Opinion ID: 2583943
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Lesser Included Battery Instructions

Text: On appeal, Young argues that the district court should have instructed on the lesser included offenses of simple battery and attempted aggravated battery. At trial, Young requested an instruction on a lesser included offense of battery, and the district court responded that the evidence did not support an instruction on simple battery. Young did not request or object to the absence of an attempted aggravated battery instruction. Thus different standards of review must be applied to each of Young's lesser included instruction arguments on appeal. Regarding the district court's denial of the requested simple battery instruction, the standard of review for a claim of failing to instruct on a lesser included crime is whether the evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to the defendant, supported the instruction. The instruction need not be given if the evidence would not have permitted a rational factfinder to find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the lesser included offense. State v. Bolton, 274 Kan. 1, 7, 49 P.3d 468 (2002). Stated another way, a criminal defendant has a right to an instruction on all lesser included offenses as long as (1) the evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to the defendant's theory, would justify a jury verdict in accord with the defendant's theory and (2) the evidence at trial does not exclude a theory of guilt on the lesser offense. State v. Williams, 268 Kan. 1, 15, 988 P.2d 722 (1999). Simple battery is (1) Intentionally or recklessly causing bodily harm to another person; or (2) intentionally causing physical contact with another person when done in a rude, insulting or angry manner. K.S.A. 2003 Supp. 21-3412(a). As mentioned, Young's jury was told that he committed aggravated battery if he intentionally caused bodily harm to Hickman in any manner whereby great bodily harm, disfigurement or death can be inflicted. See K.S.A. 21-3414(a)(1)(B). Young's defense was mistaken identity. There was no dispute that the assailant fired his gun five times into the car, beginning when the car was within feet, if not inches, of the weapon. This uncontroverted evidence would not have permitted a rational factfinder to conclude that the assailant committed merely a simple battery. The district court did not err in refusing to instruct on that crime. See State v. Perry, 266 Kan. 224, 231, 968 P.2d 674 (1998); State v. Little, 26 Kan. App. 2d 713, 718, 994 P.2d 645 (1999), rev. denied 269 Kan. 938 (2000). Young's second lesser included argument is that the district court should have instructed on attempted aggravated battery because the evidence on whether the assailant succeeded in shooting Hickman was conflicting. Given Young's failure to request this instruction or object to its absence at trial, we will not review this claim unless we detect clear error. See K.S.A. 2003 Supp. 22-3414(3); State v. Lowe, 276 Kan. 957, 963-64, 80 P.3d 1156 (2003); State v. Hermosillo, 272 Kan. 589, 595, 35 P.3d 833 (2001). Young is correct that the evidence at trial was conflicting on whether Hickman was wounded by gunfire. Although Hickman had testified at the preliminary hearing that he was grazed by a bullet, a police officer who spoke to Hickman at the crime scene said Hickman had not been shot. The jury could reasonably have found Young attempted to shoot Hickman, i.e., attempted to commit an aggravated battery but failed in the perpetration thereof. See K.S.A. 21-3301(a) (defining attempt). The district court therefore had a duty to instruct on the lesser included offense of attempted aggravated battery. Its failure to do so was clear error necessitating reversal of Young's aggravated battery conviction. We are convinced that there was a possibility on the evidence in this record that the outcome on the aggravated battery count would have been different if the jury had been correctly instructed.