Prosecution’s Constitutional Challenge to SB 1437 Rejected and CSC Review Denied April 14th, 2020
SB 1437 bars liability for felony murder where the defendant wasn’t the actual killer, didn’t intend to kill, and wasn’t a major participant in the underlying felony. In Gooden, the C/A People v. Superior Court (Gooden); 42 CA5th 270 rejected the DA’s argument that SB 1437 unconstitutionally amended Proposition 7 or Proposition 115. Furthermore, People […]
Tags: Accomplice Liability , Aider and Abettor , Appeal , Attempted Murder , CC 400 , CC 401 , CC 402 , CC 403 , CC 415 , CC 416 , CC 417 , CC 521 , CC 600 , CC 601 , Chiu Doctrine , Natural and Probable Consequences , PC 1170.95 , Premeditation and Deliberation , Retroactivity , SB 1437
Two Issues Regarding Accomplice Liability for Attempted Murder Currently Before the CSC March 17th, 2020
In 2018, the Legislature and the Governor signed into law Senate Bill No. 1437, (Penal Code which restricted the circumstances under which a person can be liable for felony murder and abrogated the natural and probable consequences doctrine as applied to murder. (Stats. 2018, ch. 1015.) It also established a procedure permitting qualified persons with […]
Tags: Accomplice Liability , Aider and Abettor , Appeal , Attempted Murder , CC 400 , CC 401 , CC 402 , CC 403 , CC 415 , CC 416 , CC 417 , CC 521 , CC 600 , CC 601 , Chiu Doctrine , Natural and Probable Consequences , PC 1170.95 , Premeditation and Deliberation , Retroactivity , SB 1437
Trial Counsel Has Duty to Request Clarification or Modification of “Otherwise Correct” Instruction but Instruction Which Is “Incorrect in Law” May Be Reviewed on Appeal Without Objection Below September 12th, 2018
In People v. Capistrano (2014) 59 Cal.4th 830, 875, fn. 11 the attorney general contended that the defendant forfeited any objection to various instructions because he failed to object to them in the trial court. The CSC responded by differentiating between an instruction which is “incorrect in law” — which does not require an instruction […]
Tags: Appeal , Duty to Request Instruction , PG VI(A) - Cognizability of Instructional Error on Appeal
Residential Robbery is a Lesser Included Offense of Home Invasion Robbery July 2nd, 2018
Multiple convictions may not be based on necessarily included offenses based on one criminal act. (See, e.g., People v. Moran (1970) 1 Cal.3d 755, 763 [“If the evidence supports the verdict as to a greater offense, the conviction of that offense is controlling, and the conviction of the lesser offense must be reversed”].) In People […]
Tags: Appeal , CC 1600 , Lesser Included Offenses , Robbery
Party With Burden of Proof Loses When the Fact Finder is “On the Fence” March 12th, 2018
Placing any burden at all on the defense, however slight, can be a “game changer” because such a burden requires uncertain or undecided jurors to side with the prosecution instead of the defense. In other words, when the fact finder is uncertain the unburdened party “‘must win.'[Citation.]” (People v. Jackson (2014) 58 Cal. 4th 724, […]
Tags: Appeal , Chapman , Presumption of Innocence , Standard of Prejudice
Written Jury Instructions: Trial Procedure Note September 2nd, 2016
Often the record below does not establish that the packet of instructions in the Clerk’s Transcript is the actual packet the jurors received (or an exact copy of the jurors’ packet). The Rules of Court do not expressly require that the written instructions be included in the Clerk’s Transcript. (See Rule 8.320; 8.610 for death […]
Tags: Appeal , CC 200 , Oral Instructions , Written Instructions
No Written Instruction? Oral Instruction Not Vitiated August 31st, 2016
This post “Variance Between Reporter’s Transcript And Written Instructions” discussed which instruction controls – for purposes of appellate review – when the written and oral versions of the instruction are different. A corollary issue arises when a particular instruction was completely omitted from either the written or oral versions of the instruction. In People v. […]
Tags: Appeal , CC 200 , Oral Instructions , Written Instructions
Reversible Chiu Error: Not Clear Beyond A Reasonable Doubt That Jurors Rejected Natural and Probable Consequences Theory August 22nd, 2016
People v. Brown (2016) 247 CA4th 211 reversed Brown’s first degree murder conviction in light of People v. Chiu (2014) 59 Cal.4th 155. The jury was instructed on three first degree murder theories: (1) Brown was the actual killer, (2) he aided and abetted the actual killer with the intent to kill, and (3) he […]
Tags: Accomplice Liability , Aider and Abettor , Appeal , Attempted Murder , CC 400 , CC 401 , CC 402 , CC 403 , CC 415 , CC 416 , CC 417 , CC 521 , CC 600 , CC 601 , Chiu Doctrine , Premeditation and Deliberation , Retroactivity , Standard of Prejudice
Chiu Error: Review Granted to Reconsider People v. Favor (2012) 54 Cal.4th 868 August 15th, 2016
The CSC has granted review in several cases to consider whether to convict an aider and abettor of attempted willful, deliberate and premeditated murder under the natural and probable consequences doctrine, must a premeditated attempt to murder have been a natural and probable consequence of the target offense? In other words, should People v. Favor […]
Tags: Accomplice Liability , Aider and Abettor , Appeal , Attempted Murder , CC 400 , CC 401 , CC 402 , CC 403 , CC 415 , CC 416 , CC 417 , CC 521 , CC 600 , CC 601 , Chiu Doctrine , Premeditation and Deliberation , Retroactivity , Standard of Prejudice
Chiu Applies Retroactively to Convictions That Were Final on Appeal When Chiu Was Decided August 9th, 2016
In re Lopez (2016) 246 CA4th 350 concerned a conviction which was final on appeal when People v. Chiu (2014) 59 C4th 155 was decided. See The Chiu Doctrine Explained. The Chiu opinion did not state whether it applied retroactively to convictions that were final on appeal when it was decided. Lopez concluded that Chiu […]
Tags: Accomplice Liability , Aider and Abettor , Appeal , Attempted Murder , CC 400 , CC 401 , CC 402 , CC 403 , CC 415 , CC 416 , CC 417 , CC 521 , CC 600 , CC 601 , Chiu Doctrine , Premeditation and Deliberation , Retroactivity , Standard of Prejudice
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