Opinion ID: 1642283
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Lesser-Included Offense Jury Instruction

Text: Under this assignment of error, Sanders contends that first or second degree assault is a lesser-included offense of second degree murder. Since his attorney did not request a jury instruction on assault in the first and second degree, the defendant argues that he was denied effective assistance of counsel. Sanders was charged with and convicted of attempted second degree murder, not second degree murder. The initial question, then, is whether either first or second degree assault is a lesser-included offense of attempted second degree murder. Because one may be guilty of attempted second degree murder without causing injury to the intended victim and because first degree assault cannot be committed without causing serious bodily injury, this court has held that first degree assault is not a lesser-included offense of attempted second degree murder. See State v. Lovelace, 212 Neb. 356, 322 N.W.2d 673 (1982). This rationale applies with equal force to second degree assault, which also requires bodily injury as an element of the offense. See Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-309 (Reissue 1979). Because a lesser-included offense instruction on assault would have been improper in this case, defense counsel was not deficient in failing to request a first or second degree assault instruction.