Barron v. Georgia
Annotate this CaseOn October 5, 2011, William Barron and Roderick Rumph were both inmates at a prison in Gwinnett County. The men were housed in different buildings of the prison complex, but the buildings were next to each other and shared the same yard. In an attempt to acquire contraband cigarettes, Barron gave Rumph commissary goods and a CD player in trade. Barron learned that Rumph was going to renege on the deal and not give Barron any cigarettes or return the goods Rumph had already been given. After Barron found Rumph in a holding area known as the "sally port," Rumph told Barron that he was not going to give him anything and turned his back on Barron. Barron then stabbed Rumph in the back three times. The mortally wounded Rumph fell to the ground. Barron threw down a shank and stood there calmly. Rumph was taken to the prison medical unit and pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Barron appealed his conviction and sentence for felony murder while in the commission of aggravated assault in connection with the fatal stabbing of Rumph. His sole challenge was that the trial court erred in refusing to charge the jury on voluntary manslaughter. Finding the challenge to be without merit, the Supreme Court affirmed.
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