People v. Ireland
California Supreme Court
70 Cal. 2d 522 (1969)
- Written by Kelli Lanski, JD
Facts
Patrick Ireland (defendant) was charged with murdering his wife, Ann. For years the two had had a contentious relationship, which came to a head one evening when Patrick took out a gun in their home while they were arguing. He asked Ann to step outside with him, she refused, and he shot her three times. Patrick was found guilty of second-degree murder and appealed, arguing that the jury instructions were improper because they instructed the jury that he could be found guilty of second-degree felony murder. Specifically, the instructions stated that the jury could find Patrick guilty of second-degree felony murder if the homicide was committed in the perpetration of another felony, like assault with a deadly weapon. Patrick argued that this was inappropriate because it permitted the jury to find him guilty of second-degree murder without also finding that he acted with malice aforethought, a required finding for a second-degree-murder conviction.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Sullivan, J.)
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