UJI 14-615 NMRA
UJI 14-615. Child abuse resulting in great bodily harm; essential elements.
For you to find __________________ (name of defendant) guilty of child abuse
resulting in great bodily harm, [as charged in Count ______],1 the state must prove to
your satisfaction beyond a reasonable doubt each of the following elements of the
crime:
1. _____________ (name of defendant)
______________________________________ (describe conduct or course of conduct
alleged to have been child abuse).2
2. By engaging in the conduct described in Paragraph 1, ___________________
(name of defendant) [caused] [or] [permitted]3 _________________ (name of child)
[to be placed in a situation that endangered the life or health of
__________________ (name of child)];4
[OR]
[to be exposed to inclement weather;]
[OR]
[to be [tortured] [or] [cruelly confined] [or] [cruelly punished]];
3. _________________ (name of defendant) showed a reckless disregard [without
justification]5 for the safety or health of _________________ (name of child). To find
that __________________ (name of defendant) showed a reckless disregard, you must
find that __________________ (name of defendant)’s conduct was more than merely
negligent or careless. Rather, you must find that _________________ (name of
defendant) [caused] [or] [permitted]3 a substantial and unjustifiable risk of serious harm
to the safety or health of _________________ (name of child). A substantial and
unjustifiable risk is one that any law-abiding person would recognize under similar
circumstances and that would cause any law-abiding person to behave differently than
_________________ (name of defendant) out of concern for the safety or health of
_________________ (name of child);6
[4. __________________ (name of defendant) was a parent, guardian or custodian
of the child, or __________________ (name of defendant) had accepted responsibility
for the child’s welfare];7
5. __________________ (name of defendant)’s conduct resulted in great bodily
harm8 to __________________ (name of child);
6. _____________________ (name of child) was under the age of eighteen (18);
7. This happened in New Mexico on or about the ____________ day of
______________, ________.