Deutcsh v. State

Arthur Deutcsh, the former Chief of Police of the City of Birmingham, appeals his conviction for the misdemeanor offense of tampering with governmental records. He received the maximum sentence of 12 months' hard labor in the county jail and was fined $2,000. His conviction must be reversed because the trial court failed to clarify the jury's expressed confusion over the major issue submitted for its decision — Deutcsh's legal and criminal liability for the acts of others.

I

Initially, this Court must determine the exact charge of which Deutcsh stands convicted. The necessity for this…