Luttrell v. Commonwealth

554 S.W.2d 75, 1977 Ky. LEXIS 482
CourtKentucky Supreme Court
DecidedJune 10, 1977
StatusPublished
Cited by76 cases

This text of 554 S.W.2d 75 (Luttrell v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Kentucky Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Luttrell v. Commonwealth, 554 S.W.2d 75, 1977 Ky. LEXIS 482 (Ky. 1977).

Opinions

LUKOWSKY, Justice.

The appellants were indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury for attempted murder of a police officer, assault in the first degree, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. KRS 506.010(4)(a); KRS 507.020; KRS 508.010, KRS 514.100. Count one of the indictment alleged: “That on or about the 21st day of December 1975, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, both the named defendants committed the offense of criminal attempt (sic) murder of a police officer by shooting Robert Phillips, a member of the Louisville Police Department.”

Since attempted murder and first degree assault are both Class B felonies and are composed of similar (though not identical) elements, the Commonwealth elected to try them for attempted murder and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. A jury convicted them of both charges. Luttrell was sentenced to 20 years for the attempted murder and 12 months for the unauthorized use. Sullivan was sentenced to 10 years for the attempted murder and 12 months for the unauthorized use. They appeal.

The factual picture which emerged at the trial was based largely upon a statement that Sullivan gave to the Louisville police and upon incriminating admissions that Luttrell made to his friends, a Mr. and Mrs. Curtis. Luttrell, age 25, and Sullivan, age 17, wanted to drive from Jeffersonville, Indiana to Louisville, Kentucky one Sunday afternoon to get a six pack of beer. Lutt-rell entered an automobile that belonged to a stranger and opened the door for Sullivan. Sullivan got in and Luttrell drove to Louisville. Sullivan discovered a .38 caliber revolver which belonged to the owner of the car. He opened the cylinder and pulled out a “.38 slug,” put the bullet back in the chamber, and showed the gun to Luttrell.

In Louisville, police officer Robert Phillips stopped the vehicle because Luttrell had run a stop sign. Luttrell got out of the car and walked toward the officer’s car. He saw that the police car was furnished with a computer which he knew could be used to trace license plates. Officer Phillips asked Luttrell for his driver’s license. Luttrell told him that he would have to get it out of the car. He returned to the car and told Sullivan to “shoot him”, the police officer. Sullivan got the gun out and handed it to Luttrell. Luttrell spun around and shot Officer Phillips in the chest. The officer fired one shot at the fleeing automobile. One block later the fleeing automobile was involved in a traffic accident, and Luttrell and Sullivan escaped.

Officer Phillips was hospitalized for five days. He was off work recuperating for approximately six weeks. Fortunately for Officer Phillips, the pistol’s chamber which was discharged had been loaded with bird shot and his wounds were superficial.

Officer Gerald Beavers of the Louisville Police Department, with the assistance of Officer Phillips, made a composite drawing of the man who had shot Phillips. Having seen the composite drawing, a Jefferson-ville police officer suggested that Luttrell was suspect. Officer Phillips identified Luttrell at a “picture lineup” and, after Luttrell’s arrest, at a regular lineup.

Sullivan was arrested with Luttrell. Having been apprised of his constitutional rights, he made a voluntary admission which incriminated him and Luttrell. A “sanitized” version of his statement in which references to Luttrell were deleted was admitted into evidence at trial as impliedly permitted by Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123, 88 S.Ct. 1620, 20 L.Ed.2d 476 (1968). Luttrell had made incriminating statements to two of his [78]*78friends, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis. Both testified against him, and copies of the statements they had given the police were admitted into evidence at trial.

Both appellants contend that it was reversible error for the trial judge to fail to give instructions they tendered on assault in the second degree. KRS 508.020. Sullivan also contends that he was entitled to an instruction on criminal facilitation. KRS 506.080.

KRS 505.020(2) provides: “A defendant may be convicted of an offense that is included in any offense with which he is formally charged. An offense is so included when:

(a) It is established by proof of the same or less than all the facts required to establish the commission of the offense charged; or
(b) It consists of an attempt to commit the offense charged or to commit an offense otherwise included therein; or
(c) It differs from the offense charged only in the respect that a lesser kind of culpability suffices to establish its commission; or
(d) It differs from the offense charged only in the respect that a less serious injury or risk of injury to the same person, property or public interest suffices to establish its commission.”

KRS 508.020(1)(b) provides that a person is guilty of assault in the second degree when “he intentionally causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument; . . Physical injury is defined in KRS 500.-080(13) to be substantial physical pain or any impairment of physical condition. A person is guilty of attempted murder when, with the intent to kill someone, he takes a substantial step toward killing him. KRS 506.010(1)(b); KRS 507.020. Assault in the second degree requires a state of mind, an act and a result, physical injury. Attempted murder requires only a state of mind and an act. It has no injury element.

The defendants in this case were charged in the indictment with the attempted murder of a police officer “by shooting Robert Phillips.” While the indictment alleges an attempted murder it also alleges an assault in the second degree. If the defendants shot Robert Phillips in an attempt to kill him they caused him physical injury and used a deadly weapon. One cannot be shot in an attempt to kill without being physically injured or without use of a deadly weapon. Consequently, proof of the facts charged in the indictment establish the commission of both offenses. Under these circumstances assault in the second degree is a lesser included offense because it is established by proof of the same or less than all the facts required to establish the commission of attempted murder and it differs from attempted murder only in respect that a lesser kind of culpability suffices to establish its commission.

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Bluebook (online)
554 S.W.2d 75, 1977 Ky. LEXIS 482, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/luttrell-v-commonwealth-ky-1977.