People v. Scott

Following a jury trial, the defendant, Hakizimana Scott, was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to 55 years in prison. On appeal, the defendant contends that: (1) the trial court erred in barring the testimony of a defense witness as a discovery sanction; (2) defense counsel provided ineffective assistance in that she failed to comply with discovery rules, thus resulting in the witness in question being barred; (3) he was denied a fair trial as a result of certain comments the prosecutor made during closing arguments; and (4) the trial court erred in failing to appoint new…