State v. Grippon

I agree with the majority’s decision to affirm Grippon’s conviction for voluntary manslaughter, but see no need to recommend an entirely new circumstantial evidence charge. Accordingly, I concur in result only.

As the majority notes, the charge requested by Grippon correctly stated the law. The language concerning the necessity that the circumstantial evidence “point conclusively to the guilt of the accused to the exclusion of every other reasonable hypothesis” does not shift the burden of proof to the defendant. State v. Raffaldt, 318 S.C. 110, 456 S.E.2d 390 (1995), and State v. Manning, 305…