State v. Cruz

HAYS, Justice.

The appellant, Josef P. Cruz, was indicted and tried for second degree murder arising from the shooting death of Leonard Mollon in the parking lot of Carl Hayden High School. A jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to serve eight years in the Arizona State Prison. A timely notice of appeal was filed and we accepted jurisdiction pursuant to 17A A.R.S., Supreme Court Rules, rule 47(e)(5).

The shooting was the culmination of a dispute between the boys concerning appellant’s belief that Mollon had been responsible for the repeated vandalism and theft of various items from…