Appellant urges requirement for unanimity instruction when mental-state theories diverge In Commonwealth v. Rennie, appellant counsel argued that when a single charge rests on distinct mental states (intentional vs. reckless), the jury must be given a specific-unanimity instruction and special-verdict slip; the Commonwealth countered that the SBI element and model jury instructions render the general-verdict approach appropriate.

In a pivotal case, Commonwealth v. Rennie, the debate rages over whether juries need special instructions when faced with conflicting mental-state theories—could this redefine legal standards?

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