Court Opinion

ID: 9532851
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:25:31.034638+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:51.377940
License: Public Domain

Ott, J.
(dissenting) — The majority grant a new trial because of a technical error in the wording of an instruction relating to the requisite time for premeditation. The defendant did not contend at the trial or on appeal that there was insufficient time for premeditation, but, rather, contended that he was so intoxicated at the time that he could not form an intent to commit murder.
The evidence with reference to premeditation disclosed by defendant’s voluntary confession, made shortly after his arrest, is in part as follows:
“For the past three days, my wife Michiko, had been threatening to leave me. Although she had talked of leaving me on prior occasions, she became real serious about it about three days ago. At that time I made up my mind to kill my wife and myself. The reason I didn’t kill her and myself three days ago is because both of my guns were in pawnshops.”
The confession continued, stating that, on the day of the murder, he redeemed the weapons from the pawnshops and
“. . . After this I loaded the clips for the pistol and rifle with ammunition I had in the apartment. I knew the pistol worked okay but wanted to check the rifle. I turned the radio on real loud. I worked the bolt of my rifle and put a live cartridge into the chamber. I then fired a shot into the floor, under a table near the kitchen door. (The table was in the dining room) I then pulled the slide back *281on-my .380 pistol, chambered a live round into the barrel and fired a shot through the same hole in the floor that I made with the rifle. I then placed the safety on, on the pistol, and put the pistol in my lefthand shirt pocket. I then had a small drink of wine. I put the rifle in the closet located in the living room and left the apartment. . . .
“. . . A few minutes later my wife, Michiko came home & woke me up. She began telling me she was going to leave me. At this time she was standing in the dining room, behind the dining room table. I told her that neither her nor I were leaving. I got up from the couch & walked over to the closet & got my rifle. The rifle was all loaded and ready to shoot. I walked to the double doorway, pointed the rifle at my wife and pulled the trigger. I knew the bullet hit my wife as she dropped to the floor immediately, without crying out or making a sound. She didn’t move after falling to the floor. I mixed and drank a couple of drinks. After this I walked over to my wife & felt her pulse. I was sure that she was dead. I then mixed and drank another drink of Vodka. After this I decided to have the police notified. I had decided by this time not to kill myself.”
In addition to this evidence of premeditation, the defendant took the stand and voluntarily testified as to his preparations for killing his wife.
The defendant requested and the court gave instruction No. 3-A as follows:
“You are instructed that the law relative to murder uses the terms ‘premeditated design’ and ‘design’. The first of these terms appears in the definition of first degree murder, while the second appears in the definition of second degree murder. The two terms are not synonymous.
“The word ‘premeditate’ means to meditate beforehand, to study with a view to subsequent action, to think out beforehand, to plan ahead. ‘Premeditated’ means previously planned.
“The word ‘design’ means intent, purpose.
“To be first degree murder, a crime must have been planned ahead, deliberated upon and meditated over. There is no such requirement for second degree murder. However, for both first degree murder and second degree murder, the slayer must have acted with the intent and purpose of causing death.”
*282The majority, in reversing the trial court, state that the first sentence of instruction No. 4 was so prejudicial to the defendant that he was denied a fair trial. Instruction No. 4 is as follows:
“It is not necessary for an appreciable period of time to elapse for premeditation to exist. A single moment may be enough. Premeditation exists if you find from the evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, that any length of time elapsed, no matter how short, sufficient to allow an intent to be formed and reflected upon prior to being carried into effect, if the thought and act do not occur instantaneously.”
The defendant did not except to this instruction.
Assuming, arguendo, that the questioned sentence did not accurately express the law of this state, the defendant was not denied a fair trial thereby. The uncontroverted evidence established that, over a period of ten hours, the defendant premeditated the murder of his wife, and made preparations to do so.
A consideration of these facts establishes that insufficient time to premeditate murder was not an issue, and that, therefore, the defendant was not prejudiced by the questioned sentence in instruction No. 4.
In my opinion, the judgment and sentence should be affirmed.
Finley, C. J., and Hill, J., concur with Ott, J.