Opinion ID: 867277
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: False imprisonment lesser-included offense instruction

Text: ¶ 37 Hargrave claims that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury on unlawful imprisonment as a lesser-included offense of kidnapping. Because Hargrave did not request a lesser-included offense instruction, we review the trial court's failure to give one only for fundamental error. State v. Nordstrom, 200 Ariz. 229, 253 ¶ 81, 25 P.3d 717, 741 (2001). ¶ 38 Unlawful imprisonment, defined as knowingly restraining another person, A.R.S. § 13-1303(A) (2010), is a lesser-included offense of kidnapping, which is knowingly restraining another person with the intent to [i]nflict death, physical injury or . . . otherwise aid in the commission of a felony, A.R.S. § 13-1304(A)(3) (2010). The distinguishing element between kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment is the perpetrator's state of mind, i.e., whether the unlawful imprisonment was accompanied with one of the enumerated intents set out in A.R.S. § 13-1304 so as to elevate the unlawful imprisonment to kidnapping. State v. Detrich, 178 Ariz. 380, 383, 873 P.2d 1302, 1305 (1994); see also State v. Bearup, 221 Ariz. 163, 169 ¶ 24, 211 P.3d 684, 690 (2009). ¶ 39 Hargrave argues that the trial court should have instructed the jury on false imprisonment because the jury could have found he did not intend to harm the employees. The evidence showed, however, that Hargrave intended to aid in the commission of a felonythe robberyand knew that victims might be harmed. See A.R.S. § 13-1304(A)(3). He discussed the robbery plan with Boggs and knew that Boggs always carrie[d] a gun. Boggs had also warned Hargrave that if it came down to it, he would shoot [the employees]. Hargrave watched the victims as an armed Boggs took money from the cash registers, opened the door as Boggs marched the victims into the freezer, and fired the gun as the victims were directed into the freezer. He assisted Boggs in restraining the victims to aid in the commission of the armed robbery, which distinguishes kidnapping from unlawful imprisonment. See id. Hargrave has failed to demonstrate fundamental error.