United States v. James L. Cockerham

In this appeal from a jury conviction of second-degree murder, the contentions which merit discussion are that the District Court erred in failing to ask certain questions during its voir dire of prospective jurors, in admitting inflammatory evidence, and in its control of the conduct of trial respecting the presentation of appellant’s insanity defense.

Appellant was indicted for the murder of, and taking indecent liberties with, a seven-year old girl whose cause of death was exsanguination from a deep slash wound across the throat. She was also strangled and scalded, and suffered a blow to…