Title: Chinski v. State

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
MICHAEL CHINSKI, 
 
 
§ 
§ 
Defendant Below,  
§ 
Appellant,  
 
§ No. 43, 2002 
§ 
v. 
 
 
 
 
§ Court Below: Superior Court 
§ of the State of Delaware in and 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
§ for New Castle County 
§ Cr. ID. No. 0002017987 
Plaintiff Below, 
 
§ 
Appellee. 
 
 
§ 
 
Submitted: August 6, 2002 
Decided: 
August 14, 2002 
 
Before WALSH, HOLLAND, and BERGER, Justices. 
 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 14th day of August 2002, upon consideration of the briefs of the parties it 
appears as follows: 
(1) 
The appellant, Michael Chinski (“Chinski”), appeals from his conviction 
in the Superior Court of murder first degree following a bench trial.  Chinski relied 
upon a claim of extreme emotional distress under 11 Del. C. § 641.  Extreme emotional 
distress is an affirmative defense which, if proved by the preponderance of the evidence, 
has the effect of reducing the offense of murder first degree to manslaughter. 
 
 
 
2 
(2) 
After hearing the evidence, the trial judge concluded that Chinski had not 
established his claim of extreme emotional distress through credible evidence.  The test 
for review of such a factual determination is whether any rational trier of fact could 
have found the essential elements to have been proved.  We may reverse a trial court’s 
finding of fact only if “clearly erroneous and justice requires.”  Marine v. State, 624 A.2d 
1181, 1183 (Del. 1993). 
(3) 
Upon a full review of the record, we conclude that the trial judge’s 
rejection of the claim of extreme emotional distress was not clearly erroneous given the 
trial court’s unique perspective.  Accordingly, the judgment of the Superior Court must 
be affirmed. 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the Superior 
Court be, and the same hereby is, 
AFFIRMED. 
BY THE COURT: 
 
   s/Joseph T. Walsh 
  
Justice