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487 S.W.2d 543

State v. Bohlen

Supreme Court of Missouri

Decided December 11, 1972

Supreme Court of Missouri · decided 1972-12-11

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently March 1975

1 state decisions

Relies on State v. Reed

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1972-12-11

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SEILER, Judge.

¶1This is an appeal from a conviction by the jury of second degree burglary of a drug store at 3849 Finney, St. Louis, followed by a sentence of four years’ imprisonment by the court under the second offenders statute. Again it is a case where we have jurisdiction by virtue of the appeal being here on January 1, 1972.

¶2The ground briefed on appeal is that'the trial court “erred when it failed to read the mandatory MAI instruction 2.01 to the jury prior to commencement of State’s case and/or to include said instruction with the instructions given to the jury at the close of the case as provided in Supreme Court Rule 70.01(a), [V.A.M.R.].”

¶3The point is overruled for two reasons: First, it is held in State v. Reed (Mo.Sup.) 452 S.W.2d 71, 74 that “ . . . the pattern instructions of MAI are applicable only to civil cases . . . ” Second, MAI 2.01 in its present form is not appropriate for a criminal case, as it contains language which might be interpreted by the jurors as intimating the defendant in a criminal case should or must make an opening statement, put on evidence, or is required to do more, if he so chooses, than to put the state to its proof.

¶4Judgment affirmed.

HOLMAN, P. J., and RICKHOFF, Special Judge, concur.BARDGETT, J., not sitting.
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