AI Generated Opinion Summaries

This summary was computer-generated without any editorial revision. It is not official, has not been checked for accuracy, and is NOT citable.

Facts

• An officer, while investigating a possible stolen vehicle in an alley, encountered the Defendant walking nearby. Upon initiating contact, the Defendant informed the officer that he was carrying a firearm, which was subsequently admitted as evidence. It was also established that the Defendant had been convicted of a felony within the last ten years. The Defendant, however, testified that he believed his prior conviction was a misdemeanor, not a felony, and a mistake of fact instruction was given to the jury (paras 3).

Procedural History

• APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF CURRY COUNTY, Matthew E. Chandler, District Judge: The Defendant was convicted for felon in possession of a firearm.

Parties' Submissions

• Plaintiff-Appellee: Argued that the evidence was sufficient to support the Defendant's conviction for felon in possession of a firearm.
• Defendant-Appellant: Challenged the sufficiency of the evidence, particularly contesting the nature of his prior conviction and asserting a mistake of fact regarding his belief that it was a misdemeanor rather than a felony (para 2).

Legal Issues

• Whether the evidence was sufficient to support the Defendant's conviction for felon in possession of a firearm, considering the Defendant's claim of a mistake of fact regarding the nature of his prior conviction.

Disposition

• The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of the Defendant for felon in possession of a firearm (para 4).

Reasons

• Per Jonathan B. Sutin, with Michael D. Bustamante and J. Miles Hanisee concurring, the Court conducted a two-step review process to assess the sufficiency of the evidence. The evidence was first viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict, followed by a legal determination of whether a rational trier of fact could find each element of the crime established beyond a reasonable doubt. The Court found that the evidence, including the Defendant's admission of carrying a firearm and his prior felony conviction within the last ten years, supported the conviction. The jury's rejection of the Defendant's mistake of fact claim regarding the nature of his prior conviction was within its discretion (paras 2-4).