Supreme Court of South Carolina

State v. John Ernest Perry, Jr.

July 26, 2023

Summary

The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals, holding that the trial judge’s recharge defining intent as "when the intent to do an act that violates the law exists motive becomes immaterial" improperly instructed the jury on general intent for attempted murder, a specific‑intent crime, but found the error harmless because disinterested eyewitness testimony established specific intent.