{"id":700,"date":"2012-08-03T18:11:08","date_gmt":"2012-08-03T18:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/?page_id=700"},"modified":"2020-12-31T20:48:50","modified_gmt":"2020-12-31T20:48:50","slug":"aggravated-assault","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/?page_id=700","title":{"rendered":"Aggravated Assault"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>CR22-071.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS22-071.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Attempted to Cause Serious Bodily Injury<\/a>, 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1024(a)(1) (06\/15\/15)<\/li>\n<li>CR22-081.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS22-081.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Caused Serious Bodily Injury<\/a>, 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1024(a)(1) (06\/15\/15)<\/li>\n<li>CR22-091.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS22-091.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Attempted to Cause Serious Bodily Injury With Deadly Weapon<\/a>, 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1024(a)(2) (09\/16\/11)<\/li>\n<li>CR22-086.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS22-086.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Caused Bodily Injury With Deadly Weapon<\/a>, 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1024(a)(2) (09\/16\/11)<\/li>\n<li>CR22-096.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS22-096.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Prevented Officer From Performing Duty<\/a>, 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1024(a)(4) (03\/23\/07).<\/li>\n<li>CR22-098.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS22-098.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Threatened Another With Deadly Weapon<\/a>, 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1024(a)(5) (12\/31\/20).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Reporter&#8217;s Note<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>CR22-071, -081: Serious Bodily Injury.<\/em> The revised definition of \u201cserious bodily injury,\u201d derived from 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1021(2), reflects the legislative determination that strangulation constitutes serious bodily injury. Because the statute\u2019s structure sets out Subsections 1021(2)(A) and (2)(B) as separate, alternative definitions, the updated instruction includes brackets to indicate that the entire definition may not be appropriate in all cases. For instance, where no evidence of strangulation is presented, there is no reason to instruct the jury on the definition of strangulation as provided in Subsection (2)(B). Conversely, in cases where the only evidence is of strangulation, there is no reason to instruct the jury on the definition in Subsection (2)(A) or, for that matter, the definition of \u201cbodily injury.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Committee recognizes that some cases might present evidence of both types of serious bodily injury (strangulation and non-strangulation). In those cases, it may be appropriate to instruct the jury on the entire statutory definition, and the jury would likely have to reach a unanimous decision as to either Subsection (2)(A) or (2)(B). Unlike the three \u201cascending mental states\u201d for second degree murder, which are applied as a hierarchy, see <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Boglioli<\/span>, 2011 VT 60, \u00b6\u00b6\u00a011\u201312, 190 Vt. 542; <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Bolio<\/span>, 159 Vt. 250, 253-54 (1992), the two definitions of serious bodily injury are presented as alternatives where one does not necessarily subsume the other.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In cases involving evidence of strangulation, the state may proceed either upon a theory that the defendant recklessly caused serious bodily injury to the victim or that the defendant intentionally strangled the victim by intentionally impeding normal breathing or circulation of blood by applying pressure on the throat or neck or by blocking the nose or mouth of another person.\u00a0 As suggested in <u>State v. Carter<\/u>, 2017 VT 32, \u00b6 16, 204 Vt. 383, the state should elect between those two options, and the instructions should not blend or commingle the two separate definitions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cCircumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life\u201d are those events surrounding the imposition of serious bodily injury which demonstrate a blatant disregard for the victim\u2019s life.\u00a0 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Joseph<\/span>, 157 Vt. 651 (1991); <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Saucier<\/span>, 512 A.2d 1120, 1125 (N.H. 1986).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Simple assault is not always a lesser-included offense of aggravated assault.\u00a0 See <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Russell<\/span>, 2011 VT 36 (mem.) (simple assault is a lesser included offense of aggravated assault charged under \u00a7\u00a01024(a)(2)); <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Myers<\/span>, 2011 VT 43 (simple assault is not a lesser-included offense of aggravated assault charged under \u00a7\u00a01024(a)(4)).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>CR22-098: Threatened Another With a Deadly Weapon<\/em>.\u00a0 The definition of \u201cdeadly weapon\u201d is found in 13 V.S.A. \u00a7\u00a01021(a)(3), and the explanation of the required element of intent derives from <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Bourn<\/span>, 2012 VT 71, 192 Vt. 270; <em>see also<\/em> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Kriskov<\/span>, No. 2011-150 (Vt. Dec. 2011) (unpub. mem.).\u00a0 Unlike a charge for reckless endangerment, an unloaded and inoperable gun may be considered a deadly weapon for purposes of an aggravated assault charged under \u00a7\u00a01024(a)(5).\u00a0 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Bourn<\/span>, 2012 VT 71, \u00b6\u00a03 n.2; <em>see also<\/em> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Longley<\/span>, 2007 VT 101, 182 Vt. 452 (holding that an unloaded gun is a \u201cdeadly weapon\u201d for purposes of a first-degree aggravated domestic assault charged under 13 V.S.A. \u00a7\u00a01043(a)(2)). For further discussion of the definition of \u201cdeadly weapon,\u201d see <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Kuzawski<\/span>, 2017 VT 118, \u00b6\u00b6 8\u201318,\u00a0206 Vt. 351 (box cutter is a deadly weapon).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Whether conduct amounts to a threat is \u201cgenerally discerned from the perspective of a reasonable person under similar circumstances.\u201d <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Gagne<\/span>, 2016 VT 68, \u00b6 23; <em>see also<\/em> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Cahill<\/span>, 2013 VT 69, \u00b6 18, 194 Vt. 335 (trial court\u2019s instruction \u201ccorrectly directed the jury to measure the effect of defendant\u2019s communication according to the perception of a reasonable person, rather than the subjective fearlessness of the [victim]\u201d).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Dow<\/span>, 2016 VT 91, \u00b6 16, 202 Vt. 616, the Supreme Court affirmed the trial court\u2019s refusal to instruct the jury that \u201cthreaten\u201d means \u201cto express one\u2019s intent to harm or kill someone,\u201d as the defendant requested. The Court explained that there was a danger that including the proffered definition would confuse the jury as to the element of intent. The trial court had rejected the defendant\u2019s suggestion as confusing because \u201cthe charge was that defendant intended to threaten the officer, not that he intended to harm anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CR22-071.\u00a0 Attempted to Cause Serious Bodily Injury, 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1024(a)(1) (06\/15\/15) CR22-081.\u00a0 Caused Serious Bodily Injury, 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1024(a)(1) (06\/15\/15) CR22-091.\u00a0 Attempted to Cause Serious Bodily Injury With Deadly Weapon, 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 1024(a)(2) (09\/16\/11) CR22-086.\u00a0 Caused Bodily &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/?page_id=700\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":434,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-700","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=700"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1596,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/700\/revisions\/1596"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}