State v. Dent

Defendants Dent and Balcinde were charged with conspiracy to commit first degree murder. Both defendants were convicted at a joint trial. The two primary issues in this case were raised by both defendants. These issues are: (1) how the jury should be instructed as to the meaning of the "substantial step” element of a conspiracy, and (2) whether the trial court erred in refusing to instruct the jury that venue must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Balcinde raised three additional issues: (3) whether the State presented sufficient evidence of a "substantial step”, (4) whether the trial…