Opinion ID: 2599073
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Death eligibility and intent to kill

Text: Defendant contends the trial court should have instructed the jury that specific intent to kill is an element of the felony-murder (robbery) special circumstance under which he was found death eligible. Such instruction would have been appropriate under this court's holding in Carlos v. Superior Court (1983) 35 Cal.3d 131, 197 Cal.Rptr. 79, 672 P.2d 862, which holding, defendant recognizes, was later overruled in People v. Anderson (1987) 43 Cal.3d 1104, 240 Cal.Rptr. 585, 742 P.2d 1306, in which case we held that intent to kill is not an element of the felony-murder special circumstance if the defendant is the actual killer. Defendant asks us to reconsider Anderson, proferring the same arguments we have rejected in past cases. (See, e.g., People v. Visciotti (1992) 2 Cal.4th 1, 62, 5 Cal.Rptr.2d 495, 825 P.2d 388; People v. Belmontes (1988) 45 Cal.3d 744, 794-795, 248 Cal.Rptr. 126, 755 P.2d 310.) He presents us with no reason to depart from those precedents.