Opinion ID: 162328
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to Instruct on Lesser Included Offense of Manslaughter

Text: 17 Relying on Beck v. Alabama, Mr. Hooker argues the trial court's failure to give a jury instruction on a lesser included offense violated his due process right. See Beck v. Alabama, 447 U.S. 625, 627, 100 S.Ct. 2382, 65 L.Ed.2d 392 (1980) (holding a court may not constitutionally sentence a defendant to death after a jury verdict of guilt of a capital offense, when the jury was not permitted to consider a verdict of guilt of a lesser included non-capital offense, and when the evidence would have supported such a verdict). Specifically, Mr. Hooker asserts the trial court erred in denying his request for an instruction on heat of passion manslaughter. 18 On direct appeal, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the trial court's denial of a manslaughter instruction. The state appellate court based its decision on three different rationales. First, it held Mr. Hooker was not entitled to any lesser included offense instructions because Mr. Hooker relied on an innocence defense at trial. Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1361 & n. 24. Second, the appellate court held the jury had discretion to impose a sentence less than death. Id. at 1361 n. 25. And third, the court determined the evidence did not support a manslaughter instruction. Id. 19 The first two rationales used by the Oklahoma appellate court have been rejected by Tenth Circuit precedent. See Mitchell, 262 F.3d at 1049-50 (holding district court cannot deny a defendant's request for a lesser included offense jury instruction on the basis that the defendant claims he is innocent); Hogan v. Gibson, 197 F.3d 1297, 1304 (10th Cir.1999) ([A] defendant in a capital case is entitled to a lesser included instruction when the evidence warrants it, notwithstanding the fact that the jury may retain discretion to issue a penalty less than death. (Quotation marks, alterations and citation omitted.)), cert. denied, 531 U.S. 940, 121 S.Ct. 332, 148 L.Ed.2d 267 (2000). Consequently, we must determine whether the result is supported by the third rationale used by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals-the evidence did not support giving the heat of passion manslaughter instruction. See Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1361. 5 20 Due process requires a state trial court to give a lesser included offense instruction if the evidence would support a conviction on that offense. Hopper v. Evans, 456 U.S. 605, 609, 611, 102 S.Ct. 2049, 72 L.Ed.2d 367 (1982) (citing Beck ). Thus, a lesser included offense instruction should be given if the evidence would permit the jury to find the defendant guilty of the lesser offense and acquit him of the capital offense. Id. at 611, 102 S.Ct. 2049. We review a state trial court's decision the evidence did not support a manslaughter instruction to determine whether it was unreasonable. See Valdez v. Ward, 219 F.3d 1222, 1242 (10th Cir.2000), cert. denied, 532 U.S. 979, 121 S.Ct. 1618, 149 L.Ed.2d 481 (2001). 6 21 Under Oklahoma law, a person commits first degree heat of passion manslaughter if the homicide is perpetrated without a design to effect death, and in a heat of passion, but in a cruel and unusual manner, or by means of a dangerous weapon; unless it is committed under such circumstances as constitute excusable or justifiable homicide. Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 711(2). The elements of heat of passion manslaughter are: 1) adequate provocation; 2) a passion or emotion such as fear, terror, anger, rage, or resentment; 3) homicide occurred while the passion still existed and before a reasonable opportunity for the passion to cool; and 4) a causal connection between the provocation, passion and homicide. Charm v. State, 924 P.2d 754, 760 (Okla.Crim.App.1996), cert. denied, 520 U.S. 1200, 117 S.Ct. 1560, 137 L.Ed.2d 707 (1997). Mr. Hooker claims: (1) Ms. Stokes provoked him by moving out of his apartment and refusing to return; (2) he experienced strong emotion combined with the influence of alcohol; (3) the murders occurred soon after Ms. Stokes refused to move back to his apartment; and (4) the provocation caused him to commit the murders. 22 However, the record and the applicable law belie Mr. Hooker's contentions. First, there is no evidence Mr. Hooker was adequately provoked. Adequate provocation is any improper conduct of the deceased toward the defendant which naturally or reasonably would have the effect of arousing a sudden heat of passion within a reasonable person in the position of the defendant. Washington v. State, 989 P.2d 960, 968 n. 4 (Okla.Crim. App.1999). Neither victim did anything improper to provoke Mr. Hooker. It was not improper for Ms. Stokes to move out of Mr. Hooker's apartment because she feared for her safety and the safety of her children. Second, there is no evidence Mr. Hooker experienced rage sufficient for a manslaughter instruction. See Hogan, 197 F.3d at 1308 (holding rage must be so severe as to render the defendant incapable of forming a design to effect death). As to the third and fourth elements of manslaughter, the record shows Mr. Hooker had a reasonable opportunity for his passions to cool. See Miller v. Champion, 262 F.3d 1066, 1076 (10th Cir.2001), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 122 S.Ct. 1092, 151 L.Ed.2d 990 (2002); Lewis v. State, 970 P.2d 1158, 1166 (Okla.Crim.App.1998) (holding the defendant had a reasonable opportunity for passion to cool where defendant's realization that victim was involved with other men did not occur in close time proximity to rage spurring his actions). 23 Mr. Hooker presented no evidence suggesting he committed these murders in a heat of passion. The evidence simply did not support the manslaughter instructions he requested. Accordingly, we conclude the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeal's decision was not unreasonable. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d). The trial court's refusal to give the manslaughter instruction does not warrant habeas relief. 24