Mays v. State

The appellant, Ortega Valdez Mays, was convicted of reckless manslaughter, a violation of § 13A-6-3(a)(1), Code of Alabama 1975. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, $5,000 to the victim's compensation fund, and $3,013.29 in restitution.

The state's evidence tended to show that on June 17, 1991, the appellant, then 17 years old, fatally shot Falondra Caldwell, a 15-year-old girl, while she was at her home. The appellant, with a friend, drove to the Caldwell residence around 3 p.m. on the day of the killing. There were several children playing in the…