Sindelar v. State

The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant’s conviction for second-degree murder, holding that, although the district court erred in some respects in instructing the jury, Defendant was not prejudiced by the errors. The Supreme Court held (1) the district court erred when it instructed the jury that Defendant had an absolute duty to retreat before using deadly force, but Defendant was not prejudiced by the instruction; (2) the district court did not violate a clear and unequivocal rule of law in instructing the jury on the mens rea element of second-degree murder; and (3) Defendant was not prejudiced when the district court failed to inform the jury that the State had the burden of proving that Defendant did not act in a sudden heat of passion in order to convict him of second-degree manslaughter. View "Sindelar v. State" on Justia Law