In Re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Report No. 2010-02

44 So. 3d 565, 35 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 401, 2010 Fla. LEXIS 1049, 2010 WL 2606239
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJuly 1, 2010
DocketSC10-151
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 44 So. 3d 565 (In Re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Report No. 2010-02) 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-Report No. 2010-02, 44 So. 3d 565, 35 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 401, 2010 Fla. LEXIS 1049, 2010 WL 2606239 (Fla. 2010).

Opinion

LABARGA, J.

The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases (Committee) has submitted proposed changes to the standard criminal jury instructions in criminal cases and asks that the Court authorize those changes. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.

The Committee’s proposals include revisions to current standard criminal jury instructions 3.6(a), Insanity, and 12.4, Criminal Mischief, as well as five new instructions: 10.6(a), Discharging a Firearm from a Vehicle Within 1000 Feet of a Person; 12.6, Offenses Against Computer Users (sections 815.06(1) and 815.06(2)(c), Florida Statutes); 12.7, Offenses Against Computer Users (sections 815.06(1) and (2)(b), Florida Statutes); 12.8, Offenses Against Computer Users (section 815.06(3), Florida Statutes); and 21.8, Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence.

The Committee published its proposals in the April 15, 2009, edition of The Florida Bar News. Upon consideration of the proposals and the comments received, we hereby authorize for publication and use instructions 10.6(a), 12.6, 12.7, and 12.8, with minor modifications as discussed below. Instructions 12.4 and 21.8 are hereby authorized as proposed. However, we decline to authorize the proposed amendment to instruction 3.6(a).

New standard criminal jury instruction 10.6(a), derived from section 790.15(2), Florida Statutes (2009), instructs on the offense of Discharging a Firearm from a Vehicle Within 1000 Feet of a Person. We modify the Committee’s proposal by adding a definition for “knowingly,” an element of the offense under subsection (2). Consistent with standard criminal jury instruction 10.6, Discharging a Firearm in Public, “knowingly” is defined for purposes of instruction 10.6(a) as “with full knowledge and intentionally.”

The Committee also proposes new jury instructions 12.6, 12.7, and 12.8, in light of section 815.06, Florida Statutes (2009), defining distinct “Offenses Against Computer Users.” Instruction 12.7 defines “property” because section 815.06(2)(b) includes as an alternative element that the defendant, having engaged in certain proscribed conduct, “did so for the purpose of devising or *566 executing any scheme or artifice to defraud or obtain property.” We modify the definition of “property” by removing reference to section 812.011, repealed by the Legislature in 1977. Ch. 77-342, § 16, Laws of Fla. “Property,” for purposes of computer-related crimes under chapter 815, Florida Statutes (2009), is now defined in section 815.03(11), and includes, while not limited to, the following: financial instruments; information, including electronically produced data and computer software and programs in either machine-readable or human-readable form; and any other tangible or intangible item of value. We strike the definition of “property” included in instruction 12.8, however, as the offense to which the instruction pertains, see section 815.06(3), does not require as an element or otherwise reference the term “property.” In addition, the definition for “knowingly” has been added to instructions 12.6,12.7, and 12.8. 1

Finally, the Committee proposes an amendment to instruction 3.6(a) that would include a note to trial courts with citation to Eierle v. State, 458 So.2d 442 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984), and offer a brief commentary. We decline to amend instruction 3.6(a) in light of the following facts. First, the proposal remains controversial between Committee members, reflected by a seven-to-five vote in favor of the proposal. Second, the Committee fails to offer a basis for the amendment that was not in existence previously when the Court amended instruction 3.6(a) in 1986, 1994, and 2006. See In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases (No.2005-5), 939 So.2d 1052 (Fla.2006); Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases (93-1), 636 So.2d 502 (Fla.1994) (instruction previously numbered 3.04); In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, 431 So.2d 600 (Fla.1982) (same). In those earlier cases, the Committee did not seek the amendment to the insanity instruction now at issue.

Having considered the Committee’s report and comments, we hereby authorize the publication and use of the instructions as they appear in the attached appendix. 2 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 them correctness or applicability. New language is indicated by underlining and deleted language is indicated by struck-through type. The instructions as set forth in the appendix shall be effective when this opinion becomes final.

It is so ordered.

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

*567 APPENDIX

10.6(a) DISCHARGING A FIREARM FROM A VEHICLE WITHIN 1,000 FEET OF A PERSON

§ 790.15(2), Fla. Stat.

To prove the crime of Discharging a Firearm from a Vehicle Within 1,000 Feet of a Person, the State must prove the following two elements beyond a reasonable doubt:

1. (Defendant) was an occupant of a vehicle.
2. (Defendant) knowingly and willfully discharged a firearm from that vehicle within 1,000 feet of any person.

Definitions

§ 790.001(6), Fla. Stat.

A “firearm” is legally defined as any weapon, including a starter gun, which will, is designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive; the frame or receiver of any such weapon; any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; any destructive device; or any machine gun. [The term “firearm” does not include an antique firearm unless the antique firearm is used in the commission of a crime.] See § 790.001(1), Fla. Stat., for the definition of “antique firearm” and § 790.001 (If), Fla. Stat., for the definition of “destructive device. ”

“Knowingly” means with full knowledge and intentionally.
“Willfully” means intentionally and purposely.
Lesser Included Offenses
No lesser included offenses have been identified for this offense.

Comment

This instruction was adopted in 2010.

12.4 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

§ 806.1S(l)-(2), Fla. Stat.

To prove the crime of Criminal Mischief, the State must prove the following three elements beyond a reasonable doubt:

1. (Defendant) injured or damaged [real] [personal] property, (copy from charge),
2.

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Related

In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Report No. 2012-05
131 So. 3d 755 (Supreme Court of Florida, 2013)
Ewing v. State
56 So. 3d 67 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2011)

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Bluebook (online)
44 So. 3d 565, 35 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 401, 2010 Fla. LEXIS 1049, 2010 WL 2606239, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-standard-jury-instructions-in-criminal-cases-report-no-2010-02-fla-2010.