Gabbard v. Commonwealth

Opinion of the Court by

Justice NOBLE.

Appellant Richard Gabbard was convicted of murdering his girlfriend by shooting her. On appeal, he claims that the trial court erred by failing to strike two jurors for cause, by not to allowing him to ask lay witnesses their opinion about whether the shooting was accidental, and by allowing evidence of prior threats he had made. Because this Court agrees that the trial court erred by not striking one of the jurors for cause, Appellant’s conviction must be reversed.

I. Background

Appellant lived with the victim, Michelle Davidson Krystofik, who had been his…