State v. Esler

OPINION

PARKER, Judge.

Appellant Matthew James Esler, a 14-year-old, was indicted by a grand jury for one count of first-degree murder, Minn.Stat. § 609.185(1) (1994). A jury found Esler not guilty of the first-degree murder charge, but found him guilty of the lesser included offense of second-degree murder in violation of MinmStat. § 609.19(1) (1994). The state moved for an upward durational departure from the sentencing guidelines. The motion was granted, and Esler was sentenced to 382 months incarceration. Esler was also ordered to pay restitution to a homeowner for damages he caused to the…