Court Opinion

ID: 9786717
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 00:01:34.186646+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:36:47.860494
License: Public Domain

KENNARD, J., Concurring.
I concur fully in the majority opinion. I write separately to suggest a simpler ground on which to reject defendant’s claim that the trial court erred in failing to instruct on assault as a lesser included offense of robbery and/or burglary. (See maj. opn., ante, at pp. 348-351.)
The purpose of instructing on lesser offenses is to provide the jury with verdict options that are consistent with the evidence presented at trial. “Just as the People have no legitimate interest in obtaining a conviction of a greater offense than that established by the evidence, a defendant has no right to an acquittal when that evidence is sufficient to establish a lesser included offense.” (People v. Sedeno (1974) 10 Cal.3d 703, 716 [112 Cal.Rptr. 1, 518 P.2d 913]; accord, People v. Breverman (1998) 19 Cal.4th 142, 155 [77 Cal.Rptr.2d 870, 960 P.2d 1094].) Accordingly, a trial court must instruct on a lesser included offense “only when evidence exists that would justify a conviction on the lesser offense.” (People v. Yeoman (2003) 31 Cal.4th 93, 129 [2 Cal.Rptr.3d 186, 72 P.3d 1166].)
*373Here, no instruction on assault was required because defendant did not merely assault victim Theresa Schmiedt, he killed her. If defendant did not form the specific intent to steal until after he had killed her, as the defense argued at trial, then he was guilty of at least manslaughter, and not merely assault. Because there was no substantial evidence that defendant’s assaultive conduct was not the cause of her death, the offense was not less than manslaughter, and no instruction on assault was required.
Appellant’s petition for a rehearing was denied September 10, 2008.