Watson v. State
Watson v. State
Opinion of the Court
*1155Rakim Watson appeals his convictions for charges stemming from a drive-by shooting in which several individuals were wounded.
Many of the individuals in this case have previously been involved with the criminal justice system. At trial, there were inconsistencies among the witnesses' accounts and in prior witness statements. While the identities of the shooters were disputed, it was undisputed that shots were fired from a vehicle Watson was in and several people were injured. Furthermore, at least one victim testified that Watson fired shots from the vehicle. Thus, there was sufficient evidence, despite the inconsistencies, to support Watson's convictions. Cf. Slater v. State,
Further, we find the trial court's error in informing the jury that Watson had a prior conviction to be harmless under the circumstances of this case. During the preliminary instructions, the court read the charges Watson faced, including, "possession of a firearm by a convicted in-state-."
AFFIRMED.
COHEN, C.J., WALLIS and EISNAUGLE, JJ., concur.
Following a jury trial, Watson was found guilty of four counts of principal aggravated battery, one count of discharging a firearm from a vehicle, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
While the court stopped before saying the word "felon," the jury would likely have gathered that Watson had been previously convicted of a crime.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.