Court Opinion

ID: 9687997
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 16:56:29.54283+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:34.003396
License: Public Domain

Lesinski, C. J.
(concurring). In the instant case this Court is again required to examine the issue raised in People v Lemmons, 384 Mich 1 (1970). The judge charged the jury that “the only two possible verdicts are the same as to each defendant: either guilty as charged or not guilty”. The defendant neither requested an instruction on lesser included offenses nor objected to the failure of the trial court to so instruct even though counsel was given an opportunity to so do. Counsel indicated satisfaction with the instructions.
*756This Court has uniformly read Lemmons literally, to require reversal only where the trial court affirmatively excluded lesser offenses from the consideration of the jury by stating “There are no included offenses.” See, e.g., People v Maxwell, 36 Mich App 127 (1971); People v Busby, 34 Mich App 235 (1971); People v John Wesley Brown, 32 Mich App 262 (1971); People v Herbert Van Smith Jr., 30 Mich App 384 (1971); People v Patskan, 29 Mich App 354 (1971); and People v McCormick, 28 Mich App 550 (1970).
I do not read Lemmons to require the courts to apply a magic words doctrine in applying the law as pointed out in my dissents in People v Membres, 34 Mich App 224 (1971), and People v Busby, supra. As I stated in footnote #1 in Busby, p 239, the Supreme Court should clarify this area as Lemmons is in apparent conflict with People v Stevens, 9 Mich App 531 (1968).
Having raised the issue and having found myself in the minority on my Court, I reluctantly concur in the affirmance as no purpose would be served by continually dissenting on this issue.