State v. Yasuichi Inoue

646 P.2d 983, 3 Haw. App. 217, 1982 Haw. App. LEXIS 138
CourtHawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 25, 1982
DocketNO. 8047
StatusPublished

This text of 646 P.2d 983 (State v. Yasuichi Inoue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Yasuichi Inoue, 646 P.2d 983, 3 Haw. App. 217, 1982 Haw. App. LEXIS 138 (hawapp 1982).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT BY

HEEN, J.

Defendant, Yasuichi Inoue, appeals from a judgment of conviction for manslaughter.1 We find that the trial court erred in failing to [218]*218instruct the jury that the State had the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant lacked justification.

Defendant was indicted by the Oahu Grand Jury on charges of murder in violation of Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) § 707-701 (1976), and carrying a firearm on person without permit or license in violation of HRS § 134-9 (1976, as amended). Trial was had before a jury and defendant introduced evidence that he had shot the victim when the latter became involved in an altercation with one Charles Fernandez. The testimony at the trial indicated that defendant and Fernandez had a very close relationship. The victim was described as weighing about 300 pounds, while Fernandez was described as weighing about 180 pounds.

At the close of the evidence, the court conferred with counsel for the purpose of settling instructions. In discussing Defendant’s Requested Instruction Number 6, the following took place between the court and defense counsel:

THE COURT:. . . Defendant’s Instruction Number 6, given as modified by agreement. Is that correct Miss Nakatani?
MISS NAKATANI: Yes, your Honor. I believe the modification is a deletion of the last paragraph.
THE COURT: The last two sentences.
MISS NAKATANI: I’m sorry, the last two sentences.
THE COURT: This is Number 6.
MISS NAKATANI: Yes. Incidentally I was under the impression the Court was deleting the second sentence and the last sentence.
THE COURT: Well, the last two sentences beginning with “he is not obliged to establish this defense.”
MISS NAKATANI: Also, before stating my objection to the Court’s modification of the instruction, I had request [sic] a modification of my instruction as to the last sentence of that instruction to read, “the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt there was no justification under the rule of the defense of other persons as you have been instructed.”
And I would object to the Court’s modification based on — First of all, I believe that without the clarification of the effect qf the defense, the jurors would be confused. Secondly, that the last two sentences clarify that its [sic] incumbent upon the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defense does [219]*219not apply. And under the circumstances, the Court should give the instructions in total.[2]
THE COURT: The Court feels that the deleted portions are redundant and for that reason makes the modification.

When Instruction Number 6 was read to the jury, however, the court did, in fact, delete the second sentence of the requested instruction and read the following language,

The defendant has presented evidence tending to show that he acted in defense of another person. If his evidence, considered with all the other evidence raises a reasonable doubt as to his guilt, he is entitled to an acquittal with respect to the charge of Murder.

The appeal presents the question whether, when the defense of justification is raised upon a charge of murder, the trial court, upon request of defendant, must instruct the jury that the prosecution has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt the absence of justification.

Defendant asserts that there were really two errors committed by the trial court below, the first being the modification of Instruction Number 6 to remove that language which would have clearly cast the burden of proof upon the government, and the second being the deletion made by the court of the second sentence at the time the instructions were read. The prosecution argues that since the defendant did not object to the deletion of the second sentence at the time the instruction was read3 and substantial rights of the defen[220]*220dant were not affected, the court did not commit plain error and this court should not entertain this question.4 We hold, however, that it is not necessary to consider the question whether this is plain error.

It is quite obvious from the discussion between the court and defense counsel that- defense counsel was prepared to object to the deledon of the second sentence of the instruction. The basic question was and is whether defendant was prejudiced by the failure of the court to properly instruct the jury that with respect to his defense he had no burden of proof and the burden was on the prosecution to prove lack of justification beyond a reasonable doubt. The thrust of defendant’s argument to the trial court was that he was entitled to have the jury so instructed and the deleted sentence referred specifically to that proposition. We treat defendant’s objection as being sufficient to bring before this court the question of the instruction as read since objections made to instructions at the time they were settled shall be deemed preserved even though not restated after the court has instructed the jury. Rule 30(e), Hawaii Rules of Penal Procedure (1977).

We hold that the case of State v. McNulty, 60 Haw. 259, 588 P.2d 438 (1978), is controlling in this case. At 266, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled,

We hold that appellant would have been entitled, upon proper request, to have the trial court specifically instruct the jury that the prosecution’s burden of persuasion included proving that appellant had not acted in self defense at the time of the alleged crime. [Emphasis added.]

In McNulty, however, defense counsel withdrew his original request [221]*221for such an instruction and raised no objection to the court’s instructions. Consequently, the court there refrained from overturning the conviction. In the case at bar, defendant in fact requested such an instruction and objected to the deletion from that request of references to the burden of proof.

The prosecution maintains that the instructions taken as a whole sufficiently instructed the jury on the law relating to justification, recklessness, and reasonable doubt. They proceed from there to argue that, because the jury returned a verdict of guilty of the lesser-included-offense of manslaughter, the jury must have determined that defendant had no justification. We cannot indulge in such speculation. The defendant in any criminal case is entitled to have the jury properly instructed with respect to the burden of proof, State v. McNulty, supra. See also State v. Chang, 46 Haw. 22, 374 P.2d 5 (1962), Territory v. Kaeha, 24 Haw. 467 (1918).

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Related

United States v. Edward Marvin Corrigan
548 F.2d 879 (Tenth Circuit, 1977)
Leonard v. People
369 P.2d 54 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1962)
State v. Iaukea
537 P.2d 724 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 1975)
State v. Chang
374 P.2d 5 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 1962)
State v. Onishi
581 P.2d 763 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. McNulty
588 P.2d 438 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. Feliciano
618 P.2d 306 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 1980)
Frazier v. Weatherholtz
411 F. Supp. 349 (W.D. Virginia, 1976)
Territory v. Kaeha
24 Haw. 467 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 1918)
State v. Iaukea
537 P.2d 724 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 1975)

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Bluebook (online)
646 P.2d 983, 3 Haw. App. 217, 1982 Haw. App. LEXIS 138, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-yasuichi-inoue-hawapp-1982.