State v. Tardie

509 P.3d 705, 319 Or. App. 229
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedApril 20, 2022
DocketA172055
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 509 P.3d 705 (State v. Tardie) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Tardie, 509 P.3d 705, 319 Or. App. 229 (Or. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Argued and submitted November 10, 2021; convictions on Counts 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15 reversed and remanded, remanded for resentencing, otherwise affirmed April 20; petition for review denied October 6, 2022 (370 Or 303)

STATE OF OREGON, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. ADAM JOSEPH TARDIE, Defendant-Appellant. Lane County Circuit Court 17CR15794; A172055 509 P3d 705

Defendant appeals from a judgment of conviction for multiple counts of fourth- degree assault, coercion, and strangulation. On appeal, he raises 12 assignments of error. His first two assignments of error challenge the denials of successive motions to suppress. In his third and fourth assignments of error, he challenges the trial court’s denial of two motions for judgment of acquittal. In his fifth and sixth assignments of error, he claims that the trial court erred in instructing the jury on the strangulation charges. And finally, in his seventh through twelfth claims of error, he argues that the trial court erred in instructing the jury that it could reach nonunanimous verdicts and in accepting nonunanimous verdicts. Held: First, the Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s denial of the motions for judgment of acquittal without discussion. Second, the court concluded that the trial court erred in giving an erroneous strangulation jury instruction and that the error was not harmless. Third, the court accepted the state’s conces- sion that four of defendant’s convictions must be reversed in light of the jury’s nonunanimous verdicts. Lastly, the court concluded that the trial court did not err in denying either of defendant’s motions to suppress. Convictions on Counts 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15 reversed and remanded; remanded for resentencing; otherwise affirmed.

Clara L Rigmaiden, Judge. Sara Werboff, Deputy Public Defender, argued the cause for appellant. Also on the briefs was Ernest G. Lannet, Chief Defender, Criminal Appellate Section, Office of Public Defense Services. Peenesh Shah, Assistant Attorney General, argued the cause for respondent. Also on the briefs were Ellen F. Rosenblum, Attorney General, and Benjamin Gutman, Solicitor General. 230 State v. Tardie

Before Mooney, Presiding Judge, and Joyce, Judge, and DeVore, Senior Judge.* JOYCE, J. Convictions on Counts 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15 reversed and remanded; remanded for resentencing; otherwise affirmed.

______________ * Joyce, J., vice DeHoog, J. pro tempore. Cite as 319 Or App 229 (2022) 231

JOYCE, J. Defendant appeals from a judgment of conviction for multiple counts of fourth-degree assault, coercion, and strangulation. On appeal, he raises 12 assignments of error. His first two assignments of error challenge the denials of successive motions to suppress. In his third and fourth assignments of error, he challenges the trial court’s denial of two motions for judgment of acquittal. In his fifth and sixth assignments of error, he claims that the trial court erred in instructing the jury on the strangulation charges. And finally, in his seventh through twelfth claims of error, he argues that the trial court erred in instructing the jury that it could reach nonunanimous verdicts and in accepting nonunanimous verdicts. We affirm the denial of the motions for judgment of acquittal without discussion. From there, we address the remaining claims of error out of order, because our dispo- sition on some affect how we address others. We reverse and remand on defendant’s fifth and sixth assignments of error because we conclude that the trial court erroneously instructed the jury and that the error was not harmless. We reverse and remand certain convictions related to the nonunanimous jury instruction and nonunanimous jury verdicts but affirm others. Finally, we affirm on defendant’s first and second assignments of error because the trial court correctly denied both motions to suppress. BASIC FACTS We briefly describe the basic facts underlying defen- dant’s convictions and then, as appropriate, further describe facts as relevant to the corresponding claims of error. Defendant and the victim were in an intimate relationship and lived together in defendant’s home. Neighbors called police on December 4, 2016, to report a dispute. Police responded and found the victim outside. She had a bloody fat lip as well as bruising and swelling on her face. She told officers that defendant had assaulted her in the home and that she ran away, but defendant followed her and assaulted her again. The victim told police that defendant had sur- veillance cameras throughout his home. She also reported 232 State v. Tardie

another incident that had occurred on December 1, 2016, during which defendant knocked her to the ground and kicked her. Before that assault, defendant unplugged the surveillance camera that would have captured the assault. Based on the victim’s statements and recovered surveillance video footage, the state charged defendant with a number of crimes. A jury convicted him of multiple counts of fourth-degree assault, strangulation, and coercion. JURY INSTRUCTION ON STRANGULATION The state charged defendant with multiple counts of strangulation. In his fifth and sixth assignments of error, defendant asserts that the trial court erred in declining to give his requested jury instruction on strangulation (sixth assignment) and in instructing the jury on those counts (fifth assignment). We review a trial court’s jury instruc- tions for legal error. State v. Harper, 296 Or App 125, 126, 436 P3d 44 (2019). “A trial court commits reversible error when it incorrectly instructs the jury on a material element of a claim or defense and that instructional error permits the jury to reach a legally erroneous result.” Id. (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). We conclude that the court erred in failing to give defendant’s requested instruction. ORS 163.187(1) provides that “a person commits the crime of strangulation if the person knowingly impedes the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of another person[.]” ORS 161.085(8) in turn provides that knowingly, “when used with respect to conduct or to a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense, means that a per- son acts with an awareness that the conduct of the person is of a nature so described or that a circumstance so described exists.” Defendant asked that the court instruct the jury that “knowingly” means that “the person acts with an aware- ness that his or her conduct impedes the normal breathing or circulation of another person.” The state objected and asked that the court add “could” before “impede”, i.e., that knowingly means defendant acted with an awareness that his conduct “could impede” the victim’s normal breathing Cite as 319 Or App 229 (2022) 233

or circulation. The trial court agreed with the state and instructed the jury that it could find defendant guilty if it concluded that he acted with an awareness that his conduct “could impede” the victim’s breathing. On appeal, the parties agree that the “knowingly” mental state applies to and directly modifies “impede.” State v. Schodrow, 187 Or App 224, 229, 66 P3d 547 (2003). They also agree that the definition of “knowingly” set forth in ORS 161.085(1) applies. But, as they did below, they dis- agree over the trial court’s inclusion of the term “could.” Defendant maintains that the state was required to prove that defendant was acting with an awareness that he was impeding her breathing, not that he “could” have done so.

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Bluebook (online)
509 P.3d 705, 319 Or. App. 229, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-tardie-orctapp-2022.