Opinion ID: 2575864
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Instruction on Lesser Offense

Text: Defendant contends the trial court erred when it instructed the jury, in the language of CALJIC No. 8.75, that it would not accept a verdict that defendant was guilty of second degree murder unless the jury also unanimously returned a verdict that he was not guilty of first degree murder. Defendant maintains that this acquittal first instruction violated his federal constitutional rights to due process and to a fair and reliable jury consideration of esser included offenses in a capital case. As defendant concedes, this court has repeatedly rejected the same contention. E.g., People v. Nakahara (2003) 30 Cal.4th 705, 715, 134 Cal.Rptr.2d 223, 68 P.3d 1190.) As we stated in Nakahara, [w]e see no reason for reconsidering these decisions. ( Ibid. )