State v. Emmanuel Earl Trammell
State v. Emmanuel Earl Trammell
Opinion of the Court
*162¶1 This is a review of an unpublished, per curiam decision of the court of appeals, State v. Trammell, No. 2017AP1206-CR, unpublished slip op. (Wis. Ct. App. May 8, 2018), affirming a jury verdict convicting Emmanuel Earl Trammell ("Trammell") on one count of armed robbery and one count of operating a vehicle without the owner's consent, and affirming the Milwaukee County circuit court's order denying Trammell's motion for postconviction relief.
*163¶2 We conclude that Trammell waived his right to object to the use of Wis JI-Criminal 140 by failing to object to its use at the jury instruction and verdict conference, pursuant to
I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL POSTURE
¶3 Trammell was arrested on July 8, 2015, after stealing a car from a convenience store parking lot while armed. On July 10, 2015, the State charged Trammell with one count of armed robbery and one count of operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent. Trammell entered a plea of not guilty.
¶4 Prior to trial, Trammell submitted a list of proposed jury instructions pursuant to the circuit *164court's scheduling order. Included in the list of proposed jury instructions was Wis JI-Criminal 140 titled, "Burden of Proof and the Presumption of Innocence."
¶6 The State also called Officer Steven Strasser of the Milwaukee Police Department ("Officer Strasser") to testify. Officer Strasser testified that he heard a dispatch that OnStar
*166¶7 The State also called Silas, who had entered into a plea agreement, to testify. Silas testified that on July 8, 2015, he rode to the convenience store in a Dodge Stratus with Trammell and another individual. Silas also corroborated the victim's testimony regarding what transpired at the convenience store. He stated that once the victim's girlfriend was out of the car, Trammell threw Silas the keys to the Dodge. Silas drove away in the Dodge as Trammell took the Buick. Silas testified that he and Trammell later switched cars. He further testified that he understood the incident involved a gun that Trammell provided to the victim but for which the victim never paid Trammell. Silas said that Trammell intended to return the car to the victim once Trammell and the victim settled the outstanding debt.
¶8 Officer Eric Draeger of the Milwaukee Police Department ("Officer Draeger") also testified for the State. Officer Draeger stated that he monitors all jail telephone calls, and that on January 6, 2016, he listened to a call Trammell made to a friend, during which Trammell asked her to offer false testimony at Trammell's trial.
¶9 Moreover, pursuant to a stipulation with Trammell's trial counsel, the State informed the jury that a forensic examiner identified two fingerprints lifted from the Buick as Trammell's left index finger and Silas's left middle finger. Trammell chose not to testify at trial.
¶10 At the close of evidence, the parties and the circuit court conducted a jury instruction and verdict conference as required by
*167Trammell did not object to the instruction, nor did he request that the instruction be modified in any way. Prior to closing arguments, the circuit court instructed the jury on the burden of proof using Wis JI-Criminal 140.
¶11 The jury convicted Trammell of both armed robbery, party to a crime, and operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent, party to a crime. On May 17, 2016, Trammell was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 8 years of extended supervision on count one. He was further sentenced to 15 months in prison and 15 months of extended supervision on count two, running concurrently with the sentence on count one.
¶12 On April 10, 2017, Trammell filed a motion for postconviction relief in the circuit *570court. Trammell claimed that Wis JI-Criminal 140 "misstated the law, confused the jurors, and caused Trammell to be convicted based on a burden of proof lower than the constitutionally-required 'beyond reasonable doubt' standard." In support of his position, Trammell cited two law review articles written by the same two authors-one which was released shortly after Trammell's conviction, and one which was, at the time, set to be released in 2017.
¶13 On April 14, 2017, the circuit court issued a written order denying Trammell's motion for postconviction relief. The circuit court noted that Wis JI-Criminal 140 "was formulated and approved by Wisconsin's Jury Instruction Committee," and stated that "[a]lthough the studies performed by Cicchini and White make for interesting reading, the court is bound by the standard jury instruction implemented by the Jury Instruction Committee which has been accepted for years by Wisconsin's appellate courts." The circuit court therefore declined to grant Trammell a new trial due to any purported plain error and rejected Trammell's argument that Wis JI-Criminal 140 "prevented the true controversy from being fully tried."
¶14 Trammell appealed. On May 8, 2018, the court of appeals issued a per curiam opinion affirming the circuit court. The court of appeals first concluded that Trammell waived his right to object to the jury instruction pursuant to
II. STANDARD OF REVIEW
¶15 We will address four issues: (1) whether Trammell waived his challenge to *571the use of Wis JI-Criminal 140; (2) whether Wis JI-Criminal 140 misstates the law so to confuse and mislead the jury thus requiring us to overrule Avila; (3) whether Wis JI-Criminal 140 is otherwise constitutionally infirm; and (4) whether discretionary reversal is warranted under
¶16 This court reviews questions of waiver de novo. State v. Kelty,
III. ANALYSIS
A. Waiver Under
¶17 We first address whether Trammell waived his objection to the use of Wis JI-Criminal 140 by failing to object to it at the jury instruction and verdict conference, as required by
At the close of the evidence and before arguments to the jury, the court shall conduct a conference with counsel outside the presence of the jury. At the conference, or at such earlier time as the court reasonably directs, counsel may file written motions that the court instruct the jury on the law, and submit verdict questions, as set forth in the motions. The court shall inform counsel on the record of its proposed action on the motions and of the instructions and verdict it proposes to submit. Counsel may object to the proposed instructions or verdict on the grounds of incompleteness or other error, stating the grounds for objection with particularity on the record. Failure to object at the conference constitutes a waiver of any error in the proposed instructions or verdict.
