State v. Sotomayor

Mar 22, 2001
SC 16495
Reporters:
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The defendant’s petition for certification for appeal from the Appellate Court, 61 Conn. App. 364 (AC 20518), ‍‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‍is granted, limited to the following issue:

*953The Supreme Court docket number is SC 16495. Jeremiah Donovan, in support of the petition. Susann E. Gill, senior assistant state’s attorney, in opposition. Decided March 22, ‍‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‍2001

“Was it harmful error for the trial court to instruct the jury that ‘[o]ne who uses a deadly weapon upon the vital parts of another will be deemed ‍‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‍to have intended the probable result of that act,’ to repeat the instruction in response to an inquiry from the jury, and to decline to instruct the jury ‍‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‍that use of a deadly weapon could evince an extreme indifference to human life (an element of manslaughter in the first degree) rather than an intent to kill?”

VERTEFEUILLE ‍‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‍and ZARELLA, Js., did not participate in the consideration or decision of this petition.