Sorensen v. State
Annotate this Case
The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court convicting Defendant of possession of methamphetamine, holding that the district court's statements to the jury did not constitute reversible error and that the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction.
During trial, the district court advised the jury that they might want to wear gloves before examining the evidence of a baggie containing the methamphetamine. On appeal, Defendant argued that the district court's remarks about the evidence were error per se or, in the alternative, plain error and that the evidence was insufficient to establish the "knowledge" element of the crime. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the district court did not inject bias into the proceedings or interfere with the jury's fact-finding role, and even if the statements in question were in error, Defendant failed to demonstrate material prejudice to a substantial right; and (2) there was sufficient evidence to support a guilty verdict beyond a reasonable doubt.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.