*171§ 805.13(3). Section 805.13(3) provides no exceptions to the requirement that any objection be made at the jury instruction conference.
¶18 Here, it is undisputed that Trammell's trial counsel listed Wis JI-Criminal 140 as one of Trammell's proposed jury instructions submitted to the circuit court prior to trial. It is further undisputed that the circuit court properly held the jury instruction and verdict conference at the close of evidence and prior to closing arguments. Although circuit courts can and do modify jury instructions, Trammell concedes that at no point did his trial counsel object to the use of Wis JI-Criminal 140 as part of the instructions the circuit court would read to the jury. Trammell also concedes that his trial counsel did not request that Wis JI-Criminal 140 be altered in any way. The circuit court instructed the jury using the pattern instruction. Trammell's objection to the use of Wis JI-Criminal 140 did not arise until over a year after his conviction, when he filed his motion for postconviction relief on April 10, 2017.
*572¶19 Applying
*172¶20 Trammell attempts to avoid the plain language of
¶21 We are not persuaded. In Howard the defendant was charged with, "inter alia, aiding and abetting the unlawful delivery of a controlled substance (cocaine) while possessing a dangerous weapon, in violation of
¶22 This court concluded that Howard did not waive his objection to the two jury instructions, holding that he could only waive objections "which he knew or should have known" at the time of the jury instruction and verdict conference.
Here, Howard and his counsel in 1990 had no way to know how this court would construeWis. Stat. § 939.63 [1989-90] by the time it decided Peete in 1994. We agree that Howard's counsel had an obligation to object at the instructions conference based on incompleteness or other error about which he knew or should have known. We cannot agree that Howard's counsel could have stated grounds for an objection "with particularity," based on the absence of a nexus element and corresponding instruction. Howard has not waived this issue.
¶23 Howard is distinguishable from this case. Here, we are not confronted *573with a subsequent case which changed the elements of the crime with which Trammell was charged. Instead, Trammell's argument is based purely on law review articles which incorporate the authors' non-peer-reviewed "scientific" studies. In fact, the arguments Trammell makes are indeed known as they are referenced in the jury instruction comments to Wis JI-Criminal 140. The circuit court has the authority to modify the language, and the comment to the jury instruction even provides optional language. State v. Burris,
¶24 Unlike Howard, Trammel's post-conviction challenge to the reasonable doubt jury instruction could have been made at trial. While the two law review articles Trammell claims support his position were published after his conviction, that fact alone does not render his objection "unknowable" at the time of the conference. The language now in question has been used, in its current form, for decades and has been the subject of constitutional challenges in the past. See Wis JI-Criminal 140, cmt. at 2-5. We therefore conclude that Trammell waived his objection to the use of Wis JI-Criminal 140 by failing to object at the jury instruction and verdict conference, as required by
¶25 While the court of appeals correctly concluded that its analysis ended with Trammell's waiver of his objection to Wis JI-Criminal 140, we choose to continue our analysis. As this court has stated, the court of appeals has no power to reach an unobjected-to jury instruction because the court of appeals lacks a discretionary power of review. Schumacher,
*175While we only exercise our discretionary power of review in rare circumstances, there is no dispute that this matter is properly before us, and as this court exercised its discretionary power of review in Schumacher to examine the constitutionality of an unobjected-to jury instruction, see id. at 409-10,
B. Wisconsin JI-Criminal 140
¶26 We address Trammell's arguments regarding Wis JI-Criminal 140. We begin by discussing the history of the instruction. We then examine whether this court should overrule Avila, and finally address Trammell's contention that various parts of Wis JI-Criminal 140 unconstitutionally reduced the State's burden of proof below the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard. We decline to overrule Avila and conclude that Wis JI-Criminal 140 does not unconstitutionally reduce the State's burden of proof so to deprive Trammell of Due Process.
1. History of Wis JI-Criminal 140
¶27 Wisconsin JI-Criminal 140 was originally published by the Wisconsin Judicial Conference Criminal Jury Instructions *574Committee
¶28 In addition, the Committee has considered the two law review articles by Cicchini and White that Trammell relies on in this case. Id. at 5. The Committee stated that it "received several inquiries about the phrase 'you are to search for the truth,' " based on the law review articles, and that "[a]fter careful consideration, the Committee decided not to change the text of the instruction." Id. In deciding not to alter Wis JI-Criminal 140, the Committee relied in large part on this court's holding in Avila, noting that "[c]hallenges to including 'search for the truth' in the reasonable doubt instruction have been rejected by Wisconsin appellate courts."
*1772. State v. Avila
¶29 Trammell asks this court to overrule Avila. We address Avila separately because Trammell's arguments regarding Avila seem to differ from his arguments regarding the specific language of the instruction itself. For example, Trammell asks us to invoke the Wisconsin Constitution and provide greater protection than the United States Constitution, arguing that the studies he cites provide ample basis for us to overrule Avila, and further asserting that Avila is contrary to United States Supreme Court precedent.
¶30 In Avila this court considered, inter alia, a starkly similar challenge to the one Trammell brings here-that Wis JI-Criminal 140 (1991), and its final two sentences in particular, "improperly dilutes the State's burden of proof and as such is constitutionally infirm." Avila,
¶31 Trammell largely argues that Avila should be overturned because it is refuted by reliable, empirical evidence from two research studies which are now cited in two law review articles. He argues that the language commanding the jurors (1) "not to search for doubt," but instead (2) "to search for the truth" is an impermissible "dual directive." He argues that these dual directives cause some jurors to conclude that they may properly vote guilty even when reasonable doubt exists, that the two studies demonstrate that jurors convict at significantly higher rates when dual directive instructions are given, and that the dual directives effectively reduce the prosecution's burden from beyond a reasonable doubt to preponderance of the evidence.
