Douglas v. State (Majority)
Annotate this CaseAfter a jury trial, Defendant was found guilty of first degree murder and possession of a firearm by certain persons. Defendant appealed, arguing that the circuit court erred by denying his motion for new trial where members of his family were barred from the courtroom during voir dire and denying his request for a jury instruction on manslaughter and justification. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the circuit court’s finding that the courtroom was not closed during voir dire was not clearly erroneous, and therefore, the court did not abuse its discretion in denying Defendant’s motion for new trial; and (2) Defendant’s claims of instructional error were not preserved for appellate review.
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