Hooks v. State

A sad tale of the murder of a homeless person sets the stage for the issues in this appeal. The defendant appeals his conviction on one count of second degree murder and two counts of attempted second degree murder, which resulted in concurrent sentences of thirty years’ imprisonment. Several issues were raised, but none warrant a reversal. We write to discuss the trial court’s denial of the defendant’s mo tion to' change venue due to pre-trial publicity. We affirm.

Four young men congregated for an evening of alcohol, marijuana, and Xanax, which culminated in tragedy. They decided to take a…