Opinion ID: 2546228
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Failure to Instruct on Lesser-Included Offense of Second-Degree Murder

Text: As his final point for reversal, Appellant contends the trial court erred in refusing to instruct the jury that second-degree murder was a lesser-included offense of capital murder. Appellant proffered AMI Crim.2d 1003, the instruction for second-degree murder, to the circuit court and argued it should be given as a lesser-included offense of capital murder. The State objected, contending there was no rational basis for giving the requested instruction on second-degree murder. Appellant then argued that the evidence that he inflicted four gunshot wounds with two weapons demonstrated that he acted with extreme indifference to the value of human life. The circuit court ruled that he would allow an instruction on the lesser-included offense of first-degree murder, but denied the request to instruct on second-degree murder. While it is reversible error to refuse to give an instruction on a lesser-included offense when the instruction is supported by even the slightest evidence, it is not error for the court to refuse or fail to instruct on the lesser offense where the evidence clearly shows that the defendant is either guilty of the greater offense charged or innocent. Fudge v. State, 341 Ark. 759, 20 S.W.3d 315 (2000). In addition, we adhere to our well-established skip rule, which provides that when an instruction on a lesser-included offense has been given, and the jury convicts of the greater offense, error resulting from the failure to give an instruction on another still lesser-included offense is cured. Yankaway v. State, 366 Ark. 18, 233 S.W.3d 136 (2006). Appellant asserts that the circuit court erred when it rejected the instruction on second-degree murder and instead gave the instruction on capital murder and the lesser-included offense of first-degree murder. We disagree with Appellant's argument. Here, the jury was instructed on capital murder and first-degree murder. The jury found appellant guilty of capital murder, the greater offense. The skip rule is applicable and, as such, any error that might have resulted from the trial court's failure to instruct the jury was cured. Vidos v. State, 367 Ark. 296, 239 S.W.3d 467 (2006); Yankaway, 366 Ark. 18, 233 S.W.3d 136. The skip rule thus bars Appellant's argument that the circuit court abused its discretion in failing to give a second-degree murder instruction. In his reply brief, Appellant contends that our skip rule should not apply here because there is an overlap between capital murder and first-degree murder such that the jury may well have chosen to convict him of second-degree murder if they had been given that opportunity. We reject this argument because we have held repeatedly that capital murder and first-degree murder are distinct crimes. Lever v. State, 333 Ark. 377, 971 S.W.2d 762 (1998); Landreth v. State, 331 Ark. 12, 960 S.W.2d 434 (1998). Appellant continues with the claim that to apply the skip rule effectively disallows instructions on lesser-included offenses. Appellant presents no valid legal basis to support this argument. We therefore do not consider it on appeal. This court does not consider an argument, even a constitutional one, when the appellant presents no citation to authority or convincing argument in its support, and it is not apparent without further research that the argument is well taken. Hollis v. State, 346 Ark. 175, 55 S.W.3d 756 (2001).