Garcia v. State
Garcia v. State
Opinion of the Court
We affirm Appellant’s conviction and sentence for trafficking in cocaine. The sole issue is the trial court’s denial of a request for a special jury instruction on “guilty knowledge.”
In a prosecution for possession of illegal substances, the state must prove that the defendant knew the illicit nature of the substance possessed. Chicone v. State, 684 So.2d 736 (Fla. 1996). Accordingly, the supreme court held that the defendant is entitled to a special jury instruction upon request, because the standard instruction does not specifically address guilty knowledge. Id. at 746.
Unlike the standard jury instruction for possession, the standard instruction for
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.