¶32 Trammell argues that the Avila court, without the benefit of this research, upheld Wis JI-Criminal 140, and that the two studies demonstrate that Avila must be overturned. In doing so, Trammell urges this court to follow State v. Dubose,
¶33 Trammell is correct that in Dubose this court relied in part on social science to hold that Article I, section 8 of the Wisconsin Constitution contained a broader due process right than that under the United States Constitution with respect to an out-of-court identification procedure known as a "showup." Id., ¶¶41, 45. Our holding in Dubose did indeed consider several studies, see id., ¶29, but this court's conclusion was based upon the Wisconsin Constitution and its decision to "interpret our constitution to provide greater protections than its federal counterpart." Id., ¶41. Significantly, Dubose relied on the Due Process Clause of the Wisconsin Constitution to afford greater protection than that provided by the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution. Today, we decline to provide greater constitutional protection to Trammell utilizing our state constitution. In fact, since Dubose was decided, this court has recognized that Dubose"did not create a precedential sea change." State v. Luedtke,
*576¶34 Moreover, Dubose differs significantly from this case, where Trammell asks us to declare Wis JI-Criminal 140 unconstitutional based on the two law review articles which rely entirely on studies *180conducted by the two law review authors.
¶35 Additionally, Trammell argues that Avila is contrary to United States Supreme Court precedent and thus must be overturned. Specifically, Trammell cites two United States Supreme Court cases- Sullivan v. Louisiana,
¶36 The jury instruction language at issue in Sullivan and Cage was not the language used in Wis JI-Criminal 140. The Supreme Court in Sullivan and Cage concluded that the Louisiana jury instruction misstated the state's burden by defining "reasonable doubt" and as a "grave uncertainty." Neither phrase is used in Wis JI-Criminal 140 and neither Sullivan nor Cage addressed the specific language Trammell challenges. Therefore, neither case supports Trammell's position that Wis JI-Criminal 140 inaccurately states the *577law or reduces the State's burden so to require reversal of Avila.
¶37 We next consider Trammell's interrelated argument that Wis JI-Criminal 140 misleads, confuses, or misdirects the jury. We conclude that Wis *182JI-Criminal 140 does not. We instead agree with the State's arguments that: (1) the two law review articles Trammell cites are simply speculation based upon hypothetical scenarios, and (2) reviewing Wis JI-Criminal 140 in light of the entire proceeding leads to a conclusion that the instruction is not reasonably likely to confuse jurors into applying an unconstitutional reasonable doubt standard. The State urges this court to afford no weight to the studies featured in the law review articles, as this court is to determine issues of law, and as the studies are superfluous and rely on assertions of fact and reliability "that have not been tested in any court."
¶38 Considering Wis JI-Criminal 140 in light of the entire proceedings, nothing indicates a reasonable probability that the jury was misled, confused, or misdirected into applying the reasonable doubt standard. We therefore decline to overrule Avila.
3. Constitutionality of Wis JI-Criminal 140
¶39 Next we address Trammell's argument that Wis JI-Criminal 140 is "constitutionally crippled for being blighted by multiple compounding burden-reducing errors and confusing and mis-directing the jury." In short, he argues that the reasonable doubt instruction allowed a "finding of guilt based on a degree of proof below that which is constitutionally required." Victor v. Nebraska,
¶40 Trammell argues that Wis JI-Criminal 140 violated his due process rights because of what he terms: (1) The " 'important affairs of life' analogy"; (2) " 'The alternative hypothesis' flaw"; (3) "The unsavory 'unreasonable doubt' flaw"; and (4) "The truth-focus flaw." Trammell surmises that the "multiple flaws of [Wis JI-Criminal 140] compound to make it 'possibly the worst jury instruction on reasonable doubt in the nation' " requesting that this court overrule Avila and grant him specific relief. Thus, we are called upon to determine whether the standard reasonable doubt jury instruction given here created a "reasonable likelihood that the jury understood the instructions to allow conviction based on proof insufficient to meet the Winship standard." Victor,
¶41 It is true that the State must prove Trammell committed each element of the offenses charged before Trammell can be found guilty. We know that the jury was so instructed.
[T]he Court said in Brinegar v. United States, [338 U.S. 160 , 174,69 S.Ct. 1302 ,93 L.Ed. 1879 (1949) ], that "[g]uilt in a criminal case must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt and by evidence confined to that which long experience in the common-law tradition, to some extent embodied in the Constitution, has crystallized into rules of evidence consistent with that standard. These rules are historically grounded rights of our system, developed to safeguard men from dubious and unjust convictions, with resulting forfeitures of life, liberty and property." Davis v. United States, [160 U.S. 469 , 488,16 S.Ct. 353 ,40 L.Ed. 499 (1895) ], stated that the requirement is implicit in "constitutions ... [which] recognize the fundamental principles that are deemed essential for the protection of life and liberty."
Id. at 362.
