Opinion ID: 2689337
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: standard of review

Text: Brown raises this issue as an erroneous jury instruction claim. He suggests that the trial court should have, sua sponte, deviated from the pattern instructions and given the jury a modified felony-murder instruction that clarified, in some unspecified manner, that the jury could make the determination of whether the underlying felony had been abandoned or completed when the shooting occurred. Brown did not object to the felony-murder instruction that was given at trial, triggering the clear-error rule. See K.S.A. 22-3414(3); State v. Dobbs, 297 Kan. 1225, 1237, 308 P.3d 1258 (2013). In determining whether an instruction is clearly erroneous, the court first determines whether the instruction was erroneous, which is a question of law subject to de novo review. Betancourt, 299 Kan. at 135. If the court determines the instruction was erroneous, then it must determine whether reversal is required because it is firmly convinced the jury would have reached a different result without the error. Reversibility is subject to unlimited review and is based on the complete record. The defendant must establish clear error under K.S.A. 22-3414(3). Dobbs, 297 Kan. at 1237.