Vanstavern v. State

Hines, Justice.

Joseph Norman Vanstavern appeals the denial of his motion for new trial and his convictions and sentences for malice murder and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime in connection with the fatal shooting of Joey Lankford Rush. He claims reversible error in the trial court’s mention to the jury of a redacted count in his indictment and maintains that his trial counsel was ineffective. For the reasons that follow, the challenges are without merit, and we affirm.1

The evidence construed in favor of the verdicts showed the following. On September 7, 2006,…