State v. Hohman

The defendant was charged with murder in the first degree for the killing of a young girl in the Town of Shaftsbury. As a defense to the charge he claimed to have been legally insane at the time of the offense. In a trial by jury, from which he was absent at his personal request, he was found guilty of murder in the second degree. On appeal the defendant alleges several claims of prejudicial error. We hold that two of the errors raised by the defendant so impinged upon his fundamental right to a fair trial that we are compelled to overturn the conviction and order a new trial.

The first claim…