Hughes v. State
Annotate this CaseAppellant Robert Hughes was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder for the shooting death of his wife. The trial court sentenced Hughes to life imprisonment and ordered him to pay restitution to the Crime Victims Reparations board. The Supreme Court affirmed. Hughes subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief raising eighteen claims. The two most significant claims were (1) the restitution order was improper, and (2) the Confrontation Clause was violated by the introduction at trial of statements made by Hughes's wife. The postconviction court denied Hughes's petition without a hearing. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) because Hughes's wife's statements to her divorce attorney and police were nontestimonial, the trial court did not violate Hughes's Confrontation Clause rights when it admitted the statements at trial; and (2) all of Hughes's other claims were procedurally barred because they were or could have been raised on direct appeal.
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