Court Opinion

ID: 9785830
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 22:35:04.053968+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:36:34.470761
License: Public Domain

GOLDEN, Justice,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
[¥31] I concur in the disposition of Issue 2. I perceive no error in the jury instructions.
[¶82] I also agree that the evidence was sufficient to sustain Morris' conviction. I disagree, however, with the majority opinion's reasoning on this issue. I believe the majority opinion blurs the distinction between general intent and specific intent crimes. This Court has consistently ruled that criminal statutes that include the mental element "knowingly" are general intent crimes. See, e.g., Butz v. State, 2007 WY 152, ¶ 14, 167 P.3d 650, 654 (Wyo.2007) ("knowingly and willfully" exposing a child to methamphetamine, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-4-405 (LexisNexis 2007) ); King v. State, 2002 WY 27, ¶ 23, 40 P.3d 700, 706 (Wyo.2002) ("intentionally and knowingly" causing bodily injury to a peace officer, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-5-204(b) (LexisNexis 2007) ). We have also held that criminal statutes describing a *1109particular act without reference to intent to do a further act or achieve a future consequence describe general intent crimes. See Cox v. State, 829 P.2d 1183, 1185-86 (Wyo.1992); Dean v. State, 668 P.2d 639, 642 (Wyo.1983). By its plain language, § 6-8-201 is a general intent crime. The State, therefore, was simply required to prove that Morris intentionally jumped on the car, not that he intended to cause damage to it. The evidence clearly supports that conclusion.
[¶33] Because I believe § 6-3-201 is a general intent erime, I cannot agree with the majority opinion's conclusion that the quoted portion of the prosecutor's closing argument constitutes reversible error. In my opinion, the prosecutor's comments correctly reflect Wyoming law on general intent crimes. In any event, the comments of the prosecutor certainly do not go so far as to invite the jury to convict Morris if it found his conduct was inadvertent, as the majority opinion suggests.
[¶34] For the above reasons, I must respectfully dissent from the majority opinion's ultimate disposition in this case. Morris conviction should be upheld and the matter of restitution should be addressed on the merits.