United States v. Bolman, No. 18-2759 (8th Cir. 2020)
Annotate this CaseThe Eighth Circuit affirmed defendant's conviction for involuntary manslaughter after he struck and killed his nephew with his truck. The court held that the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction, because a reasonable jury could find defendant grossly negligent beyond a reasonable doubt. The court also held that the district court did not plainly err by failing to instruct the jury that actual knowledge is an essential element of the offense that is separate from gross negligence, because the instructions, viewed as a whole, accurately and adequately defined the essential elements of the offense.
Court Description: [Kelly, Author, with Colloton and Wollman, Circuit Judges Criminal case - Criminal law. Evidence was sufficient to support defendant's conviction for involuntary manslaughter as the government established he was grossly negligent; the district court did not plainly err by not giving an instruction that actual knowledge is an essential element of the offense that is separate from gross negligence, as the instructions as a whole adequately advised the jury of the essential elements of the offense and the government's burden.
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