State v. Semakula

— Due process requires the State to prove all elements of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm, Timosthy Semakula argues on appeal that the State should have been required to prove that he knowingly violated the unlawful possession statute. Because the State failed to present any evidence of guilty knowledge, Semakula claims that there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

A convicted felon’s knowledge that his right to gun ownership is statutorily prohibited is not an element of the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm. Although we may…