Opinion ID: 2397328
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Submission for First- and Second-Degree Murder to the Jury

Text: Appellant argues that the trial court erred in instructing the jury on charges of first-and second-degree murder while armed because the evidence did not support these charges and inclusion of the instructions permitted the jury to reach a compromise on the lesser-included offense of manslaughter while armed. He contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal on the murder count and that he is entitled to a new trial on the manslaughter count alone. The government responds that the evidence was sufficient to warrant denial of appellant's motion. The government also argues that appellant can show no prejudice because he was acquitted of the greater offenses, and his claim of jury compromise is speculative. In reviewing a claim of denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal, this court applies the same standard as the trial court in determining whether the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction. McCullough v. United States, 827 A.2d 48, 57 (D.C.2003) (quoting Curry v. United States, 520 A.2d 255, 263 (D.C.1987)). Under that standard, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, giving deference to the fact finder's right to weigh the evidence, determine the credibility of the witnesses, and draw inferences from the evidence presented. Id. at 57 (citation omitted). Only if there is no evidence upon which a reasonable mind can infer guilt beyond a reasonable doubt is reversal warranted. Id. (citation omitted). Applying this familiar standard, we conclude that the evidence was sufficient to support the trial court's ruling denying the motion. To establish the charge of first-degree murder, the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that: (1) the defendant caused the death of the decedent; (2) he did so with the specific intent to kill the decedent; (3) after premeditation; (4) he did so after deliberation; (5) there were no mitigating circumstances; and (6) he did not act in self-defense. See CRIMINAL JURY INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, No. 4.18 (4th ed. 1993); see also D.C.Code § 22-2401 (1996). There is no issue with respect to the first element, causation. With respect to the second element, specific intent, Michelle Anderson testified that she observed appellant approach Crowe, who had already been wounded, stand over him and shoot him several times in the chest, while saying to him that he was going to die. This testimony, if credited by the jury, was sufficient to permit the jury to conclude that appellant intended to cause Crowe's death. The third element, `[p]remeditation,' means that the defendant formed the specific intent to kill the victim `for some length of time, however short', before the murderous act.' Bates v. United States, 834 A.2d 85, 93 (D.C.2003) (quoting Austin v. United States, 127 U.S.App. D.C. 180, 188, 382 F.2d 129, 137 (1967)). Both Michelle Anderson and Charles Anderson testified that appellant walked over to Crowe, stood over him, fired shots into his chest and told him that he was going to die. Although apparently of brief duration, appellant's approach to the victim, subsequent action and expressed intent to kill him is sufficient to show premeditation. See id. The fourth element, deliberation, which is separate from premeditation, requires that there was the reflection and turning over in the mind of the accused concerning his existing design and purpose to kill. Id. (citation omitted). Again, no minimum time lapse is required. Id. at 94. According to the testimony of Michelle and Charles Anderson, the gunfire ceased temporarily, and thereafter, appellant walked over to Crowe, who was not shooting at appellant at the time, and fired the fatal shots. This evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the government, was sufficient to support the premeditation element. Appellant's action in moving closer to his victim and the time that it took, although ever so brief, is sufficient for a reasonable juror to find that he considered and reflected upon his actions. Appellant's primary argument is that the evidence was insufficient to submit the counts of first- and second-degree murder to the jury because mitigating circumstances are a defense to both charges, and the government failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that mitigating circumstances were absent. [23] It was, of course, the government's burden to prove that there were no mitigating circumstances. See Comber, supra, 584 A.2d at 41 (The absence of justification, excuse, or mitigation is thus an essential component of malice, and in turn of second-degree murder, on which the government bears the ultimate burden of persuasion). Therefore, a defendant may argue that the government's failure to disprove these circumstances renders the evidence insufficient to support conviction of the charge. See, e.g., Fisher v. United States, 779 A.2d 348, 355 (D.C.2001), cert. denied, 534 U.S. 1095, 122 S.Ct. 844, 151 L.Ed.2d 722 (2002) (defendant argued that evidence was insufficient as the government failed to prove that he did not act in self-defense). However, viewed in the light most favorable to the government, the evidence was sufficient for a reasonable juror to find beyond a reasonable doubt the absence of mitigating circumstances. As the trial court instructed, [m]itigating circumstances exist where a person acts in the heat of passion caused by adequate provocation. And heat of passion includes rage, resentment, anger, terror and fear. A person acts upon adequate provocation if his action is provoked by conduct that would cause an ordinary, reasonable person, in the heat of the moment, to lose his self-control and act on impulse and without reflection. An act of violence may be adequate provocation, but a slight is not adequate provocation. Mere words, no matter how offensive, are not adequate provocation. See CRIMINAL JURY INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, No. 4.18 (4th ed. 1993). See also Howard v. United States, 656 A.2d 1106, 1115 (D.C.1995) (providing similar language). Although there was evidence supportive of mitigation, [24] there was other evidence from which a reasonable mind might conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that there were no mitigating circumstances. Specifically, there was testimony from both Charles and Michelle Anderson