State v. Siracusa

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The Supreme Judicial Court held that the trial court did not err in refusing to instruct the jury during Defendant’s criminal trial that the jury needed to find that Defendant had acted intentionally or knowingly in order to find him guilty of possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle and unlawfully driving deer. The Court concluded (1) the firearm offense is a strict liability crime and, therefore, no mens rea instruction was necessary; and (2) the crime of driving deer is not a strict liability crime and contains a mens rea component, but because the trial court’s instructions adequately and correctly conveyed the elements of both crimes to the jury, the trial court did not err in refusing Defendant’s jury instruction request. View "State v. Siracusa" on Justia Law