¶42 We therefore address this jury instruction challenge as a matter of constitutional law arising *186under due process. *579In evaluating the constitutionality of a challenged jury instruction, courts look not only to the at-issue instruction itself, but also to other instructions given and the proceedings as a whole. See Victor,
The term "reasonable doubt" means a doubt based upon reason and common sense. It is a doubt for which a reason can be given, arising from a fair and rational consideration of the evidence or lack of evidence. It means such a doubt as would cause a person of ordinary prudence to pause or hesitate when called upon to act in the most important affairs of life.
Wis JI-Criminal 140 at 1. Trammell's selection of portions of this instruction to advance his argument have been previously considered and deemed constitutionally satisfactory. See Victor,
¶44 In support of his position, Trammell cites United States v. Jaramillo-Suarez,
*188Jaramillo-Suarez,
¶45 In Johnson, the at-issue jury instruction-which the court held improperly amplified the reasonable doubt standard-bore no real resemblance to Wis JI-Criminal 140. There, the court defined "reasonable doubt" by stating that people engage in activities such as flying on airplanes and taking vacations "because we have a belief beyond a reasonable doubt that we will be here tomorrow." Johnson, 115 Ca. App. 4th at 1171,
¶46 Trammell's next objection is framed as "the alternative hypothesis" flaw. This passage immediately precedes the important affairs of life language to which Trammell objects. The instruction states in relevant part: "If you can reconcile the evidence upon any reasonable hypothesis consistent with the defendant's innocence, you should do so and return a verdict *189of not guilty." Wis JI-Criminal 140 at 1. Trammell argues that this reasonable hypothesis language creates two problems. First, Trammell claims that it puts a defendant who presents evidence and the theory of the defense in a competing position, requiring the jury to balance the two competing theories and thus effectuating a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard instead of a beyond a reasonable doubt standard. Second, he argues that the reasonable hypothesis verbiage shifts the burden to the defense by focusing on the defendant's ability to produce alternatives to the government's case.
¶47 In support of his position, Trammell cites United States v. Khan,
¶48 Moreover, the language used here does not have the same effect as the 'either-or' language used in Khan. Rather, it echoes the reasonable doubt standard stating, "If you can reconcile the evidence upon any reasonable hypothesis consistent with the defendant's innocence, you should do so and return a verdict of not guilty." Wis JI-Criminal 140 at 1. Further, Wis JI-Criminal 140 as a whole clearly and repeatedly places the burden of proof on the State, and the remainder of *190the jury instructions provided to the jury further engender a proper understanding of the reasonable doubt standard and the State's burden. The "reasonable hypothesis" language in Wis JI-Criminal 140 does not lead to a conclusion that the instruction incorrectly states the law. The objected-to language instead informs the jurors to engage *581in consideration of a reasonable hypothesis consistent with the defendant's innocence and focuses on the defendant's innocence. It instructs the jury to return a not guilty verdict if there is such a reasonable theory. We therefore disagree with Trammell's contention that this section of the instruction is unconstitutional.
¶49 Turning to Trammell's next argument, he asserts that the jury instruction language referencing sympathy and the fear to return a verdict of guilt creates a purported "unreasonable doubt flaw." Trammell argues that the negative definition of reasonable doubt provided discourages acquittals based on pro-defense biases, but that it does not discourage convictions on pro-prosecution biases.
¶50 Trammell cites no case addressing the issue, and his argument is unpersuasive. The circuit court instructed the jury, "A reasonable doubt is not a doubt which is based upon mere guesswork or speculation. A doubt which arises merely from sympathy or from fear to return a verdict of guilt is not a reasonable doubt." See Wis JI-Criminal 140 at 2. That portion of the jury instruction merely reinforces the idea that jurors are to fairly and rationally consider the evidence, which is assuredly not a misstatement of the law. We therefore conclude that the portion of the instruction referring to sympathy and the fear of returning a guilty verdict is constitutional.
*191¶51 Trammell next argues that there is a "truth focus flaw" in the burden of proof jury instruction. Again, Trammell harkens back to the dual directives analogy from the two law review articles and the studies relied upon therein. He takes issue with the jury instruction language, "[Y]ou are not to search for doubt. You are to search for the truth."
¶52 Trammell finally argues that as the studies have shown, this jury instruction as a whole confused and misdirected the jury such that his conviction must be overturned. Avila answers this in the negative. However, we further address the standard jury instructions and why, as a whole, they dispel Trammell's catch-all argument.
¶53 In the opening instructions given to the jury, the jury is routinely told:
Regardless of any opinion you may have about what the law is or ought to be, you must base your verdict on the law I give you in these instructions. Apply that law to the facts in the case which have been properly proven by the evidence. Consider only the evidence received during this trial and the law as given to you by these instructions and from these alone, guided by your soundest reason and best judgment, reach your verdict.
*192Wis JI-Criminal 100 (2000). The jury is told to consider only the evidence received during trial. Wis JI-Criminal 103 (2000). They are instructed to use their sound reason and best judgment. Wis JI-Criminal 100 (2000). In Wis JI-Criminal 101 (2001), the jurors are advised that the lawyers' remarks are not evidence. The instructions define evidence as the sworn testimony of the witnesses, the exhibits, and any stipulated or agreed to facts. Wis JI-Criminal 103 (2000). The jurors are *582admonished not to rely on anything they have seen or heard outside the courtroom and that they "are to decide the case solely on the evidence offered and received at trial."
¶54 Repeatedly, the jury is told that it is endowed with the responsibility to determine how much weight, if any, to give the evidence, testimony and witnesses. Wis JI-Criminal 190 (2000), Wis JI-Criminal 300 (2000). The jury is instructed that it is their duty to scrutinize and weigh the testimony of the *193witnesses and to determine the effect of the evidence as a whole. Wis. JI-Criminal 300 (2000). The jury is told, "You are the sole judges of the credibility, that is, the believability, of the witnesses and of the weight to be given to their testimony."
