Court Opinion

ID: 9694758
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 17:54:05.979935+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:05.199136
License: Public Domain

COYNE, Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in affirmance of the conviction of defendant of first-degree murder. It seems to me, however, that there was no evidence of heat of passion to support any instruction on the charge of first-degree manslaughter of which the defendant was acquitted. As I see it, the defendant was not entitled to the instruction on heat of passion which was given, for the testimony of his anger and storming out of the victim’s house early in the evening does not account for his intentional murder of his former mistress several hours later. During the intervening hours while the defendant was partying with his friends, he several times voiced his intention to kill Counts and he entered into purposeful preparation for committing murder. Even the defendant does not contend that, when he returned to kill her, Counts did or said anything that provoked him and kindled anew the heat of passion generated many hours earlier. Consequently, I see no occasion for an extended discussion of first-degree manslaughter.
As to the defendant’s contention that Minn.Stat. § 609.185(6) (1994), the domestic abuse homicide statute, is unconstitutionally vague, there was more than adequate evidence that the defendant’s conduct toward Counts constituted a pattern of domestic abuse under any reasonable definition of “pattern.” Consequently, it is sufficient to state that the issue is governed by our recent decision in State v. Grube, 531 N.W.2d 484 (Minn.1995).
Accordingly, I concur in affirmance.