State v. Sargent

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Hampshire reversed Benjamin Sargent’s conviction for official oppression, holding that the trial court’s broad reading of the phrase “to benefit himself” under RSA 643:1 was erroneous and that the evidence did not prove the defendant acted with a purpose to obtain a specific advantage. The Court limited the statutory term to require a concrete, more than momentary benefit and found the record insufficient to meet that standard.