State v. Harry

2008 UT App 224, 189 P.3d 98, 606 Utah Adv. Rep. 3, 2008 Utah App. LEXIS 219, 2008 WL 2370741
CourtCourt of Appeals of Utah
DecidedJune 12, 2008
DocketNo. 20070025-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 2008 UT App 224 (State v. Harry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Utah primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Harry, 2008 UT App 224, 189 P.3d 98, 606 Utah Adv. Rep. 3, 2008 Utah App. LEXIS 219, 2008 WL 2370741 (Utah Ct. App. 2008).

Opinions

[100]*100OPINION

McHUGH, Judge:

T1 Defendant Russell David Harry appeals his conviction for possession or use of a controlled substance, a third degree felony, see Utah Code Ann. § 58-37-8(2)(a)() (Supp. 2005). Harry argues that the trial court erred when it delivered a modified Allen instruction to a deadlocked jury. We agree. Accordingly, we reverse his felony possession conviction and remand for a new trial.

BACKGROUND1

T2 Around midnight on September 16, 2005, Utah Highway Patrol Officer Jared Garcia stopped the car driven by Harry when he noticed a cracked windshield, no front license plate, and an expired temporary permit. He conducted field sobriety tests after observing, among other things, Harry's slow speech, heavy breathing, shaking, bloodshot eyes, and dilated pupils. After completing the tests, Officer Garcia concluded that Harry was "unable to safely operate a motor vehicle," placed him under arrest, and performed a pat-down search during which he discovered no contraband or weapons. Officer Garcia testified at trial that he then brought Harry to his patrol car, showed him the "completely empty" backseat, and told him that taking any drugs or paraphernalia to the jail could result in "an extra penalty." The officer also testified that, while conducting an inventory search of Harry's vehicle, he "could see [his patrol carl moving." Upon further investigation, he found a bag on the back seat of the police cruiser, between Harry's immediate right and the door. Officer Garcia then found two additional bags in the back of the police vehicle, one of which contained a white crystal substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine.2 Officer Garcia also testified that Harry admitted to using methamphetamine earlier that day and trying to hide the bags.3

3 Harry was ultimately charged with possession or use of a controlled substance, a third degree felony (Count I), see id., and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a class B misdemeanor (Count II), see Utah Code Ann. § 41-6a-502 (2005). The jury deliberated for nearly three-and-a-half hours before notifying the trial court that they had reached a decision on the driving under the influence charge but were unable to reach a verdict as to the possession or use of a controlled substance charge.4 Specifically, the jury foreperson's note read as follows: "We have come to a unanimous decision on Count II. However for Count I we are 7-1 and the jurors is [sic] undecided and will not change."

T4 The trial court brought the jury into the courtroom and, over defense counsel's objection, gave them a modified, supplemental Allen instruction.5 See generally Allen v. United States, 164 U.S. 492, 501, 17 S.Ct. 154, 41 L.Ed. 528 (1896) (providing the substance of the pure Allen charge); United States v. McELhiney, 275 F.3d 928, 986 (10th Cir.2001) ("An instruction that departs from the pure [Allen ] charge, whether by omission or embellishment, we call a (modified Allen instruction."). After the judge delivered this instruction, the jury resumed its deliberations and returned with a guilty verdict on both counts in twenty-six minutes. [101]*101When the verdict was read, defense counsel requested that the jury be polled, and the court clerk asked each juror, "Were these and are these now your verdicts?" juror individually replied, "Yes." Each

ISSUE AND STANDARD OF REVIEW

15 Harry argues that, due to the trial court's delivery of a modified Allen instruction after the jury was deadlocked, he was denied a fair trial.6 We review this issue for correctness. See State v. Clements, 967 P.2d 957, 959 (Utah Ct.App.1998).

ANALYSIS

T6 This court has previously addressed whether a modified Allen charge was imper-missibly coercive. See State v. Lactod, 761 P.2d 23, 29 (Utah Ct.App.1988).7 In doing so, we noted that "'many courts have expressed concern about the continued propriety of the [Allen ] instruction because of its perceived tendency to pressure jurors to give up their sincere convictions simply because a majority takes a different view."" Id. (quoting State v. Medina, 738 P.2d 1021, 1022 n. 1 (Utah 1987)). Nevertheless, this court "uph[elld the non-coereive use of Allen charges because we believe such charges to be a reasonable and proper exercise of the court's power to guide the jury to a fair and impartial verdict." Id. at 30 (following Low-enfield v. Phelps, 484 U.S. 231, 108 S.Ct. 546, 98 LEd.2d 568 (1988)). Additionally, we "recognize[d] the other legitimate purposes served by such a charge, namely, 'the avoidance of the societal costs of a retrial' both in time and money, and the 'possible loss of evidence that a new trial would entail'" Id. (citation omitted) (quoting Lowenfield, 484 U.S. at 288, 108 S.Ct. 546 (majority opinion), 252 (Marshall, J., dissenting)).

17 In upholding the modified Allen instruction in State v. Lactod, T6l P.2d 23 (Utah Ct.App.1988), we announced a two-part test based on decisions from the United States Supreme Court and the Tenth Cireuit. See id. at 830-31 (citing Lowenfleld, 484 U.S. at 237, 108 S.Ct. 546; United States v. Dyba, 554 F.2d 417, 421 (10th Cir 1977). We therefore "consider [1] whether the language of the supplemental charge can properly be said to be coercive [per sel, and [2] whether it is coercive under the specific cireumstances of the case." Id. at 30. In evaluating the modified Allen instruction in the instant case, we will address each consideration in turn, including Harry's request that we adopt the American Bar Association (ABA) model instruction.

I. The Allen Instruction Is Not Coercive Per Se

18 Harry first argues that the modified Allen instruction in this case is coercive per se because it "overemphasized the importance of agreement"; "placed undue pressure on a dissenting juror"; "contained incorrect statements of law ... [and] improper and irrelevant information"; and "commented on the evidence" and "invaded the province of the jury." Based on existing precedent, we do not agree that the instruction is facially coercive.

A. The Instruction Did Not Overemphasize the Importance of Agreement

T9 In Lactod, we noted that the inclusion of certain "ideas" in an Allen charge will make such an instruction "inherently coercive." Id. at 80-31. For example, an instruction that includes the statement " '[ylou have got to reach a decision in this case'" has been held to be inherently coercive, id. at 31 (alteration in original) (quoting Jenkins v. United States, 380 U.S. 445, 446, [102]*10285 S.Ct. 1059, 183 LEd.2d 957 (1965) (per curiam)), because "[it is a misstatement of law that a criminal case must be decided at some time," id.

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Bluebook (online)
2008 UT App 224, 189 P.3d 98, 606 Utah Adv. Rep. 3, 2008 Utah App. LEXIS 219, 2008 WL 2370741, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-harry-utahctapp-2008.