Court Opinion

ID: 9675940
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:10:24.391382+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:41.504919
License: Public Domain

MEMORANDUM OF DISSENT
HOUSER, Commissioner
(dissenting).
As I understand defendant’s version of the facts the victim, after quarreling with defendant and stating that he was looking for trouble, crossed the street, reached into his automobile and came out of it with a pistol in his hand. Defendant, who in the meantime had run towards the automobile, struggled with the victim for the possession of the pistol. One shot was discharged *800into the air. Defendant managed to knock the pistol to the ground. Defendant then engaged in a struggle for the pistol with a third man, who “came from around” defendant. The two men “got on the ground” in their struggle, and the pistol was discharged a second time. “Everybody” started running up into the doorway. According to the state’s evidence, the victim was struck by the bullet while in the doorway. Defendant said that he dropped the pistol and left.
Defendant did not categorically deny that he pulled the trigger nor did he testify that he did not intend to shoot the deceased. It seems to me, however, that the plain inference to be drawn from the foregoing is that the victim was shot while standing in the doorway as a result of an unintentional and accidental discharge of the pistol occurring while defendant and the third man were on the ground, scuffling with each other for possession of the pistol.
As I have always understood the law, when a gun is discharged while defendant and the victim are scuffling or struggling for its possession, and death results, the court is obliged to instruct on the issue of excusable homicide. I see no substantial difference between the facts in this case and those in State v. Haygood, Mo.Sup., 411 S.W.2d 230. There defendant and the victim had words concerning a reconciliation. The victim came at defendant with a knife, stabbed him, and the parties started grappling. Defendant picked up a pistol off a table. While they were scuffling and as defendant was trying to transfer the gun from his right to his left hand he was again stabbed and the gun went off and shot into the ceiling. While defendant was holding the victim’s hand in which she held the knife the gun went off again, shooting the victim. Defendant at that time did not know that the victim was shot. On February 13, 1967 Division 2 held that under these circumstances it was plain error not to instruct on the issue of excusable homicide.
Other cases involving homicide as a result of scuffling for a gun, in which it was held that an instruction on excusable homicide was proper or necessary, are State v. O’Kelley, Mo.Sup., 213 S.W.2d 963 and State v. Hale, Mo.Sup., 371 S.W.2d 249. See also State v. Baker, Mo.Sup., 277 S.W.2d 627.
The proposed opinion suggests that defendant’s testimony does not relate his activity to the infliction of the fatal wound; that there is no testimony that either of the shots struck the victim. This seems to me to be an overrefinement in reasoning. It is apparent to me that there is circumstantial evidence of the fact that the second shot inflicted the fatal wound; that this is the plain inference to be drawn from defendant’s testimony. I cannot concur in an opinion which if adopted will affirm a conviction which carries a 40-year punishment, on such a hypertechnical basis, especially in view of the fact that only three months ago, under strikingly similar facts, this Court reversed a conviction of second degree murder on the ground that the failure to instruct on excusable homicide constitutes plain error.
I recognize that under State v. Cheek, et al., the assignment of error in defendant’s motion for new trial did not sufficiently raise the point that the court erred in not instructing on manslaughter, under previously decided cases requiring the supporting facts to be alleged in the motion.
Notwithstanding the point was not sufficiently developed in the assignment of error in the motion for new trial I believe that the judgment should be reversed and the cause remanded under the plain error rule. State v. Haygood, Mo.Sup., 411 S.W.2d 230, found good reason to invoke that rule in that case, and I cannot see any substantial difference in these two cases, as previously indicated. In Haygood Division 2 said, 411 S.W.2d, l. c. 232:
“We conclude that under the circumstances of this case the failure of the trial *801court to instruct the jury on defendant’s defense that the homicide was accidental was plain error under Criminal Rule 27.20(c). See State v. Reeder, Mo., 395 S.W.2d 209, 211.”