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Criminal Law Keyed to LaFave
State v. Smith
Citation:
554 A.2d 713 (1989)Facts
Richard Smith was an experienced hunter who had been hunting for approximately twenty years. In November 1985, during bow-and-arrow hunting season in Connecticut, Smith killed a deer using a crossbow. Prior to hunting, Smith had inquired at several sporting goods stores about the legality of using a crossbow during bow-and-arrow season and was informed by store employees that it was legal. Smith also noted that crossbows were displayed alongside compound bows in these stores. Connecticut hunting regulations, however, specifically distinguished between longbows, compound bows, and crossbows, with only the first two being permitted during bow-and-arrow season. After killing the deer, Smith properly tagged it and brought it to a check station where he was subsequently charged with illegally killing deer.
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