Opinion ID: 2588509
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: The Baeza Verdict

Text: The trial court instructed the jury that [t]he unlawful killing of a human being ... which occurs during the commission or attempted commission of the crime of robbery is murder in the first degree when the perpetrator had the specific intent to commit such crime. Although this instruction did not specify either victim, the instruction on the robbery-murder special circumstance [7] limited its applicability to McDermott's murder. Defendant now contends the jury might have erroneously based its finding of first degree murder for the killing of Baeza on an invalid felony-murder theory. The instruction was correct, as it applied to the McDermott robbery murder, and if defendant perceived that the instruction might confuse jurors, it was defendant's obligation to seek clarification. { People v. Arias (1996) 13 Cal.4th 92, 170-171, 51 Cal.Rptr.2d 770, 913 P.2d 980 {Arias); Rodrigues, supra, 8 Cal.4th at p. 1192, 36 Cal.Rptr.2d 235, 885 P.2d 1.) Furthermore, even if we assume that the jury considered the felony-murder theory and insufficient evidence supported it, defendant's first degree murder conviction remains valid. Where the jury considers both a factually sufficient and a factually insufficient ground for conviction, and it cannot be determined on which ground the jury relied, we affirm the conviction unless there is an affirmative indication that the jury relied on the invalid ground. ( Silva, supra, 25 Cal.4th at pp. 370-371, 106 Cal.Rptr .2d 93, 21 P.3d 769; People v. Guiton (1993) 4 Cal.4th 1116, 1128-1129, 17 Cal.Rptr.2d 365, 847 P.2d 45.) Thus, in a recent case where we observed there was sufficient evidence that the defendant premeditated and deliberated the murder, we held that if there was insufficient evidence of felony murder, we could assume the jury relied on the factually sufficient ground of premeditation. ( Silva, at pp. 370-371, 106 Cal.Rptr.2d 93, 21 P.3d 769.) Because there was sufficient evidence showing Baeza's murder was premeditated and deliberate, there is no basis for reversal. ( Ibid. )