Opinion ID: 2101653
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Instruction on Attempted Murder

Text: Allen asserts that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury properly on the elements of attempted murder. He sees fundamental error in this instruction about the elements of attempted murder: An attempt to commit murder is a Class A felony. To convict the defendant the State must have proved each of the following elements: The defendant 1. did knowingly 2. engaged in conduct, to-wit: attempted to commit the crime of murder by attempting to kill by engaging in conduct, to-wit: firing a handgun at and toward 3. another human being, Johnny Wilson, 4. while committing or attempting to commit another crime, robbery 5. that the conduct was a substantial step toward the commission of the crime of murder. Had appellant objected to this instruction at trial, giving it would have been error because it does not inform the jury that the State must prove the defendant acted with intent to kill. For reasons described today in Jackson v. State (1991), Ind., 575 N.E.2d 617, however, we conclude that the instruction sufficiently conveyed the state's burden to prove intent to kill such that giving it was not fundamental error. See also Spradlin v. State (1991), Ind., 569 N.E.2d 948.