¶55 The reasonable doubt instruction does not stand alone. We emphasize that for each count with which the defendant is charged, the jury is advised of the State's burden of proof: "Before you may find the defendant guilty of the offense, the state must prove by evidence that satisfies you beyond a reasonable doubt that the following ... elements were present." With respect to each count, the jury is again advised regarding its decision and told, "If you are satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that all ... elements ... have been proved, you should find the defendant guilty. If you are not so satisfied, you must find the defendant not guilty." The jury is never instructed that it must find the defendant guilty. Rather, with the consideration of guilt, the word "should" is used. Regarding when they are not so satisfied that the State has met its burden to prove each element beyond a reasonable doubt, they are directed that they "must" find the defendant not *194guilty. Again, this instruction is consistent with a presumption of innocence and the "reasonable hypothesis" language.
¶56 The reasonable doubt instruction given in the case at issue, which also is the standard instruction in Wis JI-Criminal 140, advises the jury to examine the evidence with care and caution. It tells the jury to act with judgment, reason, and prudence. Wis JI-Criminal 140 at 1. The very first thing the jury is advised with respect to the burden of proof is the presumption of innocence.
*583Defendants are not required to prove their innocence. The law presumes every person charged with the commission of an offense to be innocent. This presumption requires a finding of not guilty unless in your deliberations you find it is overcome by evidence which satisfies you beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.
¶57 The very next section speaks of the burden being on the State and reflects that, "The burden of establishing every fact necessary to constitute guilt is upon the state. Before you can return a verdict of guilty, the evidence must satisfy you beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty."
It is a doubt for which a reason can be given, arising from a fair and rational consideration of the evidence or lack of evidence. It means such a doubt as would *195cause a person of ordinary prudence to pause or hesitate when called upon to act in the most important affairs of life.
A reasonable doubt is not a doubt based on mere guesswork or speculation. A doubt which arises merely from sympathy or from fear to return a verdict of guilt is not a reasonable doubt. A reasonable doubt is not a doubt such as may be used to escape the responsibility of a decision.
Id. at 1-2.
¶58 Finally, the jury is advised, "While it is your duty to give the defendant the benefit of every reasonable doubt, you are not to search for doubt. You are to search for the truth." Id. at 2. While picking and choosing various phrases or words from the instructions makes for an interesting argument, the instructions as a whole direct the jury to understand the presumption of innocence due to the defendant, remind it of the State's high burden, instructs that the defendant is due the benefit of the doubt and to soberly weigh and consider the evidence, testimony and witnesses presented at trial, and apply the law to the facts, reaching a sound conclusion based only on the facts and the law.
¶59 As a whole, the jury is clearly instructed regarding the presumption of innocence. To parse out certain phrases from the reasonable doubt instruction and as the defense would have us do, conclude that those words in a vacuum diminish the State's burden of proof, would also require us to conclude that the jury did not properly follow the other instructions and repeated admonitions regarding the State's requirement to meet its burden of proof as to each element.
*196Here, there is not a "reasonable likelihood that the jury understood the instructions to allow conviction based on proof insufficient to meet the Winship standard." Victor,
C. Discretionary Reversal
¶60 Trammell lastly contends that discretionary reversal is warranted under
¶61 Though Trammell waived his objection to Wis JI-Criminal 140, this court may nevertheless consider whether Trammell is entitled to relief under
¶62 Wisconsin Stat. § 751.06 states as follows:
In an appeal in the supreme court, if it appears from the record that the real controversy has not been fully tried, or that it is probable that justice has for any reason miscarried, the court may reverse the judgment or order appealed from, regardless of whether the proper motion or objection appears in the record, and may direct the entry of the proper judgment or remit the case to the trial court for the entry of the proper judgment or for a new trial, and direct the making of such amendments in the pleadings and the adoption of such procedure in that court, not inconsistent with statutes or rules, as are necessary to accomplish the ends of justice.
Thus, this court may order a new trial under one of two disjunctive prongs: "(1) whenever the real controversy has not been fully tried; or (2) whenever it is probable that justice has for any reason miscarried." State v. Hicks,
*198¶63 This court has stated that the real controversy has not been fully tried under
(1) when the jury was erroneously not given the opportunity to hear important testimony that bore on an important issue of the case; and (2) when the jury had before it evidence not properly admitted which so clouded a crucial issue it may be fairly said that the real controversy was not fully tried.
*585¶64 Here, the record demonstrates that nothing in Trammell's trial prevented the real controversy from being fully tried, nor was there a miscarriage of justice. Examining the first prong, the real controversy here was fully tried. Trammell does not bring an evidentiary challenge, instead claiming that under State v. Perkins,
¶65 Perkins is inapposite to this case. In Perkins this court concluded that the real controversy was not fully tried because the at-issue jury instruction gave an incomplete statement of the law by failing to define a threat to cause bodily harm. Here, Wis JI-Criminal 140 does not provide an incomplete statement of the law as did the jury instruction in Perkins. Indeed, it discusses the reasonable doubt standard at length and with specificity. Moreover, as discussed at length previously, Wis JI-Criminal 140 as a whole does not misstate the law or serve to reduce the State's burden of proof, nor does it likely confuse the jury. Accordingly, we conclude that the real controversy at issue here has been fully tried.
