People v. Watkins

In a trial before a jury defendant DeShorn Watkins was tried for the crime of first-degree murder1 and convicted of second-deg'ree murder.2 He was sentenced to prison for a term of from 10 to 15 years. He states one issue on appeal as follows:

Did the trial court err in failing to grant a motion to dismiss the charge of first-degree murder and later in instructing the jury on the offense of first-degree murder in view of the evidence in this case?

On the evening of December 31, 1969, defendant and Crawford Crowell had attended a social gathering in Muskegon Heights with two or three other…