The Cruise Control Defense
State v. Baker (1977)
Charge: Speeding (strict liability offense) Jurisdiction: Kansas Heard on GUILTY or NOT?: 28 September 2026
Whether a driver answers for a speed produced by a stuck cruise control, where the offense requires no guilty mind at all.
The facts
The Defendant was clocked driving well over the posted limit and cited for speeding. At trial he sought to prove that his cruise control had stuck and would not disengage, so that the excessive speed was the product of a mechanical malfunction rather than any choice of his. The Prosecution treated speeding as a strict liability offense requiring no guilty mind.
You have the facts the court had. Did the prosecution prove it? Render your verdict in the game, then see what the court actually decided — and why.
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Terms in this case
Citation: State v. Baker, 571 P.2d 65 (Kan. Ct. App. 1977)
Read the full decision at law.justia.com. The source reveals the outcome.