Amin v. State

694 P.2d 119, 1985 Wyo. LEXIS 438
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 31, 1985
Docket84-74
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 694 P.2d 119 (Amin v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Amin v. State, 694 P.2d 119, 1985 Wyo. LEXIS 438 (Wyo. 1985).

Opinions

BROWN, Justice.

Appellant was convicted of aggravated robbery and kidnapping. The issue is whether the court should have given five lesser included offense instructions proposed by appellant. We will affirm.

James Whitehead and his wife were in the process of moving from Wyoming and they needed cardboard boxes for packing their possessions. In his search for boxes on July 10, 1983, Whitehead went to several business establishments, including the Lamp Lounge. Outside the lounge, at about one o’clock a.m., according to Whitehead, he was accosted by appellant Valerie Yvonne Amin. Mrs. Amin was engaged in prostitution and propounded to Whitehead a business proposition, which he rejected. Thereupon she exhibited a handgun and persuaded Whitehead to get into his automobile and drive to an isolated area about six blocks from the lounge. Another car pulled in behind Whitehead’s car and Abdu-la Amin, husband of appellant, approached the Whitehead car. Whitehead attempted to escape from his car, but was struck by Abdula. He was further assaulted and his wallet, watch, cassette player and other items were taken.

[121]*121According to appellant she and Whitehead had struck a bargain and he paid $60, after which they repaired to an isolated area about six blocks from the Lamp Lounge. After appellant had performed under the contract, Whitehead demanded a refund and employed self help to recover the $60. At this juncture, according to appellant, Abdula Amin arrived and did nothing more than help his wife out of Whitehead’s car. Another man, who had arrived with Mr. Amin, approached Whitehead, but appellant did not know what, if anything, happened after that.

During the instruction conference appellant offered instructions on simple assault, battery, reckless endangering, and larceny. At this conference appellant argued for a simple robbery instruction, but did not offer one. She contends that the instructions offered and suggested were lesser included offenses. Appellant was tentative about proper lesser included offense instructions. At the conference the court inquired of counsel whether the proposed instruction on reckless endangering was a lesser included offense to aggravated robbery or to kidnapping. Counsel replied:

“I believe in this particular case it would be in kidnapping. However, I think it could potentially apply to both charges. But it would seem more in line with the kidnapping allegation. I would offer it as to both charges, as far as I’m concerned.”

Appellant’s reasons and argument in support of the lesser included offense of reckless endangering is not atypical of the argument and reasons given in support of the other proposed lesser included offenses. The trial court refused to give any of the offered or suggested instructions.

During the instruction conference appellant did not identify any evidence which, if believed by the jury, would result in a conviction of a lesser included offense, nor does she identify such evidence on appeal. If accepted by the jury as true, the evidence produced by appellant would have resulted in an acquittal on both counts of the information.

The basic law in Wyoming with respect to lesser included offenses is set out in two recent cases. In Selig v. State, Wyo., 635 P.2d 786 (1981), we adopted the test for instructing on a lesser included offense from United States v. Chapman, 615 F.2d 1294, 1299 (10th Cir.1980), cert. denied 446 U.S. 967, 100 S.Ct. 2947, 64 L.Ed.2d 827 (1980), as follows:

“This Court has held that a defendant is entitled to a lesser-included offense instruction when the following five elements are present: (1) a proper request is made; (2) the elements of the lesser offense are identical to part of the elements of the greater offense; (3) there is some evidence that would justify conviction of the lesser offense; (4) the proof on the element or elements differentiating the two crimes is sufficiently in dispute so that the jury may consistently find the defendant innocent of the greater and guilty of the lesser-included offense, and (5) there is mutuality, i.e., a charge may be demanded by either the United States or the defense. [Citation.]”

In Balsley v. State, Wyo., 668 P.2d 1324, 1329 (1983) the court said:

“In summary, we hold that a crime described by statute may not be necessarily included within another statutory offense unless all of the elements within the claimed lesser offense are to be found in the greater, and unless the greater offense cannot be committed without also committing the putative lesser offense.”

Selig and Balsley are not inconsistent with Sansone v. United States, 380 U.S. 343, 349-350, 85 S.Ct. 1004, 1009, 13 L.Ed.2d 882, 887-888 (1965):

“ * * * Rule 31(c) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure provides in relevant part, that the ‘defendant may be found guilty of an offense necessarily included in the offense charged.’ Thus, ‘[i]n a case where some of the elements of the crime charged themselves constitute a lesser crime, the defendant, if the evidence justifie[s] it * * * [is] entitled to an instruction which would permit a find[122]*122ing of guilt of the lesser offense.’ [Citations.] But a lesser-offense charge is not proper where, on the evidence presented, the factual issues to be resolved by the jury are the same as to both the lesser and greater offenses. [Citations.] In other words, the lesser offense must be included within but not, on the facts of the case, be completely encompassed by the greater. A lesser-included offense instruction is only proper where the charged greater offense requires the jury to find a disputed factual element which is not required for conviction of the lesser-included offense. [Citations.] * * ‡ »

In the case before us appellant was charged with aggravated robbery defined in § 6-2-401(c)(ii), W.S.1977 (June 1983 Replacement):

“(c) Aggravated robbery is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than five (5) years nor more than twenty-five (25) years if in the course of committing the crime of robbery the person:
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“(ii) Uses or exhibits a deadly weapon or a simulated deadly weapon.”

Appellant Amin was also charged with kidnapping, defined in § 6 — 2—201 (a)(ii), W.S. 1977 (June 1983 Replacement):

“(a) A person is guilty of kidnapping if he unlawfully removes another from his place of residence or business or from the vicinity where he was at the time of the removal, or if he unlawfully confines another person, with the intent to:
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“(ii) Facilitate the commission of a felony.”

Appellant was convicted of both charges.

Section 6-2-501(a), W.S.1977 (June 1983 Replacement) provides:

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Bluebook (online)
694 P.2d 119, 1985 Wyo. LEXIS 438, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/amin-v-state-wyo-1985.