Patterson v. State

SHEPARD, Justice.

Rowena Patterson was convicted on May 18, 1984, of second degree murder, Burns § 10-3404 (Repealed October 1, 1977), for the August 1963 death of her step-daughter, Rita, She was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Several issues have been raised in this direct appeal, one of which requires our reversal of the conviction. Because of our disposition of the case, we address only the following issues:

1. Whether the court's disqualification of two adult defense witnesses is reversible error;

2. Whether Patterson was denied due process because twenty years elapsed between the alleged…