State v. Motes

Lewis, Justice:

The Defendant, James David Motes, has appealed from his conviction and sentence for murder. He contends that he should be granted a new trial because of several alleged trial errors.

The first question concerns the alleged prejudicial effect of certain questions propounded to the defendant by the trial judge.

Defendant testified that he knew nothing of the killing of the deceased and that he was at home at the time of the occurrence. It developed, however, that defendant, against the advice of his attorney, had made a statement to the officers that he (Defendant) had committed…