Opinion ID: 2144535
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Instruction 12 provided:

Text: Among the essential elements of Murder in the First Degree are deliberation, premeditation, and a specific intent to kill. If a person with opportunity to deliberate makes a wrongful assault upon another with a deadly weapon and death ensues, the inference is warranted that he did so with malice, deliberation, premeditation and a specific intent to kill in the absence of evidence to the contrary. This inference is not conclusive, but may be considered by you with all of the evidence in the case, or lack of evidence, in determining whether or not the killing charged, if done by the Defendant, was done with deliberation, premeditation and a specific intent to kill. Deliberation and premeditation are essential elements of Murder in the First Degree. They need not exist for any particular time before the act, but, whatever the time interval involved, the State must establish their existence, as defined in these Instructions, beyond a reasonable doubt. (Emphasis added.) We have rejected constitutional challenges to this instruction several times. Henderson v. Scurr, 313 N.W.2d 522, 526 (Iowa 1981); Whiteside, 272 N.W.2d at 472; State v. Pepples, 250 N.W.2d 390, 395 (Iowa 1977); State v. Lass, 228 N.W.2d 758, 766-67 (Iowa 1975). We believe the instructions, considered together, make it clear defendant had no burden of proof. However, the italicized language in instruction 12 is surplusage and in the future should not be included in similar instructions. Counsel for defendant is reminded that rule 14(e), Iowa Rule of Appellate Procedure, which requires citation of specific pages within the authorities relied on in briefs to this court, is mandatory. AFFIRMED.