Goodman v. State
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
190 S.W.3d 823 (2006)
Goodman (defendant), an experienced rig driller aware of prior cat-line accidents, hooked a chain-and-hook device to a new crew member as part of a common initiation ritual; the line became caught in a rotating device, killing the crew member, and Goodman testified he immediately knew he shouldn't have done it and tried but failed to unhook it in time. Convicted of manslaughter, Goodman argued he was entitled to a lesser-included instruction on criminally negligent homicide since he didn't know the line was specifically caught in the rotating kelly device.
Whether a defendant is entitled to a jury instruction on a lesser-included offense when no evidence exists that would permit a rational jury to find him guilty only of the lesser offense.