State v. Bourgeois

— The principal issue before us is whether the trial court committed reversible error in permitting the State to elicit on the direct examination of several of its witnesses that they were reluctant to appear in court or were afraid to testify. We conclude that although this was error in all but one instance, it was harmless. We also conclude that several irregularities that occurred during the course of the trial were not sufficiently prejudicial to warrant a new trial. Consequently, we reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals and reinstate the defendant’s conviction for aggravated first…