Does a court have a sua sponte duty to instruct on a lesser included charge of second degree murder?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Huerta, D069552 (Cal. App. 2017):

7. See Horning, supra, 34 Cal.4th at page 905 ["[w]e need not decide whether the evidence warranted an instruction on second degree murder in this case because we find any error . . . invited"]; see also People v. Cooper (1991) 53 Cal.3d 771, 827 (Cooper) [no need to decide whether the trial court had a sua sponte duty to instruct on a lesser included offense "because even if there was error, defendant is barred from asserting it under the invited error doctrine"].)

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