California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Quinanola, E065316 (Cal. App. 2017):
"First degree murder is an unlawful killing with malice aforethought, premeditation, and deliberation. [Citation.] Malice may be express (intent to kill) or implied (intentional commission of life-threatening act with conscious disregard for life). [Citation.] Second degree murder is an unlawful killing with malice, but without the elements of premeditation and deliberation which elevate the killing to first degree murder. [Citation.] To reduce a murder to second degree murder, premeditation and deliberation may be negated by heat of passion arising from provocation. [Citation.] If the provocation would not cause an average person to experience deadly passion but it precludes the defendant from subjectively deliberating or premeditating, the crime is second degree murder. [Citation.] If the provocation would cause a reasonable person to react with deadly passion, the defendant is deemed to have acted without malice so as to further reduce the crime to voluntary manslaughter." (People v. Hernandez (2010) 183 Cal.App.4th 1327, 1332.)
CALCRIM No. 522 provides "Provocation may reduce a murder from first degree to second degree [and may reduce a murder to manslaughter]. The weight and significance of the provocation, if any, are for you to decide. [] If you conclude that the defendant committed murder but was provoked, consider the provocation in deciding whether the crime was first or second degree murder. [Also, consider the provocation in deciding whether the defendant committed murder or manslaughter.] [] [Provocation does not apply to a prosecution under a theory of felony murder.]" There is no sua sponte duty to instruct the jury with CALCRIM No. 522. (People v. Hernandez, supra, 183
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