Opinion ID: 1712087
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: whether the trial court erred in granting jury instructions s-1 and s-2 and refusing jury instruction d-5.

Text: ¶ 11. Sanders charges error in the granting of instructions S-1 and S-2. Specifically, Sanders argues that he was charged with depraved heart murder pursuant to Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-19(1)(b) and that the proof at trial should have been limited solely to evidence relating to that single classification of murder. Sanders argues that a deliberate design murder instruction should not have also been given. Instructions S-1 and S-2 told the jury it could find Sanders guilty of murder if he killed Watts with the deliberate design to effect the death of Marvin Watts ... or if he killed Watts while engaged in the commission of an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved heart, regardless of human life, by then and there striking the said Marvin Watts in the head with a hammer.... ¶ 12. These two versions of murder track Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-19, which provides in pertinent part: (1) The killing of a human being without the authority of law by any means or in any manner shall be murder in the following cases: (a) When done with deliberate design to effect the death of the person killed, or of any human being; (b) When done in the commission of an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved heart, regardless of human life, although without any premeditated design to effect the death of any particular individual. ¶ 13. We addressed this issue in Mallett v. State, 606 So.2d 1092, 1094 (Miss.1992), which provides: There is no question that the structure of the statute suggests two different kinds of murder: deliberate design/premeditated murder and depraved heart murder. The structure of the statute suggests these are mutually exclusive categories of murder. Experience belies the point. As a matter of common sense, every murder done with deliberate design to effect the death of another human being is by definition done in the commission of an act imminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved heart, regardless of human life. Our cases have for all practical purposes coalesced the two to the Section 97-3-19(1)(b) subsumes (1)(a). We held that it was not error to grant both instructions. This view was reasserted in Hurns v. State, 616 So.2d 313, 321 (Miss. 1993) and Catchings v. State, 684 So.2d 591 (Miss.1996). Our holdings in these cases are dispositive of this issue. This assignment of error is without merit. ¶ 14. Sanders also argues that the circuit court erred in refusing to give a jury instruction on culpable negligence manslaughter. He contends that the facts in the record support such an instruction. The State responds that the record shows no evidence of a negligently committed act and that no such claim was made at trial by Sanders. ¶ 15. The jury was instructed on deliberate design murder, depraved heart murder, heat of passion manslaughter, and self-defense. Sanders's proposed jury instruction on culpable negligence manslaughter, however was refused. After hearing arguments on this instruction, the trial judge stated: The Court having heard all the evidence is of the opinion that there is absolutely no evidence here of a negligent act on the part of the defendant. All the testimony was that he intentionally hit him in the head with a hammer, and so the evidence does not support the instruction, which is required of any instruction on the substance of a case and substance of the theory. The Court believes that the jury would be permitted to speculate and guess, which is not permitted by law, if this instruction were given, and the Court is further of the opinion that it would be misleading to the jury, and, therefore, based on the applicable law and the evidence the Court is refusing D-5. ¶ 16. Lesser included offense instructions should be given if there is an evidentiary basis in the record that would permit a jury rationally to find the defendant guilty of the lesser offense and to acquit him of the greater offense. Welch v. State, 566 So.2d 680, 684 (Miss.1990). In reviewing the propriety of such an instruction, we have stated: A lesser-included offense instruction should be granted unless the trial judge and ultimately this Court can say, taking the evidence in the light most favorable to the accused and considering all the reasonable inferences which may be drawn in favor of the accused from the evidence, that no reasonable jury could find the defendant guilty of the lesser-included offense (conversely, not guilty of at least one element of the principal charge). McGowan v. State, 541 So.2d 1027, 1028 (Miss.1989). However, this Court has repeatedly held that a lesser-included offense instruction should not be indiscriminately granted, but rather should be submitted to the jury only where there is an evidentiary basis in the record. Lee v. State, 469 So.2d 1225, 1230 (Miss. 1985). ¶ 17. Culpable negligence is defined as negligence of a degree so gross as to be tantamount to a wanton disregard of, or utter indifference to, the safety of human life. Clark v. State, 693 So.2d 927, 932 (Miss.1997). Sanders's own testimony, however, reveals more than a wanton disregard of or indifference to Watts's safety and well-being. Sanders intentionally hit Watts once in the arm and once in the head with a hammer with sufficient force to crush his skull. He then left the apartment and returned twice the same day to steal Watts's television and VCR. Sanders did not attempt to get help for Watts at the time the crime was committed nor when he returned while Watts was still alive. Instead, he allowed Watts to sit on the couch and bleed and vomit until dead. Viewing the evidence and all reasonable inferences therefrom, in a light most favorable to Sanders, a reasonable jury could not have found him guilty of mere culpable negligence. Accordingly, we find no error.