The People of the State of New York, Appellant v. Sidney Butler, Respondent

Summary

The Court held that a trial court's decision to give an intoxication instruction does not automatically require it to submit lesser‑included manslaughter instructions; the court must independently assess whether a reasonable view of the evidence supports each lesser charge. Accordingly, the Appellate Division's order ordering a new trial on that basis was reversed and the case remanded for further proceedings. Justice Levine dissented, arguing that the trial court should have been required to submit manslaughter in the second degree.