Sneed v. Burress

I agree completely with the Court’s conclusion that the declaration of a mistrial in this case was not an abuse .of the trial court’s discretion. I write separately in hopes that a fuller account of the trial court’s proceedings and this Court’s standard of review will serve as a response to the concerns raised by the dissent.

RELEVANT FACTS

Near the outset of her opening statement, counsel for Sneed explained to the jury that the defendant denied the sex-offense allegations that had been leveled against him and contended that the alleged victim, the defendant’s granddaughter, had fabricated…