COSBY R. PERKINS, APPELLANT,
v.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Perkins was convicted of second-degree murder and appealed, challenging the jury instruction on the insanity defense. The court reversed his conviction, holding that the trial court committed reversible error by failing to instruct the jury that once a reasonable doubt of the defendant's sanity is created, the state must prove the defendant's sanity beyond a reasonable doubt.
The trial court committed reversible error by giving the standard instruction without adequately informing the jury that once a reasonable doubt is created regarding the defendant's sanity, the state bears the burden of proving the defendant's sanity beyond a reasonable doubt. The defect in the instruction was not cured by the additional charge regarding presumption of continued insanity.
[1] When the defense of insanity is raised, the presumption of sanity is overcome if the evidence presented tends to raise a reasonable doubt as to the defendant's sanity.
[2] Once the presumption of sanity is rebutted, the prosecution bears the burden of proving the defendant's sanity beyond a reasonable doubt.
Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“do[es] not inform the jury that once a reasonable doubt is created in its mind of the defendant's sanity, the state must prove beyond every reasonable doubt the defendant's sanity”
Establishes the primary defect in the standard jury instruction—failure to communicate the state's burden of proof regarding sanity once insanity is put in reasonable doubt
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligencePerkins was charged with second-degree murder and raised an insanity defense at trial. He requested a specific jury instruction that would have inform…
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BASKIN, Judge.
Appellant Perkins seeks review of his second degree murder conviction. We reverse.
At trial, Perkins relied on a defense of insanity, and requested the following instruction:
Defense Counsel Requested Instruction No. 3:
I charge you that all men are presumed sane, but the presumption vanish es when there is testimony of insanity sufficient to present a reasonable doubt as to the sanity of the defendant, and he is entitled to an acquittal if the State does not overcome the reasonable doubt. Cook v. State, 271 So. 2d 232 (Fla. 2d DCA 1973).
Denying Perkins’ request, the court gave Florida Standard Jury Instruction (Criminal) 3.04(b) (1981):
In issue in this case is whether the defendant was legally insane when the crime was allegedly committed. You must assume that the defendant was sane unless the evidence causes you to have a reasonable doubt about his sanity. If the defendant was legally insane, he is not guilty. To find him legally insane, these three elements must be shown to the point you have a reasonable doubt about his sanity: (1) The defendant had a mental infirmity, defect, or disease; (2) This condition caused the defendant to lose his ability to understand or reason accurately; and (3) Because of the loss of these abilities the defendant (a) did not know what he was doing; or (b) did not know what would result from his actions; or (c) did not know it was wrong, although he knew what he was doing and its consequences. In determining the issue of insanity, you may consider the testimony of experts and nonexpert witnesses. The question you must answer is not whether the defendant is legally insane today or has always been legally insane, but simply if the defendant was legally insane at the time the crime allegedly was committed.
Citing Yohn v. State, 476 So. 2d 123 (Fla. 1985),1 Perkins contends that the trial court’s denial of his requested instruction constitutes reversible error.2 We agree.
In Yohn, the Florida supreme court held that Florida Standard Jury Instruction 3.04(b), even when combined with the standard instruction on reasonable doubt, “do[es] not inform the jury that once a reasonable doubt is created in its mind of the defendant’s sanity, the state must prove beyond every reasonable doubt the defendant’s sanity.” Yohn, 476 So. 2d at 126.3
The instruction given Perkins’ jury suffers from the same defect as the instruction in Yohn,
and the error is properly preserved for review, see Smith v. State, 521 So. 2d 106 (Fla. 1988); we conclude, therefore, that the trial court committed reversible error. Perkins is entitled to a new trial.
Reversed and remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
. Although Yohn was decided subsequent to Perkins’ trial, its holding applies to Perkins. See Smith v. State, 496 So. 2d 983 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986) (Yohn is applicable to a case which is not final by trial or appeal at the time of the decision) and cited cases.
. The state maintains that reliance on Yohn is misplaced because Perkins’ requested instruction differs from the charge requested in Yohn. Finding that the charges are sufficiently similar to render Yohn applicable, we reject the state’s contention.
. In response to Yohn, the standard instruction on insanity has been modified. Fla.Std. Jury Instr. 3.04(b) (1986); see Standard Jury Instructions Re: Criminal Cases, 483 So. 2d 428 (Fla. 1986).
. The state argues that the additional instruction given in this case cures the defect:
If there is evidence that the defendant was legally insane at some time before the commission of the alleged crime, you should assume the defendant continued to be insane at the time of the commission of the alleged crime, unless the evidence convinces you otherwise.
We disagree. This charge addresses the presumption of continued insanity if the evidence proves that defendant was legally insane before the commission of the offense. The flaw in the instructions in Yohn and this cause is the court's failure to inform the jury of the state’s burden to prove defendant’s sanity at the time of the commission of the offense. The additional charge to the Perkins jury does not remedy the absence of a specific instruction as to the state’s high burden of proof.
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Matevia v. State, 564 So. 2d 585 (Fla. 2d DCA 1990)…ntical to that given in this case failed to “inform the jury that once a reasonable doubt is created in its mind of the defendant’s insanity, then the state must prove beyond every reasonable doubt the defendant’s sanity.” See also Perkins v. State, 519 So. 2d 735, 736 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988). The instruction given in this case was virtually identical to the version of Florida Standard Jury Instruction (Crim.) 3.04(b) that was in effect before its revision in light of Yohn. See Standard Jury Instructions Re: Crimi…
Authorities Cited
- Smith v. State, 521 So. 2d 106 (Fla. 1988)
- Tura Yohn v. State, 476 So. 2d 123 (Fla. 1985)
- STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS RE: CRIM. CASES (SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT NO. 85-2), 483 So. 2d 428 (Fla. 1986)
- Cook v. State, 271 So. 2d 232 (Fla. 2d DCA 1973)
- Smith v. State, 496 So. 2d 983 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986)