State v. Johnson

Defendant appeals from a first-degree murder conviction. He argues that (1) the evidence, when viewed most favorably to the State, failed to establish causation; (2) the trial court’s instructions regarding malice and evidence of other crimes constituted-plain error; (3) the court committed reversible error by allowing a sequestered juror to return from emer gency leave without determining whether he had been prejudicially influenced against defendant; (4) the court’s examination of an expert witness put into doubt the impartiality of the ' trial; and (5) the conviction is void because due…