Clark v. Delaware
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Defendant Omari Clark was convicted for manslaughter. The issue before the Supreme Court was whether a trial judge improperly commented on the evidence when he instructed the jury and whether a defendant was entitled to a justification jury instruction for a crime that requires a reckless mental state. Upon review, the Court reaffirmed that jury instructions must be construed as a whole to determine whether a trial judge commented on the evidence and conclude that the trial judge's statements were proper. Furthermore, the Court held that 11 Del. C. sec. 470(a) does not bar a justification instruction for crimes requiring a reckless mental state and that judges should give a justification instruction, where appropriate, for those charges. Therefore the Court reversed the Superior Court's judgment and remanded the case for a new trial.
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