Opinion ID: 1197916
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Lack of Evidence of Premeditation

Text: Defendant moved for a new trial pursuant to rule 24.1, alleging that the verdict was contrary to law or to the weight of the evidence, in part because the state failed to offer sufficient evidence to support a finding of premeditation. The trial court denied the motion, and we will not disturb that ruling absent an abuse of discretion. See State v. Landrigan, 176 Ariz. 1, 4, 859 P.2d 111, 114, cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 114 S.Ct. 334, 126 L.Ed.2d 279 (1993). Using direct or circumstantial evidence, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant made a decision to kill before committing the act. State v. Kreps, 146 Ariz. 446, 448-49, 706 P.2d 1213, 1215-16 (1985). The necessary premeditation, however, may be as instantaneous as successive thoughts of the mind.... Kreps, 146 Ariz. at 449, 706 P.2d at 1216. In determining whether there was sufficient evidence of premeditation, this court will not reweigh the evidence and will view it in the light most favorable to sustaining the conviction. Kreps, 146 Ariz. at 449, 706 P.2d at 1216. In this case, the evidence showed that: (1) defendant had Jeanette purchase a one-way plane ticket so that he could fly to Phoenix; (2) he left for Phoenix with a 9mm Beretta gun in his possession; (3) he told his California girlfriend that he was coming to Phoenix to work on some airplanes, but no evidence showed that he did any work while in Arizona; (4) Jeanette requested a leave of absence from work; (5) after defendant arrived in Phoenix, Jeanette got cash advances on her credit cards and prepared to sign her truck title over to defendant; and (6) Jeanette was shot in the back of the head, which is inconsistent with a heat-of-passion murder. Based on this evidence, a rational trier of fact could have believed that defendant deliberately planned to kill Jeanette before he committed the murder. Therefore, the trial court did not err in finding that the state had sufficiently proven premeditation.