Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Jul 30, 2024
State of Missouri vs. Dylan Jacob Garoutte III
Dylan Jacob Garoutte III appealed his conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm, arguing the trial court plainly erred by omitting the "antique firearm" exception from the verdict director. The appellate court affirmed the conviction. It held that the "antique firearm" exception is not an essential element of the offense but rather a defense, and Garoutte failed to inject any evidence of it at trial, thus the verdict director was not erroneous.