State v. Manassa

The petitioner, Earl Manassa, filed this petition for a writ of mandamus directing Judge John R. Lockett to grant his motion to dismiss the indictment returned against him by a Mobile County grand jury. Ma-nassa was indicted for capital murder for allegedly killing six-year-old Kearis Bon-ham, who was in a dwelling, as a result of a shot aimed at police officers that misfired. Manassa moved to dismiss the indictment, arguing that the doctrine of transferred intent was not applicable in a capital-murder case. Judge Lockett denied the motion and cited this Court’s decision in State v. Phillips,…