Opinion ID: 2519742
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Refusal of involuntary manslaughter instructions

Text: Defendant contends the trial court erred in refusing his request that the jury be instructed on involuntary manslaughter in connection with Stopher's murder. Section 192, subdivision (b), defines involuntary manslaughter as the unlawful killing of a human being without malice in the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to felony; or in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death, in an unlawful manner, or without due caution and circumspection.... Defendant's theory below was that the jury could have found he brandished the murder weapon (the shotgun), a misdemeanor (§ 417, subd. (a)(2)), and thereby found that he killed Stopher in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to felonyi.e., misdemeanor brandishing of a firearm. Generally, involuntary manslaughter is a lesser offense included within the offense of murder. ( People v. Prettyman (1996) 14 Cal.4th 248, 274, 58 Cal. Rptr.2d 827, 926 P.2d 1013.) Due process requires that the jury be instructed on a lesser included offense only when the evidence warrants such an instruction. ( Hopper v. Evans (1982) 456 U.S. 605, 611, 102 S.Ct. 2049, 72 L.Ed.2d 367; People v. Avena (1996) 13 Cal.4th 394, 424, 53 Cal. Rptr.2d 301, 916 P.2d 1000; People v. Kaurish, supra, 52 Cal.3d at p. 696, 276 Cal.Rptr. 788, 802 P.2d 278.) Refusal to instruct on involuntary manslaughter in connection with the murder of Stopher was manifestly not error on these facts. At trial, defendant testified he fired the shotgun at Stopher because Stopher took [his] wife. In his opening brief before this court, defendant observes that the shooting of Stopher ... resulted from intentional conduct of [defendant] directed at Stopher as the objective.... The trial court correctly concluded the evidence did not warrant instruction on involuntary manslaughter. Even were it otherwise, the fact that the jury rejected manslaughter and found defendant guilty of the first degree murder of Stopher precludes any possible error in the refusal to instruct on involuntary manslaughter. ( People v. Prettyman, supra, 14 Cal.4th at p. 276, 58 Cal.Rptr.2d 827, 926 P.2d 1013.)