Court Opinion

ID: 9552613
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:13:55.497698+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:28:22.935621
License: Public Domain

AllegRUCCI, J.,
concurring: I concur with the result reached by the majority but disagree with Syl. ¶ 2, which states that “premeditated” means “to have thought over the matter beforehand.” (PIK Crim. 3d 56.04[b].)
Murder in the first degree is the killing of a human being committed intentionally and with premeditation. K.S.A. 21-3401. Second-degree murder is the killing of a human being committed intentionally. K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 21-3402(a). By defining “premeditated” as simply meaning “to have thought over the matter beforehand,” the majority has effectively converted second-degree murder to first-degree murder. “Intentionally” is defined as meaning “conduct that is purposeful and willful and not accidental. Intentional includes the terms ‘knowing,’ ‘willful,’ ‘purposeful,’ and ‘on purpose.’ ” PIK Crim. 3d 56.04(d). How does one intentionally kill another human being without thinking about it beforehand? The jury is also instructed that if it does not find the defendant guilty of first-degree murder, then it should consider the lesser offense of second-degree murder. It is difficult to comprehend how a jury so instructed would ever consider the lesser included offense of second-degree murder.
As noted in the majority opinion, this court has used words such as “plan,” “contrive,” and “schemed beforehand” to define premeditation. This court has required that a defendant not only think it over beforehand, but also to come to the conclusion that he or she would kill the victim and then do so. The majority, by approving PIK Crim. 3d 56.04(b), has, in my opinion, essentially repealed 21-3402(a).