State v. Maxie

The Supreme Court vacated Defendant’s convictions on count four, sex trafficking of a minor, in violation of R.I. Gen. Laws 11-67-6, and count six, conspiring to commit the crime of sex trafficking with a minor, holding that a gap in the language of section 11-67-6 rendered it unenforceable.Specifically, the Supreme Court held that the gap in section 11-67-6(b) was a statutory flaw that could not be repaired without the addition of language that criminalizes the conduct described in the statute, which is a task that goes beyond statutory construction. Therefore, the Court held that section 11-67-6 failed to state a crime, and therefore, Defendant’s motion to dismiss counts four and six of the indictment should have been granted. The dissent would affirm the convictions on counts four and six, holding that the statute did not involve the son of legislative commission that required a reversal of Defendant’s conviction because the statute, “for all its lack of absolute perfection in terms of draftsmanship,” sufficed to give fair and adequate notice. View "State v. Maxie" on Justia Law