that appellant pushed Crowe first and escalated the confrontation by pulling and firing his weapon. Even if the jury were to find that Crowe, by displaying or reaching for his gun, had placed appellant in reasonable fear of immediate danger, and thus adequately provoked his fear, the jury could have credited the testimony of Michelle Anderson that Crowe never shot at appellant, that appellant rendered Crowe helpless by the initial shot, and deliberately approached and stood over the kneeling and unarmed victim, and fired the fatal shots into his chest, while telling him, You going to die. Thus, there was evidence from which the jury could find that the government had proved that there were no mitigating circumstances. Although appellant points to evidence from which an alternate conclusion can be reached, the standard is whether there is no evidence upon which a reasonable mind could infer guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. McCullough, supra, 827 A.2d at 57 (citation omitted). Here, there was such evidence, and therefore, no reason for the court not to submit the charges to the jury. The government argues that, in any event, appellant can show no prejudice resulting from the submission of the charges to the jury because he was acquitted of both first- and second-degree murder. The government cites in support of its argument Howard v. United States, 128 U.S.App.D.C. 336, 338, 389 F.2d 287, 289 (1967). Appellant argues that this court should follow the analysis of the Supreme Court in Price v. Georgia, 398 U.S. 323, 90 S.Ct. 1757, 26 L.Ed.2d 300 (1970) in assessing prejudice from submitting the greater charges to the jury. In Price, the Supreme Court held, on double jeopardy grounds, that a State could not retry an accused for murder after his conviction of the lesser-included offense of voluntary manslaughter had been set aside. [25] Id. at 326, 90 S.Ct. 1757. After petitioner's first conviction of the lesser-included offense of voluntary manslaughter was reversed by the Court of Appeals of Georgia, upon retrial, the jury was allowed to consider again the greater offense of murder, and again returned a verdict on the lesser-included offense. Id. 324-25, 90 S.Ct. 1757. The Supreme Court rejected the argument that because petitioner had been convicted of the same crime at the first and second trials, the second jeopardy was harmless error. Id. at 331, 90 S.Ct. 1757. In addition to the ordeal imposed by being subjected to a second trial for murder, the Supreme Court observed that [p]erhaps of more importance, we cannot determine whether or not the murder charge against petitioner induced the jury to find him guilty of the less serious offense of voluntary manslaughter rather than to continue to debate his innocence. Id. (citing United States ex rel. Hetenyi v. Wilkins, 348 F.2d 844 (2d Cir.1965), cert. denied, 383 U.S. 913, 86 S.Ct. 896, 15 L.Ed.2d 667 (1966)). Appellant contends that this case is not distinguishable in any meaningful way from Price, and that Howard, upon which the government relies, pre-dated Price, and is therefore, no longer good law. Appellant's argument has no persuasive force because both Price and Hetenyi focused on the double jeopardy bar to retrial of a greater offense where the accused had previously been tried for the same, but convicted only of the lesser-included offense. See Price, 398 U.S. at 324, 90 S.Ct. 1757 (We granted the writ to consider the power of a State to retry an accused for murder after an earlier guilty verdict on the lesser included offense of voluntary manslaughter had been set aside because of a trial error.); Hetenyi, 348 F.2d at 863 (noting that while Hetenyi was indicted, prosecuted and charged with first degree murder ... the State was constitutionally forbidden to prosecute him for first degree murder following the completion of the first trial). The analysis of these cases do not establish or even discuss any standard related to the submission of offenses and lesser-included offenses in a single trial. See Price, 398 U.S. at 332, 90 S.Ct. 1757. [26] Although the Hetenyi court did state in its prejudice analysis that [t]he question is not whether the accused was actually prejudiced, but whether there is reasonable possibility that he was prejudiced, its explanation immediately thereafter indicates its focus on the circumstances presented where there are successive trials and issues of double jeopardy. [27] See Hetenyi, 348 F.2d at 864. Therefore, we are not persuaded that Price and Hetenyi apply here. In contrast, in Howard, relied upon by the government, the issue raised was whether the trial court erred in denying the motion for acquittal of murder in the first degree and submitting that issue to the jury on insufficient evidence of premeditation and deliberation. Howard, 128 U.S.App.D.C. at 342, 389 F.2d at 293. The Howard court determined that even if the first-degree murder charge was improperly submitted on insufficient evidence, the error was harmless, as the jury returned a verdict of guilty on second-degree murder. Id. The issue presented in this case is like the issue presented in Howard. In Howard, the court rejected the argument that the jury might have compromised its views because of the inclusion of the greater charges. 128 U.S.App. D.C. at 343, 389 F.2d at 294. Similarly, in this case, we find no basis to conclude that the mere submission of the greater charges resulted in confusion, unduly influenced the jury or led them to decide the case on other than the evidence and the law. Moreover, on the day that appellant's case was argued, this court rejected a similar argument in Garcia v. United States, 848 A.2d 600, 602 (D.C. 2004). In Garcia, this court held that [u]nless genuine reason exists to think that [defendant] somehow suffered prejudice despite his acquittal of involuntary manslaughter, the erroneous submission to the jury of that offense is no reason to reverse his conviction of a properly submitted lesser included offense [of negligent homicide]. Id. (citations omitted). Like appellant here, Garcia also claimed that the presence of the greater charge for consideration would encourage jury compromise. Id. This court rejected the argument as speculative. Id. (citing Cowan v. United States, 547 A.2d 1011, 1016 (D.C. 1988) and Howard, supra, 128 U.S.App. D.C. at 343, 389 F.2d at 294). Accordingly, we agree with the government's argument that even if the greater charges were submitted erroneously to the jury, any error was harmless.