Hart v. State

Appellant was indicted for first degree murder, tried by jury, found guilty of second degree murder under Ind. Code § 35-1-54-1 (Burns 1975) and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of fifteen to twenty-five years.

The questions here presented concern (1) the sufficiency of the evidence to support the elements of purpose and malice and (2) the constitutionality and correctness of several of the court’s rulings restricting appellant’s voir dire examination of prospective jurors.

The first question presented concerns the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict of guilty. In reviewing…