¶66 Turning to the second prong, we conclude that there is not a substantial probability that a different result would be likely on retrial. At trial, the State presented a wealth of evidence supporting Trammell's conviction on both counts. The State presented testimony from the victim, the victim's girlfriend, and Trammell's accomplice Silas, all of whom corroborated one another and clearly implicated Trammell in the armed theft of the Buick. Officer Strasser's testimony further corroborated the State's theory of the case, and Officer Draeger's testimony indicated that Trammell tried to convince another individual to lie on his behalf at trial. In addition to the testimony offered at trial, the State presented fingerprints from the Buick that matched Trammell's left index finger and Silas's right index finger. Given the overwhelming amount of evidence *200supporting Trammell's guilt, we conclude that there is not a substantial probability that a different result would occur if the matter were to be retried. As the real controversy has been fully tried and there is no substantial probability of a different result if a retrial occurred, discretionary reversal under
IV. CONCLUSION
¶67 We conclude that Trammell waived his right to object to the use of Wis JI-Criminal 140 by failing to object to its use at the jury instruction and verdict conference, pursuant to
By the Court. -The decision of the court of appeals is affirmed.
DALLET, J. concurs, joined by A.W. BRADLEY, J. (opinion filed).
¶68 SHIRLEY S. ABRAHAMSON, J., withdrew from participation.
The Honorable Jeffrey A. Wagner presided.
All subsequent references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to the 2015-16 version, unless otherwise indicated.
All subsequent references to Wis JI-Criminal 140 are to the 2017 version, unless otherwise indicated.
Wisconsin JI-Criminal 140 states as follows:
In reaching your verdict, examine the evidence with care and caution. Act with judgment, reason, and prudence.
Presumption of Innocence
Defendants are not required to prove their innocence. The law presumes every person charged with the commission of an offense to be innocent. This presumption requires a finding of not guilty unless in your deliberations, you find it is overcome by evidence which satisfies you beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.
State's Burden of Proof
The burden of establishing every fact necessary to constitute guilt is upon the State. Before you can return a verdict of guilty, the evidence must satisfy you beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.
Reasonable Hypothesis
If you can reconcile the evidence upon any reasonable hypothesis consistent with the defendant's innocence, you should do so and return a verdict of not guilty.
Meaning of Reasonable Doubt
The term "reasonable doubt" means a doubt based upon reason and common sense. It is a doubt for which a reason can be given, arising from a fair and rational consideration of the evidence or lack of evidence. It means such a doubt as would cause a person of ordinary prudence to pause or hesitate when called upon to act in the most important affairs of life.
A reasonable doubt is not a doubt which is based on mere guesswork or speculation. A doubt which arises merely from sympathy or from fear to return a verdict of guilt is not a reasonable doubt. A reasonable doubt is not a doubt such as may be used to escape the responsibility of a decision.
While it is your duty to give the defendant the benefit of every reasonable doubt, you are not to search for doubt. You are to search for the truth.
"OnStar" is a General Motors product that provides customers with subscription-based services, including emergency services, roadside assistance, navigation, remote diagnostics, and in-vehicle security features. See OnStar, Plans and Pricing, https://www.onstar.com/us/en/plans-pricing/compareplans/ (last accessed Apr. 24, 2019).
Michael D. Cicchini & Lawrence T. White, Truth or Doubt? An Empirical Test of Criminal Jury Instructions, 50 U. Richmond L. Rev. 1139 (2016); Michael D. Cicchini & Lawrence T. White, Testing the Impact of Criminal Jury Instructions on Verdicts: A Conceptual Replication, 117 Columbia L. Rev. Online 22 (2017).
The circuit court did not address whether Trammell waived his objection to the use of Wis JI-Criminal 140 due to his failure to object at the jury instruction and verdict conference pursuant to
We note that Trammell does not assert an ineffective assistance of counsel claim regarding his trial counsel's failure to timely object at the jury instruction and verdict conference. We therefore will not address whether Trammell's trial counsel was ineffective under the standard set forth in Strickland v. Washington,
The Criminal Jury Instructions Committee is comprised of a number of Wisconsin judges from across the state and representatives from the Wisconsin Attorney General's office, the State Public Defender's office, and the University of Wisconsin Law School.
The Committee also stated the following with regard to the language of Wis JI-Criminal 140:
If an addition to the text [of Wis JI-Criminal 140] is desired, the Committee recommends the following, which is modeled on the 1962 version of Wis JI-Criminal 140:
You are to search for the truth and give the defendant the benefit of any reasonable doubt that remains after carefully considering all the evidence in the case.
Wis JI-Criminal 140, cmt. at 5. As we conclude that the current version of Wis JI-Criminal 140 correctly states the law and does not unconstitutionally confuse the jury, we decline to express any opinion regarding the Committee's proffered alternative wording.
We note the potential reliability concerns each study exhibits. Neither study was peer-reviewed by social scientists, as both appeared in law reviews. Further, as Cicchini and White concede in both articles, there are concerns regarding the studies' respective methodologies. The participants in neither study engaged in an actual trial setting, instead individually reading a case summary providing the elements of the hypothetical crime, a transcript of witness testimony, and the lawyers' closing arguments, and providing their "verdict" without any deliberations. Cicchini & White, supra n.6, 50 U. Richmond L. Rev. at 1160-61. Moreover, the studies were limited in that they each utilized only one fact pattern, meaning that the outcome is unknown under different hypothetical scenarios than the two collective scenarios presented in the studies. See id. at 1161-62. Additionally, the participants engaged in the studies independently and without monitoring, meaning they may have devoted inadequate attention to the studies. See id. at 1163-64. Lastly, in the first study, there was no procedure to screen participants for potential bias, which occurs in a real-world trial setting during voir dire. See id. at 1164-65. While Cicchini and White altered their second study by providing an entirely different fact pattern, screening out participants who spent less than three minutes on completing the entire study, such alterations do little to allay the inherent concerns with either study. See Cicchini & White, supra n.6, 117 Columbia L. Rev. Online at 34-35.
