Opinion ID: 1136032
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The jury was instructed:

Text: A person who, either before or during its commission, intentionally aids or abets another to commit a crime with intent to promote or assist in its commission is criminally responsible for the crime committed regardless of the extent of the defendant's participation, if any, in the actual commission of the crime. This instruction follows the standard PIK instruction. It was given immediately following the jury instructions relating to the murder of Ashley. The defendant does not challenge the language of the instruction; rather, he claims that the evidence at trial precluded the giving of that instruction. The defendant asserts on appeal that the only evidence another person was involved in the burglaries was the defendant's statement to the police, and his testimony at trial, that he drove another person to one burglary and had been the driver during other burglaries. Contrary to the defendant's argument, however, we note other evidence that the defendant was involved in several of the burglaries with another person. Frank Thompson testified that the defendant asked him to assist in committing some burglaries, and Thompson agreed. Thompson testified that he acted as the lookout while the defendant entered the residences with a tire iron. Thompson also helped carry items out of the houses. In exchange for helping the defendant, Thompson received some of the stolen property. Further, there was evidence from the defendant's own testimony that he was involved in at least one of the burglaries with another person. The defendant testified concerning count 68: I was also at this location of this burglary, but I did not participate in the burglary, and I received a cable converter box for giving John Thompson a ride to this burglary. Although by this testimony the defendant denied participating in the burglary, he did admit to giving John Thompson a ride to the burglary. Jury instructions are to be considered together and read as a whole without isolating any one instruction. If the instructions properly and fairly state the law as applied to the facts of the case, and if the jury could not reasonably have been misled by them, the instructions do not constitute reversible error even though they may be in some small way erroneous. State v. Johnson, 255 Kan. 252, Syl. ¶ 4, 874 P.2d 623 (1994). Although the defendant was charged as a principal, under the facts of this case the jury could find him guilty as an aider and abettor. Neither the giving of nor the sequence of the aiding and abetting instruction was error.