Opinion ID: 1421674
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: did the trial court err in giving a premeditation instruction?

Text: The trial court did not err in giving a premeditation instruction. A premeditation instruction may be given where there is evidence from which the jury could reasonably find that the defendant premeditated the victim's murder. State v. McIntyre, 106 Ariz. 439, 445, 477 P.2d 529, 535 (1970). Premeditation exists when a defendant acts with the knowledge or intention that he will kill another human being, and such knowledge or intention precedes the killing by a length of time to permit reflection. A.R.S. § 13-1101(1). This length of time can be as instantaneous as the time it takes to make successive thoughts to kill and can be proved by circumstantial evidence. State v. Lacquey, 117 Ariz. 231, 234, 571 P.2d 1027, 1030 (1977). In this case, testimony indicated that appellant may have first seen the victim in the illegal after-hours bar. The victim was intoxicated, was much smaller than appellant, and appeared to be an illegal alien. The victim repeatedly tried to purchase items with Mexican pesos and spoke only Spanish while at the bar. There was conflicting testimony as to whether the victim tried to exchange a 1000 peso bill. The state argued that appellant witnessed these transactions and realized that the man would be an ideal target. A police officer saw the appellant bending over the victim. The stab wounds, from which the victim died, were in an area certain to cause death. The two wounds in front of the body were deep and pierced through to the heart. The stab wound in the back entered the lungs. A 1000 peso bill was found on appellant shortly after his arrest. There was sufficient evidence to permit the trial judge to give a premeditation instruction.