State v. Christensen

The defendant, Richard L. Christensen, was convicted of first-degree burglary and second-degree assault. He was acquitted of a third count, that of tampering with a witness. The jury also returned special verdicts that defendant was (1) armed with a firearm, but (2) not armed with a deadly weapon when he committed the burglary, and was (3) armed with a firearm, and (4) armed with a deadly weapon when he assaulted his victim. Because of improper conversations between the jury and the bailiff, the trial judge struck all of the special verdicts. Because of the prejudicial nature of these…