California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Mata, 149 Cal.Rptr. 327, 85 Cal.App.3d 233 (Cal. App. 1978):
It is also obvious that a trier of fact has the power to find, without apparent reason, a particular defendant guilty of a lesser degree or class of crime than that shown by the evidence. (See People v. Powell (1949) 34 Cal.2d 196, 205, 208 P.2d 974.)
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.