Smith v. State

Summary

The Supreme Court of Delaware affirmed the Family Court's adjudication of Russell Smith as delinquent for possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited and carrying a concealed deadly weapon. The court held that the knife's immediate accessibility, Smith's proximity to it, his movement toward it, and the absence of evidence that another occupant could have accessed it supported a finding of knowing possession beyond a reasonable doubt. The court also held that Smith was not entitled to a missing-evidence inference because he failed to show that the uncollected or untested items were material or that their absence prejudiced the fairness of his trial.