State v. Richards

The defendant in this proceeding, Michael Ross Richards, was convicted of second degree murder by a jury in Ritchie County, West Virginia, and was sentenced to from five to eighteen years in the State penitentiary. On appeal; he claims that the trial court improperly instructed the jury on several aspects of the case and that the court erred in refusing to allow him to be heard when it appeared that a member of the jury had engaged in juror misconduct. He also claims that he was denied effective assistance of counsel. After reviewing the issues presented and the record filed, this Court…