Nelson v. State

CHARLES E. ORTH, Jr., Judge, Specially Assigned.

Michael B. Nelson was convicted by a jury in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City of murder in the first degree and related offenses. The State did not seek the death penalty. At the penalty stage of the trial, Nelson requested that a presentence investigation be obtained. The judge refused to order one. He imposed a life sentence and two consecutive one-year sentences. The Court of Special Appeals affirmed the judgments. Nelson v. State, No. 911, September Term, 1987, unreported, filed 28 July 1988. We granted certiorari. The sole question…