015).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases (Committee) has submitted a report proposing changes to the standard criminal jury instructions and asks the Court to authorize the amended standard instructions for publication and use. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.

The Committee proposes changes to the following six standard criminal jury instructions: (1) 11.1, Sexual Battery — Victim Less Than 12 Years of Age; (2) 11.2, Sexual Battery — Victim 12 Years of Age or Older — Great Force; (3) 11.3, Sexual Battery — Victim 12 Years of Age or Older— Specified Circumstances; (4) 11.4, Sexual Battery-Person 12 Years of Age or Older; (5) 11.5, Solicitation of Child Under 18 Years of Age to Engage in an Act that [1038]*1038Constitutes Sexual Battery by Person in Familial or Custodial Authority; and (6) 11.6, Sexual Battery Upon Child 12 Years of Age or Older but Under 18 Years of Age by Person in Familial or Custodial Authority.

The Committee previously proposed amendments to Criminal Jury Instruction 11.1. The Court declined to authorize the proposed changes due to a lack of supporting legal authority for certain proposed changes and a perceived logical inconsistency in the table of lesser-included offenses. See In re Std. Jury Instrs. in Crim. Cases—Report No. 2012-05, 131 So.3d 755, 756 (Fla.2013). We asked the Committee to reconsider its proposal. The current report provides the legal support previously found lacking and clarifies the Committee’s reasoning with respect to the table of lesser-included offenses. After the Committee’s report was filed with the Court, the proposed changes were published in The Florida Bar News and comments were solicited. No comments were filed.

In reconsidering its proposed changes to instruction 11.1, the Committee discovered additional issues affecting not only instruction 11.1 but also instructions 11.2-11.6. All six instructions are amended in order to include all the possible ways the various offenses can be committed based on the statutory language defining the offenses. Other changes are made to conform the instructions and notes to the statutory language and caselaw. Obsolete notes and comments are deleted from the instructions. The tables of lesser-included offenses are revised for technical correctness and consistency.

Upon consideration of the Committee’s report, we authorize the amended instructions, as set forth in the appendix to this opinion, for publication and use.1 New language is indicated by underlining, and deleted language is indicated by struck-through type.

In authorizing the publication and use of these instructions, we express no opinion on their correctness and remind all interested parties that this authorization forecloses neither requesting additional or alternative instructions nor contesting the legal correctness of the instructions. We further caution all interested parties that any comments associated with the instructions reflect only the opinion of the Committee and are not necessarily indicative of the views of this Court as to their correctness or applicability. The instructions as set forth in the appendix shall be effective when this opinion becomes final.

It is so ordered.

LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, and PERRY, JJ., concur.

APPENDIX

11.1 SEXUAL BATTERY—VICTIM LESS THAN 12 YEARS OF AGE

[1039]*1039§ 794.011(2), Fla. Stat.

To prove the crime of Sexual Battery upon a Person Less Than 12 Years of Age, the State must prove the following three elements beyond a reasonable doubt:

1. (Victim) was less than 12 years of age.
Give 2a, 2b, 2c, or 2d as applicable.
2. a. (Defendant) committed an act [upon] [with] (victim) in which the sexual organ of the [ (defendant) ] [ (victim) ] penetrated or had union with the [anus] [vagina] [mouth] of the [ (victim) ] [ (defendant) ].
b. (Defendant) committed an act [upon] [with] (victim) in which the [anus] [vagina] of [ (victim) ] [ (defendant) ] was penetrated by an object.
c. (Defendant) injured the sexual organ of (victim) in an attempt to commit an act [upon] [with] (victim) in which the sexual organ of the [ (defendant) ] [ (victim) ] would have penetrated or would have had union with the [anus] [vagina] [mouth] of the [ (victim) ] [ (defendant) ].
d. (Defendant) injured the sexual organ of (victim) in an attempt to commit an act upon (victim) in which the [anus] [vagina] of (victim) would be penetrated by an object.
Give 3a or 3b as applicable.
3.a. (Defendant) was 18 years of age or older at the time of the sexual battery.
b. (Defendant) was less than 18 years of age at the time of the sexual battery.
Give if applicable.

However, any act done for bona fide medical purposes is not a sexual battery.

Definition. Give if applicable.

“Union” means contact.

Give if requested. Khianthalat v. State, 974 So.2d 359 (Fla.2008).

Consent of (victim) is not a defense to the crime charged.

Give if requested. § 794-022, Fla. Stat.

(Victim’s) lack of chastity is not a defense to the crime charged.

§ 794.021, Fla. Stat.

Ignorance of (victim’s) age, (victim’s) misrepresentation of his or her age, or a defendant’s bona fide belief of (victim’s) age is not a defense to the crime charged.

dn-the-event-that-m/idUple-perpetrators is-eharged-andproven-give-instruction on enhancement?

§ 794.023, Fla. Stat.

The option■■■ of-the word ‘‘[with] (victim) in-2a — and-2e—is—provided—io-reflect-the manner in which the crime was committed. See Coleman v. State, 484 So.2d 624 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986), at pages 627, 628.

Lesser-Included Offenses

[1040]*1040[[Image here]]

Comment

This instruction was adopted in 1981 and was amended in 1987 [508 So.2d 1221], 1995 [657 So.2d 1152], and 2007, by-adding 3(a)-and-3(b) pursuant to Glover v. State, [ 863 So.2d 236], (Fla.2003) and 2015.

11.2 SEXUAL BATTERY — VICTIM 12 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER — GREAT FORCE OR DEADLY WEAPON

§ 794.011(3), Fla. Stat.

To prove the crime of Sexual Battery upon a Person 12 Years of Age or Older with the Use of [a Deadly Weapon] [or] [Physical Force Likely to Cause Serious Personal Injury], the State must prove the following four elements beyond a reasonable doubt:

1. (Victim) was 12 years of age or older.
2. a. [(Defendant) committed an act [upon] [with] (victim) in which the sexual organ of the [ (defendant) ] [ (victim) ] penetrated or had union with the [anus] [vagina] [mouth] of the [ (victim) ] [ (defendant) ].]

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Related

In Re Standard Jury Instruct. in Criminal Cases No. 2008-04
995 So. 2d 476 (Supreme Court of Florida, 2008)
Coleman v. State
484 So. 2d 624 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1986)
Khianthalat v. State
974 So. 2d 359 (Supreme Court of Florida, 2008)
Glover v. State
863 So. 2d 236 (Supreme Court of Florida, 2003)
Standard Jury Instructions-Criminal Cases
603 So. 2d 1175 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1992)
Standard Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases
697 So. 2d 84 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1997)
In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Report No. 2012-05
131 So. 3d 755 (Supreme Court of Florida, 2013)
Florida Bar Re Standard Jury Instructions—Criminal
508 So. 2d 1221 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1987)
Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases (95-1)
657 So. 2d 1152 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1995)
Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Submission 2002-1
850 So. 2d 1272 (Supreme Court of Florida, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
156 So. 3d 1037, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-standard-jury-instructions-in-criminal-cases-fla-2015.