State v. Soyke

585 N.W.2d 418, 1998 Minn. App. LEXIS 1184, 1998 WL 747128
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedOctober 27, 1998
DocketC0-98-499
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 585 N.W.2d 418 (State v. Soyke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Soyke, 585 N.W.2d 418, 1998 Minn. App. LEXIS 1184, 1998 WL 747128 (Mich. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

*419 OPINION

DANIEL F. FOLEY, Judge. *

Appellant Ralph Soyke filed this appeal from an order denying his motion to dismiss a complaint charging him with second- and fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct after the district court declared a mistrial in Soyke’s first trial when the jury appeared deadlocked. We extend discretionary review of the order and affirm.

FACTS

The complaint charged Soyke with engaging in noneonsensual sexual contact with two juveniles while Soyke was a ride attendant at the state fair. The initial complaint charged two counts of fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, but was later amended by adding two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Soyke provided this court with only a partial transcript of the trial proceedings. But it appears to be undisputed that the trial was very short, with opening statements, testimony, and closing arguments all occurring on the same day. The jury was instructed the following morning and began deliberations at 9:00 a.m.

The jury sent a note to the district court shortly after beginning deliberations. By the time the court had gathered all the parties together to consider a response, the jury had sent a second note. The first note stated, “We need a tape recorder or the transcript of the cassette.” This referred to the tape recording of Soyke’s statement to police. The court responded that the jury would not be given the transcript, but could choose to have the tape played in open court.

The jury’s second note stated, “If [defendant is] guilty in [the] 2nd [degree], is 5th [degree] automatic?” The court responded to this question by instructing that the jury needed to address each count separately and return a verdict on each count. The court then sent the jury back in for further deliberations at about 10:20 a.m.

The court reconvened at 3:21 p.m., and read a note from the jury, which stated:

We are stuck, and do not see enough in what was presented as testimony, evidence and fact that we could come to a unanimous decision. Enough feel strongly on one side or another that we are not seeing a solution.
What guidance or process can you offer?

The court at first responded that the jury should reread the instructions, but then questioned the jury foreman, who responded that the note reflected the sentiment of the jury. The court reread CRIMJIG 3.04, on the necessity of a unanimous verdict and the jurors’ duty to deliberate and be willing to re-examine their views. 10 Minnesota Practice, CRIMJIG 3.04 (1990).

After reading CRIMJIG 3.04, the court questioned the jury foreman whether “it would be of any benefit to have the group return for further deliberation.” The foreman responded:

We are at a point where there [are] enough polarized opinions, that we do not see a way to convince one side or the other to come together in one side or the other, and so we don’t believe that we can come back together and keep talking it over. We feel like we have exhausted all of those possibilities. What we were specifically looking for was direction, because we don’t know what we can and cannot do from that point.

The foreman then explained that the jury would like to ask for some clarifications on the evidence, but was aware it probably could not do so.

The court responded that it could read back testimony, but could not allow eviden-tiary questions from jurors. The court then expressed concern about not doing anything that would affect the jury’s decision-making. The court explained that it was trying to decide whether “continued deliberation would bring forth a verdict” or the jury was “hopelessly deadlocked.” After a discussion with *420 counsel at the bench, the court asked the jury:

Did [the foreman] fairly summarize the polarization and the difficulties of the group being able to resolve the issues in this case?

Most of the jurors responded affirmatively. The court then declared a “hung jury” and a mistrial.

Soyke filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on double jeopardy grounds, arguing that there had been no “manifest necessity” for the court’s declaration of a mistrial. Following a hearing, the district court denied the motion. The court agreed that both parties had wanted the jury^to deliberate further and stated that the court itself had been similarly inclined until the jury came back in and indicated that jurors were “entrenched in their positions.” The court concluded that it had made a decision that there was “no reasonable possibility of a verdict” and declined to dismiss the complaint.

ISSUE

Does double jeopardy bar a retrial of appellant?

ANALYSIS

We must first briefly address this court’s jurisdiction over this appeal. Soyke has not been retried or sentenced on the criminal sexual conduct charges, so the district court’s order, despite the trial and declaration of a mistrial, is a pretrial order from which Soyke has no right of appeal. See Minn. R.Crim. P. 28.02, subd. 2(2) (defendant has no right of appeal before final judgment, except for certain types of orders); State v. Murphy, 537 N.W.2d 492, 494-95 (Minn.App.1995) (holding pretrial order denying motion to dismiss on double jeopardy grounds is not appealable as of right). But because the record is fully developed and the issue fully briefed, we will extend discretionary review. See generally State v. Childs, 269 N.W.2d 25, 26 n. 1 (Minn.1978) (explaining reason for extending discretionary review); Minn. R.Crim. P. 28.02, subd. 3 (discretionary appeal).

Soyke argues that double jeopardy bars his retrial on the criminal sexual conduct charges after the district court declared a mistrial over a defense objection. Although the district court concluded the jury was deadlocked, Soyke argues there was no “manifest necessity” supporting the mistrial.

The Double Jeopardy Clause protects a defendant against repeated prosecutions for the same offense. Oregon v. Kennedy, 456 U.S. 667, 671, 102 S.Ct. 2083, 2087, 72 L.Ed.2d 416 (1982). The “Double Jeopardy Clause affords a criminal defendant a ‘valued right to have his trial completed by a particular tribunal.’” Id. at 671-72, 102 S.Ct. at 2087 (quoting Wade v. Hunter, 336 U.S. 684, 689, 69 S.Ct. 834, 837, 93 L.Ed. 974 (1949)).

Where the trial is terminated over the objection of the defendant, the classical test for lifting the double jeopardy bar to a second trial is the “manifest necessity” standard first enunciated in Justice Story’s opinion for the Court in United States v. Perez, 9 Wheat. 579, 580, 6 L.Ed. 165 (1824).

Id. at 672, 102 S.Ct. at 2087.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
585 N.W.2d 418, 1998 Minn. App. LEXIS 1184, 1998 WL 747128, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-soyke-minnctapp-1998.