Opinion ID: 1770491
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Lesser-Included Offense of Robbery

Text: Mr. Isom contends that by failing to instruct the jury on the lesser-included offense of robbery and by instructing on theft for purposes of first-degree murder, the jury was limited in its consideration to the offense of capital murder, to the exclusion of first-degree murder. He contends that this was so because there was insufficient proof of theft to support the first-degree murder instruction, while there was sufficient proof of robbery. Mr. Isom, however, failed to preserve this point for appeal. Specifically, he failed to object to the first-degree murder instruction that included theft as the predicate felony. In short, he never mentioned robbery as a predicate felony for first-degree murder before the circuit judge. Rather, he raises it before this court for the first time on appeal. This he cannot do. See Willett v. State, 322 Ark. 613, 911 S.W.2d 937 (1995). Mr. Isom further contends that the circuit judge erred in not instructing the jury on ordinary robbery as a lesser-included offense of aggravated robbery. Generally, this court will affirm a circuit judge's decision to exclude an instruction on a lesser-included offense only if there is no rational basis for giving the instruction. See, e.g., McCoy v. State, 347 Ark. 913, 69 S.W.3d 430 (2002); Brown v. State, 347 Ark. 44, 60 S.W.3d 422 (2001). A person commits § 5-12-103 aggravated robbery if he commits robbery as defined in § 5-12-102, and he: (1) Is armed with a deadly weapon or represents by word or conduct that he is so armed; or (2) Inflicts or attempts to inflict death or serious physical injury upon another person. Ark.Code Ann. § 5-12-103 (Repl.1997). Section 5-12-102 of our Criminal Code defines what constitutes robbery and states that a person commits robbery if with the purpose of committing a felony or misdemeanor theft or resisting apprehension immediately thereafter, he employs or threatens to immediately employ physical force upon another. Ark.Code Ann. § 5-12-102 (Repl.1997). Thus, ordinary robbery involves the employment of physical force, while aggravated robbery entails being armed with a deadly weapon or the infliction of death or serious physical injury on another. Ordinary robbery is generally a lesser-included offense of aggravated robbery, and more often than not a robbery instruction is required when the charge is aggravated robbery. See Brown, 347 Ark. 44, 60 S.W.3d 422. However, when the evidence is so conclusive as to show that only aggravated robbery was committed, the judge need not instruct the jury on mere robbery. Id. In the case at hand, we conclude that there was no rational basis for the circuit judge to instruct the jury on ordinary robbery. Mr. Isom pushed into Mr. Burton's trailer home, demanded money, and pulled out a pair of broken scissors to enforce his demand. He later murdered Mr. Burton and inflicted serious physical harm on Mrs. Lawson. These facts support the circuit judge's decision. There was no reversible error regarding this issue.