What is the standard of review for failure to instruct a jury on a lesser included offense?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Munoz, B290906 (Cal. App. 2019):

evidence sufficient to 'deserve consideration by the jury,' that is, evidence that a reasonable jury could find persuasive." (People v. Barton (1995) 12 Cal.4th 186, 201, fn. 8.)

"An uncharged offense is included in a greater charged offense if either (1) the greater offense, as defined by statute, cannot be committed without also committing the lesser (the elements test), or (2) the language of the accusatory pleading encompasses all the elements of the lesser offense (the accusatory pleading test). [Citations.]" (People v. Parson (2008) 44 Cal.4th 332, 349, italics omitted.)

The standard of review for failure to instruct on a lesser included offense is de novo. (People v. Woods (2015) 241 Cal.App.4th 461, 475.) Under that standard, we consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the defendant. The question is not whether the evidence supports conviction of the greater crime; it is "whether, in assessing and weighing the evidence independently, the jury could have reasonably concluded that [the defendant] committed" the lesser crime but not the greater. (Ibid.)

B. No Substantial Evidence of Lesser Included Battery

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