Opinion ID: 1447881
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Trial Court's Failure to Instruct on Intent to Kill, and Defense Counsel's Argument on Lingering Doubt

Text: As explained earlier, this case is governed by Carlos, supra, 35 Cal.3d 131, which required that the jury find intent to kill as a prerequisite to a special circumstance finding. Here, the trial court did not instruct the jury that it must find intent to kill, but the court did submit to the jury an interrogatory on this issue, and the jury expressly found that defendant intended to kill the victim when he shot her. (31) Defendant contends that the trial court's failure to direct the jury that it must find intent to kill before it could find him guilty of the felony-murder special circumstance prevented the jury from understanding the significance of his counsel's argument on lingering doubt at the penalty phase. Defendant's counsel did emphasize to the jury in her closing argument at the penalty phase that it could consider any lingering doubt regarding defendant's intent to kill. But the trial court's failure to instruct the jury that it must find intent to kill did not discourage the jury from considering this argument. Eighth Amendment concerns are satisfied when a capital defendant is not deprived of the opportunity to present evidence on lingering doubt and to have the jury weigh this evidence. The fair opportunity to present relevant [lingering doubt] evidence and to argue forbearance thereon sufficiently preserves the defendant's interest in having the jury consider fully all germane aspects of the offense and the offender.... ( People v. Cox, supra, 53 Cal.3d 618, 677, citing Franklin v. Lynaugh (1988) 487 U.S. 164, 177-180 [101 L.Ed.2d 155, 167-169, 108 S.Ct. 2320]; see generally People v. Fauber, supra, 2 Cal.4th 792, 864.) Because here defendant was not prevented from presenting evidence on lingering doubt or arguing its significance to the jury, we reject his contention.