State v. Coleman
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In Kansas, the appellant, Darnell D. Coleman, was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and appealed his conviction. He raised four issues on appeal: (1) the prosecutors made incorrect statements of law and fact about premeditation during closing arguments, (2) the court failed to give a modified jury instruction on premeditation that had been approved in previous cases, (3) the court erred by not removing his trial counsel after a breakdown in communication, and (4) cumulative errors deprived him of a fair trial.
The Supreme Court of the State of Kansas found that the prosecutors made three errors during closing arguments that disregarded the cognitive component of premeditation, but these errors did not individually or cumulatively affect the outcome of the trial. The court also held that the trial judge did not err in the instructions given to the jury on premeditation, and did not abuse discretion by not removing Coleman's trial counsel. The court concluded that the cumulative effect of the errors did not affect the jury's verdict. Consequently, Coleman's conviction was affirmed by the court.
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