People v. Bishop

Defendant was tried and convicted following a four-day bench trial of voluntary manslaughter, MCL 750.321; MSA 28.553. He was originally charged with second-degree murder, MCL 750.317; MSA 28.549. On September 25, 1978, he was sentenced to a term of from 8 to 15 years imprisonment. Defendant was granted leave to appeal to this Court after having once been denied leave. The Court now considers the merits of defendant’s appeal.

Defendant originally claimed that the trial judge should have disqualified himself from conducting the bench trial after having presided over defendant’s Walker1 hearing.…