Idaho v. Razo-Chavez
Annotate this CaseThe State appealed following the conviction of defendant Benito Razo-Chavez for one count of possession of oxycodone. The State did not not challenge the outcome of the case and did not seek to overturn the verdict or sentence; rather, the State challenged the propriety of the district court’s jury instruction regarding the elements of possession of a controlled substance under Idaho Code section 37-2732(c). Specifically, the instructions given to the jury by the district court stated the mens rea element of possession of a controlled substance as “the defendant either knew it was oxycodone or believed it was oxycodone.” The State argued that this instruction was improper and should have stated the mens rea element as “the defendant either knew it was oxycodone or believed it was a controlled substance.” The Supreme Court dismissed this appeal: if the district court committed error, the Court held such error was harmless.
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