People v. Joeseype Johnson

284 N.W.2d 718, 407 Mich. 196, 1979 Mich. LEXIS 399
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 29, 1979
DocketDocket Nos. 58560, 60557. (Calendar Nos. 2, 3)
StatusPublished
Cited by110 cases

This text of 284 N.W.2d 718 (People v. Joeseype Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Joeseype Johnson, 284 N.W.2d 718, 407 Mich. 196, 1979 Mich. LEXIS 399 (Mich. 1979).

Opinions

Memorandum Opinion. These consolidated cases, arising out of prosecutions for felonious assault, concern jury instructions on the mental element of the common-law offense of assault and the statutory offense of felonious assault.

The people’s proofs at trial in Johnson and at the preliminary examination in Ring tended to show that in each case the defendant pointed a [210]*210gun at the complainant but no shot was fired. The defendants claim that they had no intention to injure and that the jury must be instructed that it may not convict unless it finds such intent. The instruction was refused in Johnson; before trial in Ring the judge agreed to so instruct.

A majority of the Justices are of the opinion that

1) a simple criminal assault "is made out from either an attempt to commit a battery or an unlawful act which places another in reasonable apprehension of receiving an immediate battery”, People v Sanford, 402 Mich 460, 479; 265 NW2d 1 (1978),

2) the jury should be instructed that there must be either an intent to injure or an intent to put the victim in reasonable fear or apprehension of an immediate battery,

3) the instruction in Johnson was deficient in two respects: it failed adequately to inform the jury of the intent requirement and it neglected to present the alternative "reasonable apprehension of receiving an immediate battery” form of felonious assault; the jurors in Ring should be instructed that defendant can be convicted if he intended to injure the victim or put him in reasonable apprehension of receiving an immediate battery.

We reverse Johnson and remand for a new trial and affirm the trial court’s decision in Ring as modified and remand for trial.

Johnson did not raise an intoxication defense and the question whether assault or felonious assault are specific intent crimes for the purpose of the voluntary intoxication defense is not raised by the facts and has not been briefed or argued and is not before us; we intimate no opinion on that question.

[211]*211This memorandum opinion is signed by seven Justices. There are separate concurring and dissenting opinions. However, at least four Justices concur in every holding, statement and disposition of this memorandum opinion.

Coleman, C.J., and Kavanagh, Williams, Levin, Fitzgerald, Ryan, and Blair Moody, Jr., JJ., concurred.

Williams, J.

Leave to appeal was granted in these cases to consider a single question: "whether felonious assault includes a specific intent as an element.” MCL 750.82; MSA 28.277. 402 Mich 855 (1978).

We granted leave because the precedents in this Court do not give a clear answer to the question and, until recently, the same situation prevailed in the Court of Appeals.

Our answer is that speciñc intent is not an element in MCL 750.82; MSA 28.277:

"Felonious assault — Any person who shall assault another with a gun, revolver, pistol, knife, iron bar, club, brass knuckles or other dangerous weapon, but without intending to commit the crime of murder, and without intending to inflict great bodily harm less than the crime of murder, shall be guilty of a felony.”

We hold specific intent is not an element for these reasons:

(1) There is no specific intent written into the section while two forms of specific intent are particularly excluded from the section.

(2) MCL 750.82; MSA 28.277 is one of a number of assault sections in Chapter XI of the penal code. MCL 750.82; MSA 28.277 does not particularly [212]*212define a specific intent, whereas most of the others do.

(3) The structure and history of MCL 750.82; MSA 28.277 demonstrate that this section entitled felonious assault should more properly be called assault with a dangerous weapon. It is just that, a simple assault aggravated by the use of a dangerous weapon. The only intent necessary is the general intent necessary for an assault.

(4) The controlling case law, People v Burk, 238 Mich 485; 213 NW 717 (1927); People v Sanford, 402 Mich 460; 265 NW2d 1 (1978); People v Richard Johnson, 42 Mich App 544; 202 NW2d 340 (1972), holds that specific intent is not an element of felonious assault.

In People v Johnson the trial court refused to give a separate instruction on criminal intent for felonious assault, but did instruct that the prosecution must prove an intentional assault. The Court of Appeals affirmed. We affirm the Court of Appeals in People v Johnson.

In People v Ring the trial court agreed to instruct the jury that the "intent to do bodily injury” was a necessary element of felonious assault. The Court of Appeals denied leave to appeal. We reverse the decision of the trial court to give the "intent to do bodily injury” instruction and remand for instructions consistent with this opinion.

I. Facts

A. People v Johnson

On June 1, 1974, at about 3 a.m. complainant, Ramone Jefferson, delivered a pizza to a motel room in Highland Park. He received a ten-dollar bill in payment from his customers and returned to his automobile for change. When complainant [213]*213returned he was met outside the motel room by-defendant Joeseype Johnson, who pointed a pistol at him and ordered him not to move. The customers slammed the door. While pointing the gun at Jefferson, Johnson attempted to force the door open. This went on for about ten minutes. Defendant then told Jefferson to "stay right there”. Complainant remained in front of the motel room while Johnson walked out to a nearby terrace. When Johnson returned he again attempted to gain entrance to the motel room. When the customers refused to open the door, defendant told complainant that he could go.

Complainant went immediately to the manager’s office and reported the incident. After leaving the manager’s office the complainant saw Johnson walking toward his (complainant’s) car. Complainant then returned to the manager’s office. After a few minutes Johnson entered the manager’s office, pulled up his shirt, indicating that he did not have a pistol and said, "See, I’m legal now.” Jefferson left, drove to a police station and reported the incident. He returned to the manager’s office with a police officer. Johnson was still standing in the manager’s office. The complainant identified Johnson and Johnson was promptly arrested.

Defendant was charged with felonious assault, a violation of MCL 750.82; MSA 28.277. At trial, defense counsel requested "a separate instruction on criminal intent”. The trial judge stated that People v Clark, 48 Mich App 645; 210 NW2d 906 (1973), "indicated that specific intent is not an element of crime — of felonious assault. * * * '[T]he only elements necessary to prove and sustain a conviction of felonious assault are assault and that a dangerous weapon was used in making the assault.’”

[214]*214The judge gave the following instruction on felonious assault:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
284 N.W.2d 718, 407 Mich. 196, 1979 Mich. LEXIS 399, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-joeseype-johnson-mich-1979.