Opinion ID: 888658
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Did the District Court properly deny Schmidt's request for a lesser included offense instruction?

Text: ¶ 42 Schmidt argues that the District Court improperly refused his proposed jury instructions on assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, and criminal endangerment, as lesser included offenses of deliberate homicide. Schmidt cites State v. Castle, 285 Mont. 363, 948 P.2d 688 (1997), and State v. Sellner, 286 Mont. 397, 951 P.2d 996 (1997), for the proposition that assault represents a lesser included offense of deliberate homicide. A court must provide a lesser included offense instruction when one of the parties requests it and the jury rationally could find the defendant guilty of the lesser included offense. Castle, 285 Mont. at 369, 948 P.2d at 691; § 46-16-607(2), MCA. ¶ 43 The victim in Castle had been beaten severely before he was stabbed to death. Castle confessed that he had punched the victim three times in the jaw and once in the side of the head. Castle claimed, however, that the victim had been standing when he left the room. Castle returned to the room to find the victim on the floor. Castle claimed that he watched as another defendant stabbed the victim repeatedly. Castle, 285 Mont. at 366, 948 P.2d at 689. ¶ 44 This Court determined that Castle's testimony and the medical evidence established a factual basis from which a jury rationally could have found Castle guilty of assault, rather than guilty of homicide. Castle's theory posited that someone other than Castle had been responsible for the victim's death. Castle, 285 Mont. at 370, 948 P.2d at 692. The Court concluded that the trial court should have given Castle's proffered jury instruction on assault as a lesser included offense. Castle, 285 Mont. at 370, 948 P.2d at 692. ¶ 45 This Court in Sellner rejected the defendant's argument that an instruction for aggravated assault should have been given where the defendant intentionally shot a police officer. Sellner, 286 Mont. at 399, 951 P.2d at 997. The officer had stopped Sellner's car to question Sellner in connection with an assault Sellner allegedly had witnessed. The officer had been unaware that Sellner had not paid his federal income taxes for nearly twenty years, had no driver's license, and as a result had an aversion to law enforcement officers. Sellner jumped out of the car and fled. The officer shouted for Sellner to stop. Sellner instead shot the officer in the chest. The officer survived his injuries only because he had been wearing a bulletproof vest. Sellner, 286 Mont. at 399, 951 P.2d at 997. ¶ 46 Sellner argued that his trial counsel should have requested a jury instruction on aggravated assault as a lesser included offense of attempted deliberate homicide. Sellner, 286 Mont. at 398, 951 P.2d at 996. This Court distinguished Castle. The evidence presented in Castle raised the possibility that injuries inflicted by persons other than the defendant had caused the victim's death. Castle, 285 Mont. at 370, 948 P.2d at 692. The Court emphasized that Sellner admitted to being the sole cause of the victim's injuries. Sellner, 286 Mont. at 402, 951 P.2d at 999. The evidence in Sellner's case did not support the giving of an aggravated assault instruction. Sellner, 286 Mont. at 403, 951 P.2d at 999. ¶ 47 Schmidt argues that the facts of his case fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum delimited by Castle and Sellner. Schmidt maintains that a jury rationally could have found him guilty of the lesser included offense of aggravated assault. Schmidt concedes that no dispute exists that any person other than Schmidt caused Correia's injuries. Schmidt admits to having inflicted the wounds that caused Correia's death. Schmidt argues, however, that significant evidence supports his claim that he had not intended to cause Correia's death. ¶ 48 Schmidt's case falls squarely on the Sellner end of the spectrum. Schmidt relies on his own testimony and Correia's allegedly threatening appearance and behavior to bolster the argument that Schmidt had not intended to kill Correia. The fact remains, however, that Schmidt, like Sellner, admits to having been the sole cause of the victim's injuries. Schmidt admits that he stabbed Correia. Schmidt does not claim that anyone else was involved. Correia died from his injuries. ¶ 49 A person commits aggravated assault if they purposely or knowingly [cause] serious bodily injury to another or purposely or knowingly, with the use of physical force or contact [cause] reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury or death in another. Section 45-5-202(1), MCA (emphasis added). By definition, aggravated assault does not include death. Once a death results, homicide is implicated. A jury properly instructed on the elements of aggravated assault rationally could not find Schmidt guilty of aggravated assault in light of the fact that Correia died from wounds inflicted solely by Schmidt. The fact that aggravated assault constitutes a lesser included offense of deliberate homicide proves insufficient, by itself, to satisfy the statutory requirement for a lesser included offense instruction. A jury would not have been warranted in finding Schmidt guilty of aggravated assault based on the evidence presented. Section 46-16-607, MCA.