What is the test for an enhancement to an attempted murder charge?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Medrano, F068714, F069260 (Cal. App. 2016):

Attempted murder requires the specific intent to kill, along with the commission of a direct but ineffectual act toward accomplishing the attempted killing. (People v. Perez (2010) 50 Cal.4th 222, 229-230.) The evidence each defendant had the specific intent to kill Machado is very substantial. We conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, that absent the inadmissible gang evidence, the jury would still have convicted all three defendants of counts 1, 2, and 4, and convicted Avellanoza of count 3.

Page 77

Defendants argue the trial court erred in denying their motion to bifurcate the gang issues. The trial court has discretion to bifurcate issues in a jury trial, although no statute requires bifurcation. The trial court has broad discretion to control the conduct of a criminal trial. (People v. Hernandez, supra, 33 Cal.4th at p. 1048.) To the extent evidence supporting a gang enhancement would be admissible at a trial determining a defendant's guilt, any inference of prejudice would be dispelled and bifurcation would be unnecessary. (Id. at pp. 1049-1050.)

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