Opinion ID: 1058506
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Facilitation

Text: Part (c)(1) of the Burns test clearly designates facilitation a lesser-included offense of the charged offense. Burns, 6 S.W.3d at 467. Thus, facilitation is a lesser-included offense of premeditated murder and especially aggravated kidnapping. Having determined that facilitation is a lesser-included offense, we must next determine whether the evidence in this case warranted an instruction on facilitation. Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-11-403(a) (1997), defines facilitation as follows: A person is criminally responsible for the facilitation of a felony if, knowing that another intends to commit a specific felony, but without the intent required for criminal responsibility under § 39-11-402(2), the person knowingly furnishes substantial assistance in the commission of the felony. (Emphasis added.) Criminal responsibility requires the intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-402 (1997). Significantly, facilitation requires the lack of criminal responsibility intent. Thus, for a reasonable jury to find the defendant guilty of facilitation of first degree premeditated murder or especially aggravated kidnapping, the jury would have to conclude that the defendant, while lacking the intent to promote or assist the commission of either offense, knowingly furnished substantial assistance in the commission of premeditated murder and especially aggravated kidnapping. See id. § 39-11-403(a) (1997). This record contains no evidence that reasonable minds could accept to support these conclusions. As recounted in great detail above, with respect to premeditated murder, the evidence reasonably supports only one of the following conclusions: (1) Robinson was not present at the apartment, was not involved in Green's murder or the Gangster Disciples, and therefore is completely innocent; (2) Robinson is innocent because, while he gave orders, he did not order anyone to kill or kidnap Green; or (3) Robinson is guilty by criminal responsibility because he ordered other gang members to kidnap and kill Green. Considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the existence of the lesser-included offense, the evidence does not support the notion that the defendant merely furnished substantial assistance in the commission of premeditated first degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping, without intending to promote or assist the commission of these offenses. The Court of Criminal Appeals opined that the knowingly furnishes substantial assistance element of facilitation of first degree murder was supported by proof that the defendant ordered others to take Green to a secluded location. However, as the State points out, the evidence indicates that the defendant told other gang members to take the victim fishing. Shipp testified that he had never before heard that instruction but believed it meant gang members were to take the victim way out somewhere out of the district, rough him up a little bit by physical abuse, and let him get back the best way he could. Accepting this view of the proof, no reasonable juror could have found that the defendant knowingly furnished substantial assistance in the commission of the murder. Indeed, under this view of the proof, Green's murder directly violated the defendant's instruction. It simply defies logic to conclude that the defendant, while not intending to aid or promote Green's murder, nevertheless ordered other gang members to take Green out of the district, rough him up a little bit by physical abuse, and let him get back the best way he could, knowing all along that these gang members intended to kill Green. Simply put, no reasonable jury could have concluded from the evidence presented that the defendant had the knowledge required for facilitation but lacked the intent required for criminal responsibility. We therefore conclude that the trial court did not err by failing to instruct the jury on facilitation to commit premeditated murder. See Ely, 48 S.W.3d at 724 (holding that the trial court did not err by failing to instruct facilitation as no reasonable jury could believe that, although the defendant was present at the scene of the robbery, knew that the accomplice intended to commit robbery, and substantially assisted in the commission of the robbery, he nevertheless did not intend `to promote or assist the commission of the offense ...'); Burns, 6 S.W.3d at 471 (holding that the trial court did not err in refusing to instruct on facilitation because no reasonable jury could conclude that the defendant had the knowledge required for facilitation but lacked the intent required for criminal responsibility). As to facilitation to commit especially aggravated kidnapping, the Court of Criminal Appeals explained that, although the proof established the defendant's direct participation in initially kidnapping and beating Green at the apartment, a jury could have concluded that the defendant did not intend the kidnapping be especially aggravated when he ordered gang members to take Green fishing. Again, as explained above, from the evidence presented, no reasonable jury could have concluded that the defendant had the knowledge required for facilitation but lacked the intent required for criminal responsibility to commit especially aggravated kidnapping. Given the proof presented, the defendant was either guilty by virtue of criminal responsibility or he was innocent. Therefore, the trial court did not err in failing to instruct the jury on facilitation of especially aggravated kidnapping. The Court of Criminal Appeals's decision setting aside the defendant's convictions and remanding for a new trial therefore is reversed.