People v. Mendoza

Defendant was charged with first-degree murder, MCL 750.316, but convicted by a jury of second-degree murder, MCL 750.317. The Court of Appeals reversed defendant’s conviction and remanded the case for a new trial, reasoning that the trial court erred when it declined to give an involuntary-manslaughter instruction. This Court granted leave to appeal to consider whether manslaughter is an “inferior” offense of murder under MCL 768.32(1), and if so, whether a rational view of the evidence supported an instruction in this case.

We conclude that manslaughter is an inferior offense of murder.…