Opinion ID: 1111189
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 22

Heading: the trial court erred in refusing to give jury instructions d-3, d-8, and d-10, proffered by appellant at the close of the guilt phase of the trial, violating the appellant's rights under the eighth and fourteenth amendments to the united states constitution and sections 14 and 28 of the mississippi constitution.

Text: Pinkney argues that he was entitled to a manslaughter instruction. He contends that because he stated in his confession (which he repudiated at trial) that Tracey Hickman struck him with her fist and skillet, he was entitled to a manslaughter instruction. See Beck v. Alabama, 447 U.S. 625, 100 S.Ct. 2382, 65 L.Ed.2d 392 (1980); Wetz v. State, supra ; Lanier v. State, 450 So.2d 69 (Miss. 1984). In his confession Pinkney stated that after he broke into Hickman's house she hit him with her fist and a skillet. However, he stated that she was on the floor when he reached through the broken window, picked up the wood splitting maul, went to where she was lying, and struck her in the head two or three times with the maul. In Lanier, supra, this Court addressed a similar contention and stated: The defendant cites in support of his contention Beck v. Alabama, 447 U.S. 625, 100 S.Ct. 2382, 65 L.Ed.2d 392 (1980), and Hopper v. Evans, 456 U.S. 605, 102 S.Ct. 2049, 72 L.Ed.2d 367 (1982), both of which unequivocally hold that a manslaughter instruction is proper and essential when the evidence warrants. This, of course, accords with this Court's holding in Jackson v. State, 337 So.2d 1242, 1255 (Miss. 1976), where we held that instructions on a lesser included offense, should only be given after the trial court has carefully considered the evidence and is of the opinion that such an instruction is justified by the evidence. See Dase v. State, 356 So.2d 1179 (Miss. 1978); Lee v. State, 130 Miss. 852, 94 So. 889 (1923); and other cases to the same effect which are too numerous to mention. Lanier, 450 So.2d at 79. In Lanier we held that a manslaughter instruction should have been granted since the defendant in his confession stated that the alleged victim fired the first shot. Lanier, 450 So.2d at 80. The physical evidence corroborated Lanier's statement and Lanier never took the stand and repudiated his confession. Lanier, 450 So.2d at 80. This case is different. Pinkney's requested manslaughter instruction was completely at odds with his testimony that he never went to Hickman's house and did not even know where she lived. The evidence on this record did not entitle Pinkney to a manslaughter instruction; although the better and safer course would have been to grant the requested instruction, no error resulted from the trial judge's ruling. In Gates v. State, 484 So.2d 1002 (Miss. 1986), we addressed the failure of a trial judge to grant a manslaughter instruction and stated: Harper v. State, 478 So.2d 1017 (Miss. 1985), sets out the test to be applied to determine when an instruction on a lesser included offense should be submitted to the jury: [A] lesser included offense instruction should be granted unless the trial judge  and ultimately this Court  can say, taking the evidence in the light most favorable to the accused, and considering all reasonable favorable inferences which may be drawn in favor of the accused from the evidence, that no reasonable jury could find the defendant guilty of the lesser included offense (and conversely not guilty of at least one essential element of the principal charge). Id. at 1021. Gates, 484 So.2d at 1004. This assignment is therefore without merit. Pinkney also contends that the lower court's failure to grant his instruction on specific intent, D-8, allowed the State to take advantage of a series of rebuttable presumptions. See Nichols v. State, 207 Miss. 291, 42 So.2d 201 (1949). Additionally, he argues that the failure to grant this instruction violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. See Francis v. Franklin, 471 U.S. 307, 105 S.Ct. 1965, 85 L.Ed.2d 344 (1985). Pinkney requested the following instruction: The Court instructs the jury that the crime of burglary of a dwelling charged in the indictment is a necessary element in the charge of capital murder and requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Bobby Joe Pinkney, broke into and entered the dwelling of Tracey Hickman with the specific intent to steal the personal property of Tracey Hickman before he can be convicted of capital murder. Specific intent is an essential element of the alleged offense, and the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt such specific intent. Such specific intent, as the term implies, means more than the general intent to commit an unlawful act. To establish specific intent to steal the personal property of Tracey Hickman, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knowingly did an act which the law forbids, purposefully intending to violate the law and unless you believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant intended to steal the aforesaid personal property, then you should find the defendant not guilty of capital murder. The following instruction regarding intent was given: The Court instructs the Jury in this case, that in determining the issue of the intent to commit the crime of burglary of the dwelling house of the deceased, Tracey Thompkins Hickman, the Jury may consider, in addition to any direct evidence which you believe, beyond a reasonable doubt, if any, the acts of the person involved, as well as the circumstances surrounding such actions. It is not necessary for that intent to be express, and the surrounding facts are factors the Jury may consider, if they believe them beyond a reasonable doubt. If the Jury finds, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the Defendant, Bobby Joe Pinkney, did break and enter the dwelling house of Tracey Thompkins Hickman, said dwelling house being then and there occupied by Tracey Thompkins Hickman, with his intent to then and there unlawfully, feloniously and burglariously take, steal and carry away the personal property of Tracey Thompkins, then and there situated in said dwelling house, then and in that event, such acts constitute the crime of burglary, provided you believe the above, form the evidence in this case, beyond a reasonable doubt. The jury was adequately instructed on the issue of intent and this assignment of error is without merit. See Washington v. State, 361 So.2d 61, 65-66 (Miss. 1978).