State v. Sexton
Supreme Court of New Jersey
733 A.2d 1125 (1999)
Alquadir Matthews handed Ronald Sexton (defendant) a gun that Matthews and a nearby witness said Matthews described as unloaded; Sexton and Matthews then argued, and the gun went off, killing Matthews. Sexton claimed he did not intend to shoot Matthews and believed the gun was unloaded. The trial court instructed the jury on murder, aggravated manslaughter, and reckless manslaughter, and the jury convicted Sexton of reckless manslaughter; the appellate court reversed, and the State of New Jersey filed a petition for certification.
Whether a defendant's mistake of fact relates to whether the prosecution has proven beyond a reasonable doubt the culpable mental state required to establish liability for the charged offense.