Summary
The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed Marco Slaughter's conviction for malice murder. The court held that the evidence was sufficient for the jury to reject his claims of mistake of fact and self-defense and to find beyond a reasonable doubt that he acted out of revenge rather than imminent danger.
Holdings
- The asserted mistake of fact was not a separate defense because it concerned whether the victim was armed and therefore whether Slaughter was justified in shooting first in self-defense.
- The evidence was sufficient for a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt that Slaughter did not act in self-defense and was guilty of malice murder.
Questions Presented
- Whether the evidence was sufficient to support Slaughter's malice-murder conviction when he claimed mistake of fact and self-defense.
- Whether the State disproved self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
Disposition
affirmed
Cases Cited (7)
- Ellis v. State, 174 Ga. App. 535, 536(2), 330 S.E.2d 764 (1985)(followed)
- Pullin v. State, 257 Ga. 815, 817(3), 364 S.E.2d 848 (1988)(followed)
- Holmes v. State, 273 Ga. 644, 645(1), 543 S.E.2d 688 (2001)(followed)
- Knight v. State, 271 Ga. 557, 559(1), 521 S.E.2d 819 (1999)(followed)
- Pearson v. State, 277 Ga. 813, 814(1), 596 S.E.2d 582 (2004)(followed)
- Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S. Ct. 2781, 61 L. Ed. 2d 560 (1979)(followed)
- Carreker v. State, 273 Ga. 371(1), 541 S.E.2d 364 (2001)(followed)
Cited In (0)
No citing cases on record yet.
Court Document
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