South Carolina v. Perry
Annotate this CaseRespondent John Perry, Jr. was convicted by jury of the attempted murder of a police officer. During deliberations, the jury requested a recharge on intent. Over the defense's objection, the trial court instructed, "When the intent to do an act that violates the law exists motive becomes immaterial." The court of appeals reversed and remanded for a new trial, concluding the statement improperly instructed the jury on general intent for the crime of attempted murder. While the South Carolina Supreme Court agreed that the trial court erred in giving the jury this recharge, the Supreme Court believed the error was harmless. Accordingly, it reversed the decision of the court of appeals.
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