UJI 14-621 NMRA
UJI 14-621. Child abuse resulting in death; child at least 12 but less than 18; essential elements.
For you to find ____________________ (name of defendant) guilty of child abuse
resulting in death of a child of at least twelve (12), but less than eighteen (18) years of
age, [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 the death
of ______________________ (name of child);
6. _______________________ (name of child) was at least twelve (12), but less
than eighteen (18) years of age;
7. This happened in New Mexico on or about the ____________ day of
______________, ________.