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6.1-14 Assault in the Third Degree (Reckless) -- § 53a-61 (a) (2)
Revised to December 1, 2007
The defendant is charged [in count ___] with assault in the third degree. The statute defining this offense reads in pertinent part as follows:
a person is guilty of assault in the third degree when (he/she) recklessly causes serious physical injury to another person.
For you to find the defendant guilty of this charge, the state must prove the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
Element 1 - Recklessness
The first element is that the
defendant acted recklessly. A person acts "recklessly"
with respect to a result or circumstances when (he/she) is aware of and
consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that such result
will occur or that such circumstances exist. <Insert
Recklessness, Instruction 2.3-4.>
Element 2 - Caused serious
physical injury
The second element is that the
defendant's reckless acts caused serious physical injury to another person.
This means that the defendant's conduct was the proximate cause of the person's
injuries. You must find it proved beyond a reasonable doubt that <insert
name of person injured> was injured as a result of the actions of the
defendant. <See
Proximate Cause, Instruction 2.6-1.>
"Serious physical injury" is something more serious than mere physical injury, which is defined as "impairment of physical condition or pain." It is more than a minor or superficial injury. It is defined by statute as "physical injury which creates a substantial risk of death, or which causes serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health or serious loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ."
Conclusion
In summary, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that 1) the defendant acted recklessly, and 2) the defendant caused serious physical injury to <insert name of person injured>.
If you unanimously find that the state
has proved beyond a reasonable doubt each of the elements of the crime of
assault in the third degree, then you shall find the defendant guilty. On the
other hand, if you unanimously find that the state has failed to prove beyond a
reasonable doubt any of the elements, you shall then find the defendant not
guilty.