Cheeks v. UnitedStates (decided September 7, 2017)
Players: Glickman and Fisher, Associate Judges, Reid, Senior Judge. Opinion for the Court by Judge Glickman. Majority opinion by Judge Fisher (joined by Judge Reid). Dissenting opinion by Judge Glickman. PDS for appellant. Trial Judge Yvonne Williams.
Facts: Appellant was prosecuted for assault with significant bodily injury (ASBI) and other offenses in connection with the stabbing and beating of the complainant. The complainant testified that he was walking home one evening, when a man got out of a truck, accused the him of stealing a cell phone, and stabbed him with a knife. The complainant fled around the corner, where he encountered appellant and an unknown second man, who, rather than helping, punched the complainant in the face and head. The first, knife-wielding man caught up and stabbed the complainant from behind. The complainant eventually fell, whereupon appellant and the unknown second man kicked and stomped him.
When the three abandoned their attack, the complainant called the police and was taken to the hospital. The treating physician testified that upon arrival, the complainant required stitches, staples, and antibiotics for his four stab wounds, as well as pain relievers and diagnostic tests for internal injuries, including CAT scans that revealed a nasal fracture but no brain injury. The complainant was discharged four hours after arrival and had no follow-up treatment.
The government prosecuted appellant for armed ASBI under the theory that he aided and abetted the stabbing but also asked for an instruction on unarmed ASBI, in case it had not proved that appellant was aware of the stabber’s knife. Appellant argued that without the stab wounds, the complainant’s injuries were not serious enough to be “significant.” The government argued that the CAT scan made the non-puncture injuries “significant.” The court agreed and instructed on unarmed ASBI.
The court initially instructed the jury on the mens rea required to aid and abet armed ASBI but failed to instruct on the mens rea for aiding and abetting unarmed ASBI. During deliberations, the jury sent a note asking the court to “clarify instructions on the specifics of aiding and abetting, specifically for the [unarmed] assault w[ith] significant injury.” Appellant asked the court to instruct consistent with its armed ASBI instruction, that for the unarmed version, “regardless of whether the defendant [is charged] as an aider or abettor, the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that [he] personally acted with the intent or knowledge.” The court refused, stating that it was “in the instruction already” and instead instructed the jury that “Instruction 3.2 aiding and abetting applies to every offense with which the defendants are charged.” Unbeknownst to the parties, at the top of the jury’s note, someone had crossed out a question: “Does the aiding & abetting apply to [unarmed] assault w/ significant injury?”
The next day, after further deliberation, the jury found appellant not guilty of armed ASBI but guilty of unarmed ASBI.
Issue 1 (Opinion by Judge Glickman): Was there was sufficient evidence to instruct the jury on unarmed ASBI?
Holding 1: Yes. “[A]lthough a ‘significant bodily injury’ is one calling for professional medical treatment to prevent long-term physical damage or avert severe pain, it also may be an injury that poses a manifest risk of such harm and requires diagnostic testing to evaluate the danger and need for treatment – even if testing reveals that treatment is unnecessary.” Slip Op. at 13-14. The complainant’s treating physician described extensive bodily injuries that required a CAT scan to diagnose brain damage, broken bones, and internal injury. As in Blair v. United States, 114 A.3d 960 (D.C. 2015), this testimony supported a finding that the injuries required diagnostic testing to evaluate the need for treatment.
Issue 2 (Opinion by Judge Fisher): Did the trial court err in responding to the jury note asking it to “[c]larify instructions on the specifics of aiding & abetting[,] specifically for the [unarmed] assault w[ith] significant injury”?
Holding 2: No. The jury could have been seeking clarification on whether the theory of aiding and abetting applied to both armed and unarmed ASBI or, specifically, whether the mens rea for aiding and abetting applied to both offenses. By instructing that “Instruction 3.2 aiding & abetting applies to every offense with which the defendants are charged,” the court effectively addressed both issues. A reasonable jury would have applied the sentence about mens rea from Instruction 3.2 to unarmed ASBI, consistent with the defense’s proposal. The jury also received other, correct instruction on the mens rea required for unarmed ASBI.
Of Note: This opinion recognizes an exception to the rule that “significant bodily injury” excludes injuries for which treatment and diagnosis are ultimately unnecessary, in that “the victim would not suffer additional harm by failing to receive them,” Quintanilla v. United States, 62 A.3d 1261, 1265 (D.C. 2013), where an injury poses manifest risk of grave, long-term injury and, as such, requires diagnosis to rule out the need for treatment. Going forward, whether an injury posed manifest risk of grave, long-term injury may depend on the type of injury involved. Notably, this case involved significant head trauma, and in deciding it, the court relies on two others (Blair and Quintanilla) that specifically addressed significant head trauma.
Judge Glickman dissents from the court's opinion as to Issue 2.
WC
Read the full opinion here.
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