Opinion ID: 2517324
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Denial of the Motion for Acquittal on the Rodriguez Murder

Text: After the prosecution rested, defense counsel moved for a judgment of acquittal as to the charge of first degree murder of Marta Rodriguez, contending there was no evidence of deliberation or premeditation. The prosecutor responded that during the time defendant waited to place his order with Alba Rodriguez at the Winchell's window, and after he placed the order, he had sufficient time to deliberate and choose to kill before confronting Marta at the door. The court denied the motion, finding sufficient evidence to allow the jury to decide the issue. The jury divided 10 to two on this charge, failing to agree on the issue of guilt in the first instance, not on the degree of the crime. Defendant argues that while the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the Rodriguez murder, the trial court's denial of his motion for acquittal leaves him open to retrial for first degree murder. This is so. (See Smith v. Massachusetts (2005) 543 U.S. 462, 466-467 [160 L.Ed.2d 914, 125 S.Ct. 1129]; People v. Lagunas (1994) 8 Cal.4th 1030, 1039, fn. 6 [36 Cal.Rptr.2d 67, 884 P.2d 1015]; 1 Witkin & Epstein, Cal. Criminal Law (3d ed. 2000) Defenses, § 140, p. 488.) The Attorney General contends the trial court properly denied the motion for acquittal, noting the evidence that (1) defendant was armed with a butcher knife in the early morning hours, a time when few witnesses were likely to be present; (2) Marta was stabbed in the left side of her chest with enough force for the knife to completely penetrate her heart; and (3) there was more than enough time for defendant to premeditate a killing while he stood at the service window. (3) On a motion for judgment of acquittal under section 1118.1, the trial court applies the same standard as an appellate court reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence. The court must consider whether there is any substantial evidence of the existence of each element of the offense charged, sufficient for a reasonable trier of fact to find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. ( People v. Cole (2004) 33 Cal.4th 1158, 1212-1213 [17 Cal.Rptr.3d 532, 95 P.3d 811].) We independently review the trial court's ruling. ( Id. at p. 1213.) Here, defendant challenges only the sufficiency of the evidence of deliberation and premeditation. (4) A verdict of deliberate and premeditated first degree murder requires more than a showing of intent to kill. [Citation.] `Deliberation' refers to careful weighing of considerations in forming a course of action; `premeditation' means thought over in advance. [Citations.] `The process of premeditation and deliberation does not require any extended period of time. The true test is not the duration of time as much as it is the extent of the reflection. Thoughts may follow each other with great rapidity and cold, calculated judgment may be arrived at quickly.... [Citations.]' ( People v. Koontz (2002) 27 Cal.4th 1041, 1080 [119 Cal.Rptr.2d 859, 46 P.3d 335].) Here, defendant was armed with a knife and stabbed Rodriguez without provocation directly in the heart with enough force to penetrate part of a rib and pierce entirely through the heart. In the time it took for Alba to go from the door to the service window, and to take and prepare defendant's order, there was ample time for him to deliberate and premeditate before attacking Marta. Under these circumstances, we cannot say the jury could not reasonably have found defendant guilty of first degree murder.