State v. English

TYSON, Judge.

Bobby Lee English (“defendant”) appeals judgments entered after a jury found him to be guilty of: (1) first-degree murder; (2) first-degree burglary; (3) conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary; (4) robbery with a dangerous weapon; and (5) conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. Because the trial court erroneously deprived defendant of his right to make the final closing argument to the jury, we hold defendant is entitled to a new trial.

I. Background

On 5 February 2004, Henry Gibson (“Gibson”), an eighty-two-year-old military veteran, was beaten to death in his…