See discussion, supra, note 11.
See Wis JI-Criminal 400 (2005) (defining "party to a crime" and "aiding and abetting"), Wis JI-Criminal 1464 (2007) (addressing count two in this case-taking and driving a vehicle without owner's consent), and Wis JI-Criminal 1480 (2016) (addressing count one in this case-armed robbery), all of which were read to the jury prior to deliberations.
Indeed, various federal circuits have defined "reasonable doubt" in different ways in their respective pattern criminal jury instructions. See Judicial Council of the United States Third Judicial Circuit, Pattern (Criminal) Jury Instructions, 1.13 (2012) (defining "reasonable doubt" as "a fair doubt based on reason, logic, common sense, or experience," and one "that would cause an ordinary reasonable person to hesitate to act in matters of importance in his or her own life"; further defining it as not meaning "proof beyond all possible doubt or to a mathematical certainty"); United States Fifth Circuit District Judges Association, Pattern Jury Instructions (Criminal Cases), 1.05 (2015) (defining "reasonable doubt" as "a doubt based upon reason and common sense" and based on "proof of such a convincing character that you would be willing to rely and act upon it without hesitation in making the most important decisions of your own affairs"); Sixth Circuit Committee on Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions, Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions, 1.03 (2019) (defining "reasonable doubt" as "a doubt based on reason and common sense," and based on "proof which is so convincing that you would not hesitate to rely and act on it in making the most important decisions in your own lives"); Judicial Committee on Model Jury Instructions for the Eighth Circuit, Model Jury Instructions, 3.11 (2017 ed.) (defining "reasonable doubt" as "doubt based upon reason and common sense" that "leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant's guilt," and based on "proof of such a convincing character that a reasonable person, after careful consideration, would not hesitate to rely and act upon that proof in life's most important decisions"); Ninth Circuit Jury Instructions Committee, Model Criminal Jury Instructions, 3.5 (2010 ed.) (defining "reasonable doubt" as "proof that leaves you firmly convinced the defendant is guilty" and "based upon reason and common sense"); Criminal Pattern Jury Instruction Committee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions, 1.05 (2011 ed.) (defining "reasonable doubt" as "proof that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant's guilt ... based on reason and common sense"); Judicial Council of the United States Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions, B3 (2019) (defining "reasonable doubt" as "a real doubt" and based on "proof so convincing that you would be willing to rely and act on it without hesitation in the most important of your own affairs"). The Seventh Circuit has chosen not to define reasonable doubt in its pattern criminal jury instruction. See Committee on Federal Criminal Jury Instructions of the Seventh Circuit, Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions of the Seventh Circuit, 1.04 (2012 ed.) (stating, "[No instruction.]").
Concurring Opinion
*201¶69 I agree with the majority opinion that the two law review articles cited by Trammell do not provide the overwhelming evidence necessary to conclude that Wis JI-Criminal 140 (2017) unconstitutionally reduces the State's burden of proof below the reasonable doubt standard or to warrant discretionary reversal. Notwithstanding, I write separately for two reasons: First, to respond to the majority opinion's denigration of this court's holding in State v. Dubose,
¶70 In Dubose, we recognized extensive social science studies over a ten-year period demonstrating the unreliability of eyewitness testimony and, based upon that overwhelming evidence, we adopted new standards for the admissibility of out-of-court identification procedures. Id., ¶¶29-33. Dubose stands for the principle that prior decisions of this court may become unsound when they are based upon principles that are no longer valid. See id., ¶¶31-33. Dubose further upholds this court's right to interpret the Wisconsin Constitution to provide greater protections than the United States Constitution. Id., ¶41.
¶71 Although the majority opinion acknowledges that the Dubose court considered several studies, it minimizes the impact of the studies when it summarily concludes that the court's holding was instead based upon the Wisconsin Constitution. Majority op., ¶33. The majority opinion seemingly calls into question this court's ability to consider social science *202evidence in constitutional cases. While I agree that two law review articles alone do not provide the type of extensive new research like the studies we relied upon in Dubose, the Dubose case was "not the first to result in a change in principles based on extensive new studies completed after a court decision that was premised on constitutional interpretation and application." Dubose,
¶72 In its effort to limit Dubose, the majority also challenges our ability to interpret the Wisconsin Constitution more broadly than the United States Constitution. This court has stated:
*203This court ... will not be bound by the minimums which are imposed by the Supreme Court of the United States if it is the judgment of this court that the Constitution of Wisconsin and the laws of this state require that greater protection of citizens' liberties ought to be afforded ....
State v. Doe,
¶73 In Dubose,
¶74 Although I agree that there is currently insufficient evidence that Wis JI-Criminal 140 unconstitutionally reduces the State's burden of proof below the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard, I nonetheless respectfully request that the Wisconsin Criminal *204Jury Instructions Committee review the instruction again in the interest of justice in light of the arguments made in the amicus curiae brief of the Wisconsin State Public Defender. I believe that the combination of two deficiencies in the instruction could potentially dilute the burden of proof in Wis JI-Criminal 140 and thus warrants further consideration.
