State v. Barteau

687 S.W.2d 573, 1985 Mo. App. LEXIS 4014
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 8, 1985
DocketNo. 47126
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 687 S.W.2d 573 (State v. Barteau) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Barteau, 687 S.W.2d 573, 1985 Mo. App. LEXIS 4014 (Mo. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

STEWART, Judge.

Defendant was convicted by a jury of assault in the first degree, a Class A felony. He was sentenced by the court as a prior offender to twenty years imprisonment. We affirm.

We review the facts in the light most favorable to the state. The victim who worked a night shift left work at about 2:00 a.m. and drove toward his home in his 1976 Camaro. As he exited Highway 270 onto New Halls Ferry Road, a maroon Lincoln Continental driven by defendant pulled up very close behind him. Defendant tailgated the victim as the victim proceeded on to Pershall Road. The victim pulled into the lane to the left to permit defendant to pass on his right. As defendant pulled alongside, the victim saw that defendant had a gun in his hand. When the victim saw the gun he slowed his car so that the defendant could get ahead of him.

The defendant got about 200 feet ahead of the victim and came to a stop sign where he waited even though there was no other traffic near the intersection. The victim was apprehensive and slowed as if to stop but as he got to the intersection he accelerated into the intersection and made a left turn. While making the turn he heard shots. Defendant engaged in rapid fire; that is he fired as fast as he could pull the trigger without setting up for his target. There were four or five shots fired. The victim stopped to check his car and saw the defendant’s car make a right turn and speed away. Another motorist stopped and told the victim that he heard a popping and saw fire from a gun muzzle come from the defendant’s car. When the victim went to call the police the witness left the scene without giving any identification and was never located. There were bullet holes in the taillight, the rear bumper and the muffler of the victim’s car.

[575]*575The evidence on behalf of defendant came from a Mr. Klipp who had been a passenger in defendant’s car on the night of the shooting and a friend of defendant’s, both of whom testified that defendant was an excellent marksman.

Mr. Klipp also testified that the car of the victim had come upon them very swiftly from the rear with its bright lights on and swerved to the left and passed them, and that this car stayed in the left hand lane and made a left turn. Klipp, who was occupied in opening a can of beer with his hands outside the right window, turned to see defendant “blast a couple rounds out the window.” He could not see the target at which the defendant was aiming. The defendant was engaged in rapid fire, i.e., the shots were fired as fast as the trigger could be pulled. He also testified that he saw shots come from the victim’s car.

The trial court gave instructions on assault first degree, assault second degree and assault in the third degree. It also gave an instruction on self defense. The jury returned a verdict of guilty of assault in the first degree and he was sentenced by the court as a prior offender based upon a plea of guilty to carrying a concealed weapon § 558.016.2. The court in that case has suspended the imposition of sentence.

Defendant contends that the court erred in failing to give the instruction offered by him on assault in the third degree in lieu of the instruction on assault in the third degree that was given by the trial court and in so doing failed to submit his theory of the case.

The instruction given by the court reads as follows:

If you do not find the defendant guilty of assault in the first degree or assault in the second degree, you must consider whether he is guilty of assault in the third degree.
If you find and believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt:
First, that on or about June 17, 1982, in the County of St. Louis, State of Missouri, the defendant attempted to cause physical injury to Steve Hughes by shooting at him and his moving vehicle, and
Second, that the defendant did.not act in lawful self-defense, as submitted in Instruction No. 9, then you will find the defendant guilty of assault in the third degree.
However, if you do not find and believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt each and all of these propositions, you must find the defendant not guilty of that offense.

The instruction offered by defendant reads as follows:

If you do not find the Defendant guilty of assault in the second degree, you must consider whether he is guilty of assault in the third degree.
If you find and believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt:
That on the 17th day of June, 1982, in the County of St. Louis, State of Missouri, the Defendant recklessly created a grave risk of death to Steve Hughes by shooting at his motor vehicle, then you will find the Defendant guilty of assault in the third degree.
However, if you do not find and believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt each and all of these propositions, you must find the Defendant not guilty of that offense.

As defendant argues, he was entitled to an instruction on assault in the third degree, an included offense of assault in the first degree. As defined in § 556.046.1(1), an included offense is one “established by proof of the same or less than all the facts required to establish the commission of the offense charged.” There must be “a basis for a verdict acquitting the defendant of the offense charged and convicting him of the included offense.” § 556.046.2.

It was apparently defendant’s theory, aside from self defense, that in shooting at the moving car with the victim in it, he did not intend to “kill or cause serious physical injury to the [victim],” as required in the instruction with respect to assault in the first degree. The instruction given by the [576]*576court on assault in the third degree required only that defendant attempted to do “physical harm” to the victim. It required a showing that one of the essential elements of the crime charged was lacking for there to be a conviction on the lesser included offense. See State v. Wiggins, 640 S.W.2d 161, 162 (Mo.App.1982). The instruction was in the form provided by MAI CR, 19.06.1, contains facts supported by the evidence that are necessary to a finding of guilty on the lesser charge.

In the argument portion of the brief, defendant states, “The defendant’s theory of the case was that, in an attempt to scare or frighten Mr. Hughes, defendant fired shots into the rear of Mr. Hughes’ automobile.” In other words, his theory was that he lacked specific intent to cause physical injury to the victim. The instruction offered by defendant does not cure this defect. If defendant had desired to submit that theory he was required to submit a converse instruction on that issue. See Missouri Bar Committee Comments on Missouri Approved Criminal Instruction, Assault, p. 11, and State v. Chevlin, 284 S.W.2d 563 (Mo.1955). We also note that the instruction offered by defendant is erroneous in that it fails to require a finding that defendant did not act in self defense.

The trial court properly refused the instruction offered by defendant.

Defendant’s second point combines two related issues.

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Related

State v. Blackman
875 S.W.2d 122 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1994)
Barteau v. State
767 S.W.2d 107 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1989)

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Bluebook (online)
687 S.W.2d 573, 1985 Mo. App. LEXIS 4014, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-barteau-moctapp-1985.