Beard v. State

317 Ga. 842

FINAL COPY S23A0906. BEARD v. THE STATE. BOGGS, Chief Justice. Appellant James Leon Beard III challenges his convictions for felony murder and a firearm offense arising out of the shooting death of his wife, Angela Bishop. Appellant contends that the trial court committed plain error by failing to give the jury a no duty to retreat instruction and by giving the jury a sequential unanimity instruction on the lesser offense of involuntary manslaughter. Appellant also asserts that he was denied effective assistance of counsel and that the cumulative prejudice from the trial court’s…