Commonwealth v. Brown

**600 The primary issue presented in this appeal is whether the Commonwealth is required to prove a defendant knows that a firearm in his or her possession is loaded in order to be convicted **601 of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm under G. L. c. 269, § 10 ( n ).

After police officers discovered a loaded firearm in the rear console of a vehicle driven by the defendant, he was charged with and convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm, G. L. c. 269, § 10 ( a ), and unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, G. L. c. 269, § 10 ( n ). The defendant appealed *352 from his convictions, and…