Court Opinion

ID: 9853469
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:49:23.67122+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:49.512893
License: Public Domain

CROCKETT, Justice
(concurring with comments):
In view of the statute referred to and prior decisions of this Court, the main opinion is justified because it does not appear that any injustice has been done. However, my concern about this subject impels me to again state (as I have on other occasions, apparently without too much effect on our trial judges) that I think that in most all instances the court should give a requested instruction on any lesser offense which is necessarily included in a greater offense charged. See e. g. concurrence in State v. Dougherty, Utah, 550 P.2d 175.
Inasmuch as it is within the prerogative of the jury to find the defendant guilty of the greater offense, or not guilty entirely, it seems to me quite logical that the jury should also have the prerogative of finding any intermediate offense between those two extremes, and thus of finding him guilty of any offense necessarily included in the greater offense.
That idea finds support in the express provision of U.C.A.1953, 77-33-6:
Crimes included in charge — Attempts.— The jury may find the defendant guilty of any offense the commission of which is necessarily included in that with which he is charged in the indictment or information, or of an attempt to commit the offense. [Emphasis added].
Depending on the particular fact situations, this Court has in numerous cases reversed for failure to give instructions on included offenses. See e. g., State v. Hyams, 64 Utah 285, 230 P. 349; State v. Cobo, 90 Utah 89, 60 P.2d 952; State v. Barkas, 91 Utah 574, 65 P.2d 1130; State v. Close, 28 Utah 2d 144, 499 P.2d 287.
I state as above in awareness of the provision of Sec. 76-1-402(4) that “the court shall not be obligated to charge the jury with respect to an included offense . .” *1022(Emphasis added). The fact that the court is not obligated to give instructions as to included offenses does not mean that the court could not, in its discretion, so instruct.