Opinion ID: 878810
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: issues

Text: Defendant argues that due process requires that a conviction of deliberate homicide must be based on an information that charges, and instructions to the jury that require, a finding that the defendant possessed the specific mental state to kill the victim; in other words, that the element of mens rea is constitutionally required. He contends that the statutory element of purposely and/or knowingly does not satisfy this requirement. This Court has previously addressed and resolved this question. In State v. Powers (Mont. 1982), 645 P.2d 1357, 39 St.Rep. 989, we rejected this argument. See also State v. Lemmon (Mont. 1984), 692 P.2d 455, 41 St.Rep. 2359; and State v. Weinberger (Mont. 1983), 665 P.2d 202, 40 St.Rep. 844. The scienter element of section 45-5-102(a) defines the crime of deliberate homicide with sufficient specificity to obviate any claim of unconstitutional vaugueness. State v. Sharbono (1979), 175 Mont. 373, 563 P.2d 61.