Opinion ID: 1057701
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: The Attempt or Solicitation Offenses

Text: Mr. Banks contends that the trial court committed reversible error by failing to charge ten attempt or solicitation offenses as lesser-included offenses of premeditated first degree murder, first degree murder in the perpetration of a robbery, and especially aggravated robbery. With regard to his first degree premeditated murder conviction, Mr. Banks asserts that the jury should have been instructed regarding attempted first degree murder, attempted second degree murder, and attempted voluntary manslaughter. As to his first degree murder in the perpetration of a robbery conviction, Mr. Banks claims error in failing to charge the requisite attempt offenses. In relation to his especially aggravated robbery conviction, Mr. Banks argues that the trial court should have charged the jury as to solicitation to commit attempted especially aggravated robbery, solicitation to commit attempted aggravated robbery, solicitation to commit attempted robbery, attempted especially aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, and attempted robbery. He requested instructions for three of these ten offenses: attempted especially aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, and attempted robbery. Our review of the remaining seven attempt/solicitation charges will be limited to a review for plain error. In our post- Burns decisions, this Court has narrowed the circumstances when it is error to not charge attempt, solicitation, and facilitation offenses which qualify as lesser-included offenses under Part (c) of the Burns test. With regard to attempt and solicitation, [24] both of which are inchoate offenses, where the evidence clearly establishes the completion of the crime, it is unnecessary for the trial court to charge the jury as to attempt or solicitation. State v. Robinson, 146 S.W.3d at 487 n. 7 (noting that instructions are not required on either solicitation or attempt where the evidence clearly establishes completion of the charged offense); see also State v. Wilson, 211 S.W.3d at 721 n. 2; State v. Marcum, 109 S.W.3d at 303-04; State v. Ely, 48 S.W.3d at 719. The State presented evidence that clearly established the completion of all four of the charged offenses. Mr. Al-Maily was dead. Mr. Atilebawi sustained serious bodily injuries. Messrs. Al-Maily's and Atilebawi's property was taken. Mr. Banks neither presented evidence nor elicited testimony on cross-examination suggesting the applicability of attempt or solicitation to the premeditated first degree murder, first degree murder in the perpetration of a robbery, or especially aggravated robbery counts. In other words, the evidence did not involve crimes that were attempted or solicited but were not completed. Accordingly, we find no error, much less plain error, in the trial court's failure to give the ten attempt and solicitation charges referenced by Mr. Banks on appeal as lesser-included offenses of premeditated first degree murder, first degree murder in the perpetration of a robbery, and especially aggravated robbery, respectively. D.