Opinion ID: 2524439
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: manning's testimony

Text: Manning testified at trial in his own defense as follows: On the day of the shooting, Manning was at his house with a few other people, including his ex-girlfriend and his cousin. Manning was not well acquainted with McKenzie, Williams, or McAbee when they came to his house that day. Manning admitted that he sold crack cocaine to supplement his income and that he believed these individuals came by his house to purchase some crack. Manning told them that he did not have any, so they offered to sell him a milk crate full of various items. After haggling over the price, Manning gave them $30. McKenzie, Williams, and McAbee left, returned a short time later, and demanded another $20. Manning refused, but admitted that he ripped these people off for the additional $20. When he brought the milk crate into his house, he discovered that it contained various paper items, some coins in a cash register drawer, and liquor bottles. He denied that he burned any of the items, instead insisting that it was his mother who placed them on a dryer in a utility room and burned them. He also claimed that he and his mother had a history of arguments and fights; that she was a chronic drug abuser; and that he did not do the things that she attributed to him in her statement. He testified that he did not leave the house to go to the Bartlett liquor store on December 26, 1997, and that he did not rob the store or shoot Chatmon. His ex-girlfriend and his cousin also testified that he did not leave the house that day. The jury ultimately convicted Manning of one count of first-degree felony murder and one count of aggravated robbery. The trial court sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole for 15 years for the felony murder and 51 months for the aggravated robbery, to run consecutive to the life sentence. Manning raises four issues on appeal: (1) whether the trial court erred when it declared Canady a hostile witness and allowed the State to examine her regarding her statement she made to the police; (2) whether the trial court erred when it refused to excuse a juror for cause and forced Manning to use a peremptory challenge; (3) whether the trial court erred when it refused to grant a mistrial following a police officer's testimony; and (4) whether the State improperly cross-examined Manning by asking him to comment on the veracity of the State's witnesses.