Opinion ID: 2582491
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defective Charging Document

Text: The State charged Amos with first-degree premeditated murder. Although the information does not specifically designate either K.S.A. 21-3401(a), premeditated murderer, or 21-3401(b), felony murder, the information clearly states that Amos is charged with unlawfully, feloniously and intentionally and with premeditation killing, i.e., K.S.A. 21-3401(a). In the information, the State did not allege Amos aided and abetted the commission of premeditated first-degree murder. The State's evidence adduced at trial was that Amos aided and abetted in the commission of premeditated first-degree murder. At the close of the State's evidence, Amos moved for acquittal, arguing that the State's theory of murder was based on Amos' participation in the murder as an aider and abettor, but the charging document did not charge aiding and abetting. The State argued to the judge that it has no constitutional or statutory duty to plead alternate theories of first-degree murder. The trial court ruled that under the theory of aiding and abetting in a first-degree murder, the case would be submitted to the jury. On appeal, Amos asserts that the trial court erred in finding that the information was not fatally defective for failing to charge him as an aider and abettor because it is unknown whether the jury convicted him of first-degree premeditated murder or first-degree felony murder. State v. Pennington, 254 Kan. 757, Syl. ¶ 4, 869 P.2d 624 (1994), held: The State need not charge aiding and abetting in the charging document in order to pursue an aiding and abetting theory at trial. If, from the totality of the evidence, a jury reasonably could conclude that the defendant aided and abetted another in the commission of the crime, then it is appropriate to instruct the jury on aiding and abetting. Here, instruction No. 7 states: The defendant is charged in Count I with the crime of Murder in the first Degree. The defendant pleads not guilty. To establish this charge, each of the following claims must be proved: 1. That the defendant intentionally killed Antwuan James; 2. That such killing was done with premeditation; and 3. That this act occurred on or about the 9th day of October, 1998, in Wyandotte County, Kansas. Premeditation means to have thought over the matter beforehand. Instruction No. 9 provides: A person who, either before or during its commission, intentionally aids and 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. Although Instruction No. 7 and the verdict form refer to first-degree murder without reference to whether the first-degree murder crime was premeditated murder or felony murder, there is no confusion regarding whether the jury convicted Amos of premeditated murder on an aiding and abetting theory or felony murder because Amos was not charged with first-degree felony murder and the jury was not instructed on felony murder. Relative to the first-degree murder charge, the jury was instructed on only premeditated murder and aiding and abetting.