Adams v. State

James Adams was tried by jury and convicted of second degree murder, a lesser included offense of the charged premeditated murder. The evidence at trial established that, in the weeks prior to the victim’s death, the defendant and his girlfriend had been staying with the victim, Elijah Brown, in Brown’s hotel room and that all three were drug users. Brown was beaten to death with a four-by-four board and both the defendant’s girlfriend and stepmother testified at trial, implicating the defendant in the murder. In this appeal, Adams contends his conviction must be reversed on two grounds: (1)…