State v. Munt
Annotate this CaseDefendant indicted of four counts of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder, and several related crimes arising out of the shooting death of his ex-wife and the kidnapping of their three children. Because Defendant pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness, the district court bifurcated the trial. The jury found Defendant guilty of all counts and rejected his not-guilty-by-reason-of-mental-illness defense. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the district court (1) did not err by declining to remove a prospective juror for cause; (2) did not commit reversible error in making certain comments to the jury regarding the upcoming schedule of phase two of the trial; (3) may have erred in denying Defendant's request to testify on surrebuttal, but the error was harmless; (4) did not abuse its discretion when it determined that Defendant's nine-year-old daughter was incompetent to testify; and (5) did not abuse its discretion in failing to inquire into the nature of Defendant's pretrial complaints about counsel appointed to represent Defendant. In addition, the Court concluded that Defendant's pro se claims lacked merit.
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