Court Opinion

ID: 9694107
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 17:23:43.432399+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:19:56.496730
License: Public Domain

J. H. Gillis, P. J.
(concurring). I agree that the trial court should have asked the jury to determine if the actions of the defendant constituted a request to commit a first-degree murder or a second-degree murder. The only reason that such a request should be made to the jury is to determine what penalty should be imposed on the defendant in the event of a conviction since the act provides that the person who incites, induces or exhorts another to murder or kill shall be punished in the same manner as if he had committed the offense which he incited, induced or exhorted.
*83I do not believe that this is a lesser included offense but it is a lesser penalty imposition.
I agree with the balance of the majority opinion and I too would remand this cause to the trial court for sentencing as though the jury had made a determination that the defendant had incited, induced or exhorted another to commit second-degree murder. If, however, the prosecuting attorney is persuaded that the ends of justice would be better served, upon notification to the trial court before resentencing, the trial court shall vacate the judgment of conviction and grant a new trial wherein the jury would, inter alia, be required to determine if the defendant incited, induced or exhorted another to commit first- or second-degree murder.