Opinion ID: 2357828
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Instructions on Lesser Related Offenses

Text: With regard to the attempted murders of Officers Boccanfuso and Coleman, the court declined defendant's request to instruct on assault with a deadly weapon (§ 245) and negligent discharge of a firearm (§ 246.3) as lesser offenses. In People v. Birks (1998) 19 Cal.4th 108 [77 Cal.Rptr.2d 848, 960 P.2d 1073], this court overruled its holding in People v. Geiger (1984) 35 Cal.3d 510 [199 Cal.Rptr. 45, 674 P.2d 1303] that a defendant's unilateral request for a related-offense instruction must be honored over the prosecution's objection. ( Birks, at p. 136; see People v. Rundle (2008) 43 Cal.4th 76, 146-147 [74 Cal.Rptr.3d 454, 180 P.3d 224]; People v. Yeoman (2003) 31 Cal.4th 93, 129 [2 Cal.Rptr.3d 186, 72 P.3d 1166].) Defendant admits that assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of a firearm are not lesser included offenses of attempted murder, but rather lesser related offenses. Thus, under Birks, the court did not err. We have previously rejected an argument that the Birks rule violates the federal Constitution. ( Rundle, supra, 43 Cal.4th at pp. 147-148.)