Opinion ID: 1858937
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: conclusion

Text: Because we find clear constitutional violations under well settled law of Balfour's Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment rights as well as rights secured by Art. III, § 26 of the Mississippi Constitution, we are left with no alternative but to reverse the conviction for capital murder. In addition to constitutional violations discussed herein, we have noted other errors which occurred in the trial below such as improper cross-examination of witness Lawrence Kirby Payne by the State, the wrongful excusal of a juror in the deliberation stage of the sentencing trial, evidence of a non-statutory aggravating circumstance, and wrongful denial of defense attorney's voir dire of prospective jurors. It follows, then, that the sentence of death is vacated, and this case is remanded to the DeSoto County Circuit Court for a new trial. CONVICTION OF CAPITAL MURDER REVERSED; SENTENCE OF DEATH VACATED; CASE REMANDED FOR NEW TRIAL. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS, P.J., and ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN, PITTMAN, BANKS and McRAE, JJ., concur. PRATHER, J., not participating.