Court Opinion

ID: 9849375
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:39:08.491207+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:20.854748
License: Public Domain

Justice HUSKINS dissenting in part.
This Court held in State v. Harris, 290 N.C. 718, 228 S.E. 2d 424 (1976), that “in all cases in which the State relies upon premeditation and deliberation to support a conviction of murder in the first degree, the trial court must submit to the jury an issue of murder in the second degree.” We reaffirmed that holding in State v. Keller, 297 N.C. 674, 256 S.E. 2d 710 (1979). On further reflection, however, I am convinced that Harris and Keller perpetuate an unnecessary refinement in the law.
*260Submission of a lesser included offense when there is no evidence to support the milder verdict is not required when the indictment charges felony murder, arson, burglary, robbery, rape, larceny, felonious assault, or any other felony whatsoever. In all such cases if the evidence tends to show that the crime charged in the indictment was committed and there is no evidence tending to show commission of a crime of lesser degree, the court correctly refuses to charge on unsupported lesser degrees. The presence of evidence tending to show commission of a crime of lesser degree is the determinative factor. State v. Fleming, 296 N.C. 559, 251 S.E. 2d 430 (1979); State v. Duboise, 279 N.C. 73, 181 S.E. 2d 393 (1971), and cases there cited; State v. Hicks, 241 N.C. 156, 84 S.E. 2d 545 (1954).
For the reasons stated I no longer support the majority view which requires the court to submit second degree murder as a permissible verdict in a prosecution for premeditated first degree murder when there is no evidence to support the lesser degree.