State v. Daniel B.

**26The majority concludes that the defendant's conversations with John Evans and the undercover "hitman," Michael Paleski, Jr., provided sufficient evidence for the jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime of attempted murder. I disagree that those preliminary discussions, without more, constitute a substantial step under General Statutes § 53a-49 and, therefore, I respectfully dissent.

I

Before getting to the heart of the case, I pause to express a minor concern with the methodological framework developed by the majority as a prelude to its finding that…