Opinion ID: 2458490
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Early case law

Text: Since 1868, trial courts have been statutorily required in all criminal cases to instruct juries on all matters of law which are necessary for their information. G.S. 1868, ch. 82, § 236. This statute was held to require instructions on lesser offenses if even slight evidence was produced to support a conviction of the lesser offense. State v. Woods, 105 Kan. 554, 558, 185 P. 21 (1919) (citing State v. Clark, 69 Kan. 576, 77 P. 287 [1904]). This statutory ruleas well as our courts treated felony murder the same as other offenses, even though the courts discerned two categories of felony-murder cases. In the first category, the evidence was undisputed that a homicide occurred during commission of a felony, but the defendant typically claimed innocence of all charges. Under these circumstances, the court reasoned lesser included offense instructions were not required because the defendant was either guilty of both the felony and the murder, or innocent. See State v. Roselli, 109 Kan. 33, 40, 198 P. 195 (1921) (Defendant and a companion killed a merchant while robbing a Kansas store. Lesser included instructions to felony murder were not required because the defendant claimed he was in Missouri and not present at the robbery.). The second category was more varied because the defendant typically admitted guilt for some offense but argued that misconduct did not amount to felony murder. For example, in State v. Severns, 158 Kan. 453, 148 P.2d 488 (1944), the defendant was convicted of felony murder for the death of an 8-year-old girl. The defendant admitted he committed a physical assault but argued he was entitled to a first-degree manslaughter charge because he claimed he was punishing the child for lying and did not intend to kill her. The Severns court held that under this defense theory, the jury could have concluded the defendant did not intend the child's death and the crime perpetrated was a misdemeanor. As such, the defendant was entitled to instructions on all lesser degrees of homicide. 158 Kan. at 458-59, 148 P.2d 488. Notably, the Severns court found the weight of the evidence irrelevant, stating the fact that the court may deem the evidence supporting a lesser degree to be weak and inconclusive does not warrant it in refusing the instruction, for the weight of the evidence is for the jury. 158 Kan. at 458, 148 P.2d 488; see also State v. Bradford, 219 Kan. 336, 342-44, 548 P.2d 812 (1976) (Second-degree murder instruction was proper in a felony-murder case because the jury could have concluded defendant did not commit robbery when evidence was introduced that the deceased had a large sum of money and a pad of paper when he was killed and defendant was found later that morning with only $5 and the pad of paper.). The first case in which this court found lesser included offense instructions were not required despite some evidence supporting lesser charges was State v. Germany, 173 Kan. 214, 245 P.2d 981 (1952). Germany is striking because it recites no case law or statutory authority for its holding. It simply recites the facts from the record and then declares no trial court error. In that case, the defendant was convicted of felony murder for a robbery and killing and sentenced to death. An eyewitness testified Germany approached the victim and a witness while they sat in a parked car and then demanded the victim get out and hand over his wallet. When the victim complied, Germany asked instead for the car keys. The surviving witness testified she heard the keys fall to the ground and saw Germany raise his gun and shoot the victim. The defendant's confession was admitted at trial. In it, he conceded he approached the car, opened the front door, and said, This is a hold up. 173 Kan. at 222, 245 P.2d 981. Then, he said, he asked for the wallet and keys but did not take the wallet. The wallet was never found. Germany argued on appeal that he was entitled to instructions on second-degree murder and manslaughter because he testified at trial that he did not know the gun was cocked, the whole incident was a Halloween prank, and there was no evidence he intended to commit robbery since he asked for the car keys instead of taking the wallet. The State objected, arguing it was in the defendant's best interest not to issue lesser included offense instructions because the defendant would be acquitted if the State did not prove the robbery. The district court agreed but then commented that the evidence was so strong against the defendant that the jury could only conclude the killing was committed during a robbery. On appeal, this court lumped together all the trial errors alleged, did not analyze them individually, and stated only that no error was committed in any manner of which the appellant now complains. 173 Kan. at 225-26, 245 P.2d 981. Undoubtedly, the evidence in Germany challenging the robbery element was implausible and contradicted by the defendant's own testimony, but this court's simplistic decision departed without explanation from the Severns court's analysis that the weight of the evidence is a jury consideration. More oddly, this court would later characterize Germany in a subsequent decision as a case in which the evidence at trial excluded the theory of guilt on any lesser degree of crime. State v. Hoy, 199 Kan. 340, 343, 430 P.2d 275 (1967). But it would not be until 20 years after Germany that this court would again weigh evidence to find the giving of lesser included offense instructions unnecessary and produce the felony-murder instruction rule in its current form.