Opinion ID: 1520912
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of the Court's Findings

Text: The defendant next argues that because the trial court failed to find that he possessed the firearm in knowing violation of the law, the conduct in which he was found to have engaged did not reach the level of criminality. The presiding justice predicated guilt on findings that Mr. Myrick did own or have in his possession or under his control a firearm and at that time he was a convicted felon. [6] As we have noted, Heald ruled that a violation of § 393 is not premised on the defendant's willingness or wilfulness to violate the law. 382 A.2d at 297. Further, we now hold, supra at 381, that a willingness or wilfulness to violate the current § 393 is not an ingredient of the offense. Therefore, any such findings would be superfluous, and the trial court's failure to make them is of no consequence. Because, however, the possession made unlawful by § 393 must be a conscious and knowing one pursuant to § 51(3), guilt, if based on possession, must rest on proof of that fact. The lower court did not include an express finding that the defendant knowingly or consciously possessed the shotgun. Consequently, an implicit factual finding is attributed to it. See State v. Michael Z., Me., 427 A.2d 476, 478 (1981). Because we have not been provided with a record [7] that would enable us to determine whether this implicit findings is unsupported by credible evidence, this court is unable to consider such a challenge. State v. Meyer, Me., 423 A.2d 955, 956-57 (1980); State v. Christianson, Me., 404 A.2d 999, 1005-06 (1979).