Palmer v. Colorado
Colorado Supreme Court
964 P.2d 524 (1998)
Relevant factsFree
Palmer (defendant) fired a gun into a crowd and was convicted of conspiracy to commit reckless manslaughter, which the court of appeals upheld as a valid offense; Palmer appealed, arguing the crime is a legal impossibility because conspiracy requires specific intent to bring about a particular result, while reckless manslaughter by definition involves an unintended death resulting from conscious disregard of a substantial risk.
IssueFree
Whether the culpability required for reckless manslaughter is irreconcilable with the specific intent required for conspiracy.