Harris v. State — First-Degree Murder Affirmed; Combined Self-Defense/Accident Jury Instruction Not Plain Error After Defendant’s Acquiescence
The Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed first-degree murder and aggravated assault convictions for a drive-by shooting, holding that a combined self-defense and accident-and-misfortune jury instruction was not plain error where the defendant argued self-defense at trial, explicitly agreed to the instruction three times, and the instruction expanded—rather than restricted—the jury’s basis for acquittal.