State v. Steele

MILLER, Justice:

Cora Lynn Steele was convicted of first degree murder and third degree arson by a Raleigh County jury on March 1, 1984. Upon appeal, she urges three principal grounds for reversal. First, she contends that prejudice resulted when a courtroom observer played a tape recording of in-court testimony to two State witnesses in violation of a witness sequestration order. Second, she alleges that her theory of self-defense was impaired by evidentiary rulings made by the trial court. Specifically, she asserts that the court improperly limited expert testimony regarding the “battered…