State v. Royster
Minnesota Supreme Court
590 N.W.2d 82 (1999)
- Written by Rose VanHofwegen, JD
Facts
Stanley Royster (defendant) was charged with trafficking drugs after police found a bag containing nearly three grams of crack cocaine, prerecorded drug-buy money, and a loaded revolver in his bedroom. The gun was under Royster’s mattress, about three feet away from where the cocaine was hidden. Royster admitted he sold cocaine out of his home and said his father gave him the gun for protection because Royster lived in a dangerous neighborhood. The trial court found the gun’s presence triggered a Minnesota statute imposing a mandatory minimum three-year sentence for possession and use of a gun while committing a predicate felony offense. Royster appealed, arguing that the statute as amended incorporated language from an earlier version that required brandishing, displaying, threatening someone with, or otherwise using the gun during commission of the crime—not merely having a gun hidden under the mattress.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Stringer, J.)
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