State v. Jones

2007 VT 117

State v. Jones (2007-208)

 

2007 VT 117

 

[Filed 12-Oct-2007]

ENTRY ORDER

 

2007 VT 117

 

SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 2007-208

 

OCTOBER TERM, 2007

 

State of Vermont

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APPEALED FROM:

 

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     v.

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District Court of Vermont,

 

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Unit No. 1, Orange Circuit

 

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Everett Jones, Jr.

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DOCKET NO. 476-11-05 Oecr

 

 

 

 

 

Trial Judge:  M. Patricia Zimmerman

 

In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

 

¶ 1.             Defendant Everett Jones, Jr. appeals from his conviction, after a jury trial, for aggravated sexual assault, under the current versions of 13 V.S.A. §§ 3252(a)(3) and 3253(a)(9), for acts committed between 1979 and 1983.  Defendant contends, among other things, that the information failed to charge an offense extant at the time of the crimes.  The State concedes this error, and also concedes that no legislative amendment applies retroactively to criminalize defendant's conduct and that the jury instruction omitted the essential elements of aggravated sexual assault.  We agree with defendant and the State that the information failed to charge an offense, and accordingly reverse defendant's conviction.

Conviction reversed; mandate to issue forthwith.

 

 

 

 

BY THE COURT:

 

 

 

 

 

Paul L. Reiber, Chief Justice

 

 

 

John A. Dooley, Associate Justice

 

 

 

 

 

Denise R. Johnson, Associate Justice

 

 

 

 

 

Marilyn S. Skoglund, Associate Justice

 

 

 

 

 

Brian L. Burgess, Associate Justice