People v. Snyder
California Supreme Court
32 Cal.3d 590, 652 P.2d 42 (1982)
- Written by Carolyn Strutton, JD
Facts
Neva Snyder (defendant) was convicted of a felony for selling marijuana in 1973. The conviction resulted from a plea bargain after Snyder’s defense attorney incorrectly told her that she was pleading guilty only to a misdemeanor. Snyder did not serve any jail time or receive any prison sentence. Snyder thereafter sincerely but mistakenly believed that she was not a convicted felon. Almost a decade later, Snyder was charged with possession of a concealable firearm by a convicted felon, under a statute that held that any person who had been convicted of a felony was prohibited from possessing any firearm capable of concealment. The statute did not require any specific criminal intent. The trial court refused to allow Snyder to present her mistaken belief that she was not a felon as a defense. Snyder was convicted and appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Richardson, J.)
Dissent (Broussard, J.)
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