State v. Sparks

Supreme Court of North Carolina
State v. Sparks, 293 N.C. 262 (N.C. 1977)
248 S.E.2d 339; 1977 N.C. LEXIS 930
Exum

State v. Sparks

Opinion of the Court

ORDER FOR NEW TRIAL UPON REMAND FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

HAVING reconsidered this case on remand from the Supreme Court of the United States in the light of Mullaney v. Wilbur, 421 U.S. 684, 44 L.Ed. 2d 508 (1975), and Hankerson v. North Carolina, --- U.S. ---,53 L.Ed. 2d 306 (1977), the defendant having properly raised on appeal to this Court the question of the constitutionality of the trial judge’s instructions placing the burden on the defendant to show that the killing was done in the heat of a sudden passion and that it was done in self-defense, see State v. Sparks, 285 N.C. 631 (1974), and being of the opinion that in light of Mullaney and Hanker-son, these assignments of error should have been sustained and defendant awarded a new trial, now, therefore, it is

ORDERED by the Court in Conference that defendant be and he is hereby awarded a new trial.

This the 12th day of September, 1977.

James G. Exum, Jr. Associate Justice

For the Court

Reference

Full Case Name
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA v. KELLY DEAN SPARKS
Cited By
6 cases
Status
Published