State v. Burns

KAROHL, Judge.

Defendant appeals consecutive life sentences for murder in the first degree and armed criminal action. The evidence supported submission of the charged crimes and the guilty verdicts. Defendant shot and killed a young man who was sitting in a parked car. The court submitted, and the jury rejected, defendant’s claim of self-defense.

We find no merit in defendant’s argument “the trial court erred when it compelled [defendant] to commit to testifying before allowing counsel to question the jury panel on self-defense.” During voir dire, defense counsel told the panel “one of the…