Court: |
US Supreme Court |
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Facts: |
Wilbur kills Hebert in a fit of gay panic. |
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Posture: |
Convicted, appeal denied, other appeal affirmed, then denied... see timeline |
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Issue: |
Does Winship force a re-interpretation of Maine state murder statutes? |
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Holding: |
Yes, reversed. |
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Rule: |
Due process is about more than just guilt or innocence. Intent is an element,
and it can't just be presumed. |
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Reasoning: |
History of murder law. Also, hypothesizing about how dangerous it would be
if states could have implied elements. |
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Dicta: |
Concurring opinion: Rhenquist thinks he should have objected to the instructions
at trial, but then again Winship hadn't been decided yet. |