State v. Williamson

— In this prosecution for kidnapping and attempted first degree murder, Michael Williamson claims that he was denied a fair trial because the court allowed the State to exercise an unused peremptory challenge after the jury had been sworn and after the State’s first witness had started to testify. We conclude that the ruling is subject to the abuse of discretion standard of review and that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by allowing the late peremptory challenge. Mr. Williamson also assigns error to the court’s admission of the victim’s hearsay statements under the excited…