Hackett v. State

Earl Ray Hackett, the defendant, was charged with two counts of murder in the first degree. After a trial by jury he was convicted on both counts. 1 He now appeals these convictions raising the following issues:

1. The sufficiency of the evidence to support the jury’s verdict as to identification;

2. The propriety of the trial judge’s refusal of defendant’s tendered instruction on eye witness identification;

3. Whether a comment made by the prosecutor was prejudicial error; and

4. Whether defendant’s right to a public trial was infringed.

The facts and evidence advanced at trial were as follows.…