The legal issues presented in this case will be displayed here.

This section contains the nature of the case and procedural background.

Patterson (D) came to eighty-two-year-old Julia’s house looking for work shoveling snow. Several days later, at around 4:00 a.m. Julia was awakened by the sound of breaking glass. She went to investigate and found a broken window in her sunroom, glass on the floor, and blood on the curtains. She called the police. Police discovered D at the back of the house. After a chase on foot, D was arrested. D was bleeding and commented that he knew he should not have broken the window. Julia identified D as the man who had come to her door several days earlier looking for work shoveling snow. D was convicted of attempted burglary. He was a habitual offender and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. D appealed in part on the issue of the court not giving an abandonment instruction. D argues that the trial court erred in refusing to give his instruction on the defense of abandonment.

The court's holding and decision will be displayed here.

Legal analysis from Dean's Law Dictionary will be displayed here.