Opinion ID: 1239150
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Instruction on second degree murder

Text: (42a) Defendant contends that the trial court erred in instructing the jury on the lesser included offense of second degree murder. In his reply brief, defendant also urges that the trial court's delay in raising the matter of instructions on second degree murder until after the defense had rested prevented him from taking into account that theory in deciding whether to present evidence or to testify in his own defense. During the conference on jury instructions that occurred after both the prosecution and the defense rested, but prior to closing argument, the prosecution urged that instructions on second degree murder be given, while defense counsel requested that such instructions not be given. The trial court determined that, pursuant to People v. Wickersham (1982) 32 Cal.3d 307, 323 [185 Cal. Rptr. 436, 650 P.2d 311], the instructions should be given. The trial court thereafter instructed the jury pursuant to CALJIC No. 8.30 (definition of second degree murder), CALJIC No. 8.70 (duty to determine degree of murder), CALJIC Nos. 8.71 (1979 rev.) and 17.11 (doubt as to degree compels second degree murder verdict), CALJIC No. 8.74 (1976 rev.) (unanimity requirement as to degree of murder), and CALJIC No. 8.75 (1982 new) (order of consideration of degree of murder). (43) It is well established that the trial court has a sua sponte duty to instruct the jury on lesser included offenses when the evidence raises a question as to whether all of the elements of the charged offense were present and there is evidence that would justify a conviction of such a lesser offense. ( People v. Cooper (1991) 53 Cal.3d 771, 827 [281 Cal. Rptr. 90, 809 P.2d 865]; People v. Bunyard (1988) 45 Cal.3d 1189, 1232-1233 [249 Cal. Rptr. 71, 756 P.2d 795].) Second degree murder is a lesser included offense of first degree murder. ( People v. Cooper, supra, 53 Cal.3d 771, 827; People v. Wickersham, supra, 32 Cal.3d 307, 326.) Nonetheless, even when the law imposes upon the trial court a sua sponte duty to instruct the jury, as it does with regard to lesser included offenses, that duty is not triggered `when there is no evidence that the offense was less than that charged.' [Citation.] ( People v. Hawkins (1995) 10 Cal.4th 920, 952-953 [42 Cal. Rptr.2d 636, 897 P.2d 574].) Instruction as to second degree murder is proper notwithstanding a defendant's objection that such instruction is inconsistent with his or her theory of the case, as long as the record contains substantial evidence from which a jury reasonably could conclude that the defendant was not guilty of first degree murder but only of second degree murder. (See People v. Barton (1995) 12 Cal.4th 186, 201 [47 Cal. Rptr.2d 569, 906 P.2d 531].) (42b) Defendant contends that the record in the present case contains no evidence that the killing occurred without premeditation or deliberation. The record contains substantial evidence from which the jury reasonably could find that defendant killed either or both victims without premeditation or deliberation. Although defendant's initiation of the offenses by luring the victims to the same isolated location exhibits considerable premeditation and deliberation, the nature of the murders themselves would not preclude a finding that defendant acted upon impulse. The circumstance that the manner of killing, ligature strangulation, might be somewhat more time-consuming than other methods, for example firing a weapon, does not obviate the conclusion that defendant might not have premeditated or deliberated before killing the victims. Moreover, it appears that defense counsel's objection was motivated by a deliberate decision to `utilize an all-or-nothing tactical strategy,' in the hope that the jury might decide against guilt if it had any doubts regarding whether a particular murder was the result of impulse or instead of deliberation or premeditation. ( People v. Cooper, supra, 53 Cal.3d 771, 827; People v. Bunyard, supra, 45 Cal.3d 1189, 1234-1236.) (44) In discussing the importance of instruction as to lesser included offenses, we previously have admonished that the jury should not be confronted with an all or nothing choice when it may believe that the accused is guilty only of a lesser included offense. We have observed that, if given no opportunity to convict of the lesser offense, the jury wrongly may convict the defendant of the greater offense, even though it believes an element of that offense is missing, rather than acquit the defendant entirely. ( People v. Webster (1991) 54 Cal.3d 411, 444, fn. 17 [285 Cal. Rptr. 31, 814 P.2d 1273]; People v. Ramkeesoon (1985) 39 Cal.3d 346, 352 [216 Cal. Rptr. 455, 702 P.2d 613]; People v. Wickersham, supra, 32 Cal.3d 307, 324-325.) (42c) It appears that, in deciding to instruct as to second degree murder, the trial court properly heeded that admonition. Finally, we reject the suggestion that the trial court unfairly surprised defendant by raising the issue of instruction as to second degree murder after the defense had rested. There was no apparent request by the defense for an earlier ruling on the matter of proposed instructions. Defense counsel throughout the proceedings would have been well aware of the possibility that such instructions might be given in light of the requirements of existing case law, and in any event could have requested permission to reopen their case in order to present evidence consistent with that instruction.