Opinion ID: 2520250
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Issue 4: Did the district court err by failing to instruct the jury on heat of passion voluntary manslaughter?

Text: White requested an instruction on voluntary manslaughter based on two theories: (1) upon a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion and (2) an unreasonable but honest belief that circumstances existed justifying deadly force in defense of a person. See K.S.A. 21-3403(a), (b). The district court refused any instruction based upon the former, and White objected. This court recently discussed the denial of this same instruction in State v. Horn, 278 Kan. 24, 39-41, 91 P.3d 517 (2004). The detailed analysis by the Horn court need not be repeated here. Greatly summarized, we held that the instruction on voluntary manslaughter was required if there were some evidence of sudden quarrel or heat of passion as a result of severe provocation which, when viewed in the light most favorable to the defendant, would reasonably justify a conviction on that lesser included offense. White points to evidence that he was overcome with emotion; that without an opportunity to be heard, he lost custody of his grandson to a person he viewed as abusive; that he walked into Wal-Mart during daytime hours and, in front of several witnesses, shot his son-in-law, walked out of the Wal-Mart, and stood in the parking lot awaiting arrest. However, this is not evidence of an adequate provocation sufficient to instruct on voluntary manslaughter on the basis of heat of passion or sudden quarrel. See also State v. Follin, 263 Kan. 28, 38, 947 P.2d 8 (1997) (act of violence separated from the provocation by sufficient cooling time is not the product of heat of passion). Unless this evidence changes at retrial, no instruction on voluntary manslaughter on the basis of heat of passion or sudden quarrel need be given.