The Supreme Court modified and affirmed. Under the facts and statutory text, Williams remained a lawful occupant for purposes of N.C.G.S. § 14-51.2 even after exiting the vehicle during the confrontation. He was entitled to the presumption instruction, and the failure to give it was prejudicial.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court preserved trial-judge discretion to allow a detective’s account of a Spanish interview for rebuttal without an English transcript.
The Indiana Court of Appeals held that evidence Herzog pursued fleeing teenagers rather than disengage allowed the jury to find he acted with fault and reject self-defense.
The Massachusetts SJC affirmed a first-degree murder conviction after finding four alleged investigative failures did not undermine the verdict.
The South Carolina Court of Appeals affirmed a murder conviction, holding that the defendant’s decision to return to the confrontation site while armed — minutes after texting “I’m gonna kill that BBoy” — defeated Stand Your Ground immunity under the Protection of Persons and Property Act; suicide attempt evidence was properly admitted under the Cartwright framework; and the self-defense jury charge adequately covered the law.