People v. Vail

Defendant was charged with first-degree murder. After a six-day jury trial, he was convicted of the lesser included offense of manslaughter. Defendant was subsequently sentenced to a term of from 7-1/2 to 15 years imprisonment on July 14, 1970. Upon a motion by the defendant, we granted leave to appeal in February of 1973.

The facts of the case are highly complex and stem from an alleged armed robbery perpetrated late in the evening of August 26, 1969, an alleged fire-bombing incident occurring in the early morning hours of August 27, 1969, and an alleged exchange of gunshots in the early…