Issue

Prosecutor's closing statement—self-defense to murder—characterization of defendant's actions as aggressive—no misstatements of law

Summary

In defendant's trial for first-degree murder, in which defendant asserted that he was acting in self-defense when he fired his shotgun out through the window of his garage toward attendees of a nearby house party, killing one person, there was no gross impropriety in the prosecutor's closing statement requiring the trial court's intervention where the prosecutor did not misstate the law on self-defense while characterizing certain of defendant's actions as aggressive. At no point did the prosecutor invoke the aggressor doctrine, claim that defendant had a duty to retreat within his home, or disclaim defendant's right to lawfully defend his home.

Summary from the North Carolina Reports digest (official subject index). Read the opinion →