State v. Parker

913 P.2d 1236, 22 Kan. App. 2d 206, 1996 Kan. App. LEXIS 28
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedApril 5, 1996
Docket72,185
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 913 P.2d 1236 (State v. Parker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Parker, 913 P.2d 1236, 22 Kan. App. 2d 206, 1996 Kan. App. LEXIS 28 (kanctapp 1996).

Opinion

Lewis, J.:

Defendant Larry Dean Parker was convicted of one count of aggravated robbery and sentenced to a term of 9 to 23 years in prison. This is a direct appeal from the conviction and sentence.

The scenario begins in Hot Rods, a tavern in Emporia. Defendant and his brother Glenn had gone to the tavern to drink beer and play pool. In the course of the evening, they met and began drinking with Bruce Niederhauser. The three left Hot Rods sometime during the evening and went to Hooters. At Hooters, they continued to drink beer, and there is an indication that Niederhauser became totally intoxicated and incapacitated. At some point during the evening, all three left Hooters and got into Glenn’s pickup.

Sometime between leaving Hooters and 8 o’clock the next morning, Niederhauser was brutally beaten, stripped of his clothing, and left in a ditch. A Lyon County citizen spotted Niederhauser in the ditch and called the sheriff’s office. When the sheriff’s deputy *207 arrived, Niederhauser was found naked, lying in the ditch, covered with blood and abrasions.

Niederhauser could not remember any details of the beating, but related that he could recall he was with defendant and his brother. A police investigation uncovered incriminating evidence, and defendant and his brother were both charged with the beating and robbery of Niederhauser.

Glenn made a deal with, the authorities and, in exchange for his testimony against his brother, was allowed to plead to conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and was sentenced to community corrections. According to Glenn, it was defendant who beat and stripped Niederhauser and left him in the roadway.

As might be imagined, defendant related a different story of the events than did his brother. Defendant testified at trial that it was Glenn who beat Niederhauser. Defendant insists he attempted to stop his brother and that he did not hit or kick Niederhauser. He did admit that at one point he pretended to kick Niederhauser so that Glenn would not call him a “chicken.” Defendant insisted, however, that he only pretended to do so and that he did not actually participate in the beating of Niederhauser.

The jury convicted defendant of aggravated robbery. Defendant raises several issues on appeal.

AIDING AND ABETTING

The trial court gave the jury an instruction on aiding and abetting over the objection of defendant. Defendant argues that the trial court erred in so instructing the jury and that there was not sufficient evidence to convict him on an aiding and abetting theory.

Defendant’s basic argument is that under the evidence, he could only have been convicted as a principal or acquitted as an innocent passive observer. We do not agree.

There is no crime of aiding and abetting in this state. An individual is guilty of a crime either because he or she is the principal actor in the event or because he or she aided and abetted in the commission of a crime. In either event, a defendant is simply adjudged to be guilty of a crime charged, and the jury verdict does not specify whether guilt is as a principal or an aider and abettor.

*208 “To be guilty of aiding and abetting in the commission of a crime the defendant must wilfully and knowingly associate himself with the unlawful venture and wilfully participate in it as he would in something he wishes to bring about or to make succeed.” State v. Schriner, 215 Kan. 86, Syl. ¶ 6, 523 P.2d 703 (1974). See State v. Green, 237 Kan. 146, Syl. ¶ 4, 697 P.2d 1305 (1985).

There is ample evidence in the record to convict defendant as the principal actor in the aggravated robbery of Niederhauser. The testimony of defendant’s brother, Glenn, along with certain other demonstrative evidence, is more than sufficient to sustain a verdict of guilty. Defendant and his brother offered totally different versions of what happened. Glenn testified that defendant did it, and defendant testified that Glenn did it. The jury apparently believed Glenn, which was its prerogative.

There was also sufficient evidence to justify the giving of the aiding and abetting instruction.

For instance, defendant testified that while at Hooters, he learned that Glenn was planning to beat Niederhauser. Niederhauser was so drunk at Hooters that he had to be helped to leave the premises, and defendant aided him and placed him in Glenn’s vehicle. Even though defendant now testifies that he thought Glenn had decided not to beat Niederhauser, his assistance in getting Niederhauser to the pickup may very well be considered as aiding and abetting in the commission of the crime. In addition, defendant admits that he pretended to kick Niederhauser. Although he testified that he did not actually do so, he apparently convinced Glenn that he was helping in the beating. This could only have encouraged Glenn to continue his attack on Niederhauser if one chooses to accept defendant’s version of the events. In addition to these specific incidents, there is adequate evidence in the record to support an inference that if defendant was not the principal actor in the crime, he certainly aided and abetted in its commission.

After reviewing the record on the issue at hand, we hold there was sufficient evidence that defendant aided and abetted in the commission of the crime of aggravated robbery. The trial court did not err in instructing the juiy on this issue.

*209 VOLUNTARY INTOXICATION

Defendant next argues that the trial court erred in refusing to give his requested instruction on voluntary intoxication.

In State v. Montano, 18 Kan. App. 2d 502, Syl. ¶ 7, 855 P.2d 979, rev. denied 253 Kan. 862 (1993), we outlined what must be shown in order to require an instruction on voluntary intoxication:

“To require the giving of an instruction on voluntary intoxication, there must be some evidence upon which a jury might find that defendant was so intoxicated that his mental faculties were impaired to the extent that he was incapable of forming the necessary specific intent required to commit the crime. Statements of an accused can negate testimony about consumption of alcohol and, thus, justify a court’s refusal to instruct on voluntary intoxication.”

The evidence in this case did not require that the trial court give the requested instruction. The testimony of defendant at trial indicates he was able to detail all of the events preceding the beating of Niederhauser and to explain precisely what he did do and did not do during that beating. His testimony also indicates he was able to control himself to the extent of not harming Niederhauser and imploring Glenn to stop his attack on Niederhauser. The ability to recall events leading up to the commission of a crime is evidence that a defendant’s mental faculties were not sufficiently impaired by intoxication. State v. Gonzales, 253 Kan. 22,

Related

State v. Hernandez
257 P.3d 767 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2011)
State v. Spangler
173 P.3d 656 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2007)
State v. Gleason
88 P.3d 218 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2004)
State v. Davis
78 P.3d 474 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
913 P.2d 1236, 22 Kan. App. 2d 206, 1996 Kan. App. LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-parker-kanctapp-1996.