People v. Sally Mistook
Supreme Court of the State of Imagination
2 Imagination Cases 5 (2004)
Sally Mistook (defendant) grabbed the wrong folder from her professor's office, taking a draft exam instead of the class roster she intended to take; she also believed she had permission to enter during posted office hours, unaware those hours had been cancelled that day, and believed she had fully removed the hinges from an abandoned-looking refrigerator, though the prosecution showed it still latched shut. She requested jury instructions on mistake of fact for burglary, trespass, and the refrigerator offense; the trial court denied the requests, and the jury convicted her on all counts.
Whether a mistake of fact is a defense where the mistake negates the required mental state of the charged offense.