Jackson v. State

*601OPINION

By the Court,

Pickering, J.:

A single act can violate more than one criminal statute. When it does, the question arises whether the defendant can, in a single trial, be prosecuted and punished cumulatively for that act. These appeals present specific applications of that question: When the elements of both crimes are met, can a defendant who shoots and hits but fails to kill his victim be convicted of and punished for both attempted murder and battery? If he shoots and misses, can he be convicted of and punished for both attempted murder and assault?

In general, the answer to the single…