State v. Lawrence

MARTIN, Justice.

The Court of Appeals found plain error as to the trial court’s jury instructions regarding the elements of conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and granted defendant a new trial on that charge. The only questions before this Court are (1) whether the Court of Appeals applied the proper standard of review for plain error and (2) whether the trial court’s jury instructions regarding conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon rise to the level of plain error.

Almost thirty years ago, in State v. Odom, we adopted the federal plain error rule for criminal…