Mills v. State of Mississippi
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In this criminal case, the Supreme Court of Mississippi upheld the conviction of the defendant, Adam Mills, for first-degree murder. The case stemmed from Mills brutally killing his girlfriend while allegedly under the influence of drugs. Mills appealed his conviction, arguing that he could not be convicted of first-degree murder because the evidence did not support a finding that he had the requisite mental capacity to form a premeditated intent to kill. Mills also contended that the trial court erred by admitting photographs and body camera footage from the crime scene.
The Supreme Court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by admitting the photographs and body camera footage. It reasoned that the materials served a useful evidentiary purpose by providing the jury with visual evidence of the crime scene and the victim’s injuries, which could aid in determining Mills's intent. Regarding the defendant's argument about his mental capacity, the Court ruled that voluntary intoxication is not a defense to a specific-intent crime such as first-degree murder. The Court held that the extent and nature of the victim's injuries, inflicted by Mills, were indicative of a deliberate design to kill.
Therefore, the Court affirmed Mills's conviction and life sentence for first-degree murder.
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