State v. Meggyesy

Arthur Heggins and Thomas Meggyesy challenge the giving of standard WPIC “to convict” jury instructions used in their respective trials. Each contends the trial court erred by instructing the jury that if it found that the State had proved beyond a reasonable doubt all elements of the charged crime, then it had “a duty to return a verdict of guilty.” We hold that neither the federal nor the state constitution precludes such an instruction. Accordingly, we affirm.

The State charged Heggins with first degree burglary. The charge arose from a July 1996 police response to a 911 call from Andrea…