State v. Hopson

SMITH, Presiding Judge.

Defendant appeals from his conviction of voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action by a jury and the court imposed concurrent punishments as a prior and persistent offender of 25 and 10 years respectively. We reverse and remand.

Defendant was charged with second degree murder in the death of his brother, Leonard. On New Years eve 1992, defendant, his brother, and his uncle (also named Leonard Hopson) began celebrating. They consumed large portions of beer, some vodka, and smoked crack cocaine. The brothers began arguing and the arguments persisted for a lengthy…