Opinion

Graham v. State

  • 72 O.B.A.J. 1996
  • 27 P.3d 1026
  • 2001 OK CR 18
  • 2001 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 17
  • 2001 WL 695022
Court
Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
Filed
Jun 21, 2001
Status
Published
Author
Lumpkin
On the bench
Chapel, Johnson, Strubhar, Lumpkin, Lile
Cited by
10 cases
Authority
More cited than 11.1%

The opinion

LUMPKIN, Presiding Judge:

concurs in result.

1 This case presents an issue of instructional error only. Had the trial court issued OUJI-CR 2d 10-27, which is a clear and correct statement of the law, the problem would have been resolved.

12 Furthermore, this case does not present a question of first impression. See, e.g., Bland v. State, 2000 OK CR 11 , 1 89, 4 P.3d 702, 726 (same argument raised, but rejected, based upon giving of OUJI-CR 2d 10-27); Washington v. State, 1999 OK CR 22, 139 , 989 P.2d 960, 973 ('The jury was further instructed that it should consider first degree murder and if it entertained a reasonable doubt, then it should consider second degree murder as is required by OUJI CR2d 10-24."); Childs v. State, 68 Okla.Crim. 435 , 99 P.2d 539, 540-41 (1940)(same instruction found fair and favorable to a defendant). Indeed, the Committee Comments regarding this instruction indicate careful consideration has been given in drafting it to comply with many of this Court's decisions and to comply with 22 0.8.1991, § 916.

18 Therefore, the Opinion now modifies this clear and correct statement of the law with an unnecessary instruction that is itself confusing, using a double negative in con-junetion with the words unanimously and "may consider." I suspect this new instruc *1029 tion, drafted with one set of facts in mind, may soon come back to haunt us. "Often, thinking to knot one thread, we tie another." Victor Hugo, Les Miserables With that thought in mind, I can only coneur in the result reached here.

T4 I am authorized to state Judge Lile joins in this special vote.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.