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GARNETT v. STATE Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A man with a developmental disability was convicted of statutory rape. The court held that Maryland’s statute is a strict liability offense, meaning the prosecution did not need to prove he knew the victim’s age, and his mistaken belief that she was older was not a defense.
Legal Significance: Establishes that Maryland’s second-degree statutory rape statute is a strict liability crime. The case is a key example of how courts use statutory construction and legislative history to determine that the legislature intentionally omitted a mens rea requirement for a specific element of a serious felony.
GARNETT v. STATE Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Raymond Garnett, a 20-year-old man with an I.Q. of 52 and the social-intellectual level of an 11 or 12-year-old, engaged in consensual sexual intercourse with Erica Frazier, who was 13 years old. At his trial for second-degree rape under Maryland Code Art. 27, § 463(a)(3), which prohibits intercourse with a person under 14 by someone at least four years older, Garnett sought to introduce evidence that he believed Frazier was 16. He proffered that Frazier and her friends had told him she was 16, the age of consent. The trial court excluded this evidence as immaterial, reasoning that the statute defined a strict liability offense where the defendant’s knowledge or belief regarding the victim’s age was irrelevant. Garnett was convicted and sentenced to a suspended five-year prison term. The Court of Appeals granted certiorari to determine whether the statute requires a mens rea element as to the victim’s age and whether a mistake-of-age defense is permissible.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does Maryland’s second-degree statutory rape statute require the State to prove that the defendant had a culpable mental state regarding the victim’s age, or is it a strict liability offense for which a mistake-of-age defense is unavailable?
Yes, the statute defines a strict liability offense, and therefore a mistake-of-age Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate
IRAC Legal Analysis
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IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Does Maryland’s second-degree statutory rape statute require the State to prove that the defendant had a culpable mental state regarding the victim’s age, or is it a strict liability offense for which a mistake-of-age defense is unavailable?
Conclusion
This case solidifies the principle that courts will uphold a legislative determination Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure do
Legal Rule
Under Maryland Code, Art. 27, § 463(a)(3), sexual intercourse with a person Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis
Legal Analysis
The court's analysis centered on statutory interpretation to ascertain legislative intent. First, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tem
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Maryland’s second-degree statutory rape law is a strict liability crime; the