¶75 First, Wis JI-Criminal 140 fails to define "beyond a reasonable doubt."
*588Jackson v. Virginia,
¶76 Some states convey the requisite level of proof by instructing jurors that they must be "firmly convinced" of the defendant's guilt. See, e.g., Revised Arizona JI-Criminal 20 ("Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is proof that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant's guilt."); Delaware Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions § 2.6 ("proof that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant's guilt"); Indiana *205Criminal Pattern Jury Instruction No. 1.1500 ("Reasonable doubt exists when you are not firmly convinced of the Defendant's guilt ..."); 17 La. Civ. L. Treatise, Criminal Jury Instructions § 3.3 ("Reasonable doubt ... is present when, after you have carefully considered all the evidence, you cannot say that you are firmly convinced of the truth of the charge."); New Jersey Model Criminal Jury Charges Non 2C Charges ("proof ... that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant's guilt"); North Carolina Pattern Jury Instructions § 101.10 ("proof that fully satisfies or entirely convinces you of the defendant's guilt"); 2 CR Ohio Jury Instructions § 405.07 (" 'Reasonable doubt' is present when the jurors ... cannot say they are firmly convinced of the truth of the charge."); Model Utah Jury Instructions, Second Edition CR103 ("Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is proof that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant's guilt.").
¶77 Other states have described the level of certainty required as "an abiding conviction" of guilt or a "moral certainty." See 1-1 Arkansas Model Jury Instructions-Criminal AMCI 2d 110 ("A juror is satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt if after an impartial consideration of all the evidence he has an abiding conviction of the truth of the charge."); Judicial Council of California Criminal Jury Instructions No. 103 ("proof that leaves you with an abiding conviction that the charge is true"); Florida Standard Jury Instructions § 3.7 ("if, after carefully considering, comparing and weighing all the evidence, there is not an abiding conviction of guilt, or, if, having a conviction, it is one which is not stable but one which wavers and vacillates, then the charge is not proved beyond every reasonable doubt"); Massachusetts Criminal Jury Instructions No. 2.180 ("you have in your minds an abiding conviction, to *206a moral certainty, that the charge is true"); Nevada Revised Statutes Annotated § 175.211 ("If the minds of the jurors ... are in such a condition that they can say they feel an abiding conviction of the truth of the charge, there is not a reasonable doubt."); North Dakota Pattern Criminal Instructions 2017 § K-1.10 ("You should find the Defendant guilty only if you have a firm and abiding conviction of the Defendant's guilt ..."); 7 Tenn. Prac. Pattern Jury Instr. T.P.I.-Crim. 2.03 ("moral certainty is required").
¶78 In contrast, Wis JI-Criminal 140 describes what a "reasonable doubt" is: "a doubt based upon reason and common sense," "a doubt for which a reason can be given," and "a doubt as would cause a person of ordinary prudence to pause or hesitate when called upon to act in the most important affairs of life." The instruction further describes what a "reasonable doubt" is not: "a doubt which is based on mere guesswork or speculation," "[a] doubt which arises merely from sympathy or from fear to return a verdict of guilt," and "a doubt such as may be used to escape the responsibility of a decision." Yet nowhere in Wis JI-Criminal 140 is the jury *589told the required level of certitude they must reach to convict.
¶79 Second, the instruction could exacerbate the risk that the jury will convict based upon a lesser level of certainty than beyond a reasonable doubt when, after only defining "reasonable doubt," the jury is told not to search for doubt, but to search for "the truth." See Brief of Amicus Curiae Wisconsin State Public Defender at 8. While the adversary system as a whole involves a search for the truth, a juror's duty is to decide whether the State has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt by examining only the evidence introduced at trial. Oftentimes the evidence seen by a juror is *207constrained for various reasons including: evidentiary and constitutional rulings made by the circuit court, the availability of witnesses, and strategic decisions of counsel. Instructing jurors to search for the truth but not instructing them that the evidence at trial must convince them to a degree of near certainty may encourage jurors to believe that the truth lies outside of the courtroom. There is no way to accurately "test," and thus we will never know, the impact on jurors of the following words given at the end of Wis JI-Criminal 140: "While it is your duty to give the defendant the benefit of every reasonable doubt, you are not to search for doubt. You are to search for the truth."
¶80 The majority opinion dismisses Trammell's challenges to Wis JI-Criminal 140 based upon the recent consideration given to the instruction by the Criminal Jury Instructions Committee and this court's decision in Avila, where we held that "it is not reasonably likely that the jury understood Wis JI-Criminal 140[ ], to allow conviction based on proof below the Winship reasonable doubt standard." State v. Avila,
*208State v. Gilbert,
¶81 I therefore encourage the Wisconsin Criminal Jury Instructions Committee to review Wis JI-Criminal 140 in light of this particular challenge and revise Wis JI-Criminal 140 in the interest of justice. For the foregoing reasons, I concur.
¶82 I am authorized to state that Justice ANN WALSH BRADLEY joins this concurrence.
The majority repeatedly refers to the standard of proof as "reasonable doubt" instead of "beyond a reasonable doubt." Majority op., ¶¶2, 41, 48, 65, 67. The majority opinion likewise provides examples of definitions of "reasonable doubt" from other jurisdictions, but fails to acknowledge the failure of Wis JI-Criminal 140 to define "beyond a reasonable doubt." See majority op., ¶41 n.14.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE of Wisconsin, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Emmanuel Earl TRAMMELL, Defendant-Appellant-Petitioner.
- Cited By
- 34 cases
- Status
- Published