Opinion ID: 1291295
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Refusal to Instruct on Second Degree Murder

Text: Defendant requested that the jury be instructed on second degree murder, although defense counsel was unable to cite any evidence supporting the view the killing was not deliberate and premeditated. The trial court, seeing no evidence upon which a second degree murder verdict could reasonably rest, refused the instruction. Defendant contends the refusal was error. He argues the jury could reasonably have found that the killing was not first degree felony murder because the charged felonies were not committed and that it was not premeditated because, according to defendant's taped statement to police, even until the last moment we didn't know that we were going to kill her. In part IV, ante, we rejected defendant's contention that the evidence would have allowed a reasonable trier of fact to find defendant did not commit robbery in the forcible taking of Viivi Piirisild's property because his intent to steal was formed only after the attack. Assuming, however, that a reasonable jury could, on this evidence, have acquitted on both burglary and robbery because of after-formed intent, such a jury could not also have reasonably acquitted of premeditated and deliberate first degree murder. If defendant did not form the intent to steal until after breaking into the house and attacking the victim, the only motive for the entry and attack suggested by the evidence was to kill the victim. Since the entry and attack were indisputably planned in advancedefendant and Waidla brought tools for the burglary, discussed in advance the desirability of killing Viivi, armed themselves with a knife and hatchet, and waited about 45 minutes for Viivi to come home before attacking hera rational jury could only conclude the murder was, if not committed as part of a robbery or burglary, necessarily premeditated. In short, the evidence was consistent with a theory of premeditated and deliberate first degree murder, with a theory of first degree felony murder, or with a theory of both, but not with a theory of neither. No substantial evidence having been presented to support such a verdict, the trial court did not err in refusing to instruct on second degree murder. ( People v. Wilson, supra, 3 Cal.4th at pp. 940-941, 13 Cal.Rptr.2d 259, 838 P.2d 1212.) Nor did the federal Constitution require an instruction on second degree murder. (See ante, 94 Cal.Rptr.2d p. 33, fn. 3, 995 P.2d p. 166, fn. 3.)