State v. Zinski

The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeals reversing Defendant's conviction of burglary in the first degree and criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree on the ground that the district court's failure to sua sponte instruct the jurors on the proper use of Minn. Stat. 634.20 relationship evidence was plain error, holding that the relevant law was unsettled at the time of appellate review, and therefore, Defendant failed to establish an error that was plain.At trial, the district court admitted section 634.20 evidence without sua sponge instructing the jurors on the proper use of that evidence. The court of appeals reversed due to the district court's failure to sua sponte instruct the jurors as such. The Supreme Court reversed, holding (1) for trials held after the release of this opinion, the rule that when a district court admits relationship evidence under Minn. Stat. 634.20 over a defendant's objection that the evidence does not satisfy section 634.20, the court must sua sponte instruct the jurors on the proper use of such evidence unless the defendant objects to the instruction by the court is hereby adopted; and (2) the district court's failure to give such an instruction was not an error that was plain. View "State v. Zinski" on Justia Law