State v. Watson

CRANE, Judge.

A jury found defendant James Watson guilty of the offenses of second degree murder in violation of § 565.021 RSMo 1986 and armed criminal action in violation of § 571.015 RSMo 1986. The trial court sentenced him to concurrent terms of thirty years imprisonment for second degree murder and three years imprisonment for armed criminal action. The charges arose out of the shooting death of Clarence Grimes during a drug transaction. At trial defendant admitted shooting Grimes, but claimed he had acted in self-defense. Defendant appeals from the judgment on the grounds that the trial…