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H.B. 44

             1     

MURDER AND MANSLAUGHTER AMENDMENTS

             2     
1999 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Sponsor: David L. Gladwell

             5      AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL LAW; ESTABLISHING SPECIAL MITIGATION THAT
             6      REDUCES THE CHARGES FOR HOMICIDE OFFENSES, BASED ON SPECIFIED
             7      CIRCUMSTANCES; AMENDING THE OFFENSE OF MANSLAUGHTER TO INCLUDE
             8      SPECIAL MITIGATION; PROVIDING STANDARD OF PROOF; AND PROVIDING
             9      PROCEDURE.
             10      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             11      AMENDS:
             12          76-5-203, as last amended by Chapter 123, Laws of Utah 1996
             13          76-5-205, as last amended by Chapter 177, Laws of Utah 1985
             14      ENACTS:
             15          76-5-205.7, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             16      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             17          Section 1. Section 76-5-203 is amended to read:
             18           76-5-203. Murder.
             19          (1) Criminal homicide constitutes murder if the actor:
             20          (a) intentionally or knowingly causes the death of another;
             21          (b) intending to cause serious bodily injury to another commits an act clearly dangerous
             22      to human life that causes the death of another;
             23          (c) acting under circumstances evidencing a depraved indifference to human life engages
             24      in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to another and thereby causes the death of another;
             25          (d) while in the commission, attempted commission, or immediate flight from the
             26      commission or attempted commission of aggravated robbery, robbery, rape, object rape, forcible
             27      sodomy, or aggravated sexual assault, aggravated arson, arson, aggravated burglary, burglary,


             28      aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping, child kidnapping, rape of a child, object rape of a child,
             29      sodomy upon a child, forcible sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a child, aggravated sexual abuse of
             30      a child, or child abuse, as defined in Subsection 76-5-109 (2)(a), when the victim is younger than
             31      14 years of age, causes the death of another person other than a party as defined in Section
             32      76-2-202 ; [or]
             33          (e) recklessly causes the death of a peace officer while in the commission or attempted
             34      commission of:
             35          (i) an assault against a peace officer as defined in Section 76-5-102.4 ; [or]
             36          (ii) interference with a peace officer while making a lawful arrest as defined in Section
             37      76-8-305 if the actor uses force against a peace officer[.]; or
             38          (f) commits aggravated murder, but special mitigation is established under Section
             39      76-5-205.7 .
             40          (2) Murder is a first degree felony.
             41          Section 2. Section 76-5-205 is amended to read:
             42           76-5-205. Manslaughter.
             43          (1) Criminal homicide constitutes manslaughter if the actor:
             44          (a) recklessly causes the death of another; or
             45          [(b) causes the death of another under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for
             46      which there is a reasonable explanation or excuse; or]
             47          [(c) causes the death of another under circumstances where the actor reasonably believes
             48      the circumstances provide a legal justification or excuse for his conduct although the conduct is
             49      not legally justifiable or excusable under the existing circumstances.]
             50          [(2) Under Subsection (1) (b), emotional disturbance does not include a condition resulting
             51      from mental illness as defined in Section 76-2-305 .]
             52          [(3) The reasonableness of an explanation or excuse under Subsection (1) (b), or the
             53      reasonable belief of the actor under Subsection (1) (c), shall be determined from the viewpoint of
             54      a reasonable person under the then existing circumstances.]
             55          (b) commits murder, but special mitigation is established under Section 76-5-205.7 .
             56          [(4)] (2) Manslaughter is a felony of the second degree.
             57          Section 3. Section 76-5-205.7 is enacted to read:
             58          76-5-205.7. Special mitigation reducing the level of criminal homicide offense --


             59      Standard of proof -- Application to reduce offense.
             60          (1) (a) Special mitigation exists when the defendant causes the death of another under the
             61      influence of extreme emotional distress for which there is a reasonable explanation or excuse.
             62          (b) The reasonableness of an explanation or excuse under Subsection (1)(a) is determined
             63      from the objective viewpoint of a reasonable person under the circumstances existing at the time
             64      of the offense.
             65          (c) Emotional distress under Subsection (1)(a) does not include:
             66          (i) a condition resulting from mental illness as defined in Section 76-2-305 ; or
             67          (ii) distress that is substantially caused by the defendant's own conduct.
             68          (2) (a) Special mitigation exists when the defendant causes the death of another and the
             69      defendant reasonably believes the existing circumstances at the time of the offense provide a legal
             70      justification or excuse for his conduct, although the conduct is not legally justifiable or excusable
             71      under the existing circumstances.
             72          (b) The reasonable belief of the defendant under Subsection (2)(a) is determined from the
             73      objective viewpoint of a reasonable person under the circumstances existing at the time of the
             74      offense.
             75          (3) (a) If the issue of special mitigation is submitted to the trier of fact, it shall return a
             76      special verdict indicating whether the existence of special mitigation has been found.
             77          (b) The trier of fact shall return the special verdict at the same time as the general verdict
             77a      h , TO INDICATE THE BASIS FOR ITS GENERAL VERDICT . h
             78          (4) (a) If the trier of fact finds the elements of an offense as listed in Subsection (4)(b) are
             79      proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and also that the existence of special mitigation under this
             80      section is established by a preponderance of the evidence, it shall return a verdict on the reduced
             81      charge as provided in Subsection (4)(b).
             82          (b) If under Subsection (4)(a) the offense is:
             83          (i) aggravated murder, the defendant shall instead be found guilty of murder;
             84          (ii) attempted aggravated murder, the defendant shall instead be found guilty of attempted
             85      murder;
             86          (iii) murder, the defendant shall instead be found guilty of manslaughter; or
             87          (iv) attempted murder, the defendant shall instead be found guilty of attempted
             88      manslaughter.
             89          (5) (a) If a jury is the trier of fact, a unanimous vote of the jury is required to establish the


             90      existence of the special mitigation.
             91          (b) If the jury does find special mitigation by a unanimous vote, it shall return a verdict
             92      on the reduced charge as provided in Subsection (4).
             93          (c) If the jury finds by a unanimous vote that special mitigation has not been established,
             94      it shall convict the defendant of the greater offense for which the prosecution has established all
             95      the elements beyond a reasonable doubt.
             96          (d) If the jury is unable to unanimously agree whether or not special mitigation has been
             97      established, the result is a hung jury.
             98          (6) Special mitigation under this section does not in any case reduce the level of an offense
             99      by more than one degree from that offense, the elements of which the evidence has established
             100      beyond a reasonable doubt.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 12-23-98 11:09 AM


A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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