State v. Cochran

Brown, A.C.J.

— After raising a diminished capacity defense, Buddy Cochran was convicted of attempted first degree murder. Mr. Cochran’s appeal presents the novel issue of whether the trial court erred when allowing the State to present rebuttal evidence on the issue of diminished capacity even though defense counsel was not present during the State’s entire mental status evaluation process. We decide his right to counsel during this critical stage of proceeding was not violated. We also reject claimed error in limiting evidence of alleged witness drug use and child abuse. In the unpublished…