Opinion ID: 1749048
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: On July 30, 1978, Joseph Cosby and several members of his family were gathered at the home of Johnny Cosby. Some time during that afternoon, the defendant, Clifton G. St. Amant, and another unidentified man stopped their car about 15 or 20 feet from the porch where the Cosby family was gathered. The defendant, who was sitting on the passenger's side of the automobile, called out for someone to come see. John Thomas approached the car and defendant requested that someone give him gas money. Thomas told the defendant that nobody knew him and that he should leave. The car then left, only to return about three minutes later. This time, St. Amant emerged from the car with a 10-inch hunting knife. Joseph Cosby and the others told him to leave because they were not going to give him any money. St. Amant and his companion left, but St. Amant returned alone approximately twenty minutes later. With his hand held behind his back as if to conceal something, the defendant approached the Cosby family porch. When St. Amant reached the group, Cosby hit him on the head with a beer bottle. The defendant once more left the Cosby home. Approximately fifteen minutes later, St. Amant drove his automobile into the Cosby yard. Defendant again approached the group with his hand hidden behind his back. This time, Joseph Cosby hit defendant in the arm with a pipe and John Thomas punched him in the face. For the fourth time, the defendant left, this time on foot. Later that night, Joseph Cosby went to his sister's house to wait for his sister-in-law, Juanita Cosby, who would be stopping there on her way home from work to pick up her children. Juanita Cosby agreed to give Joseph a ride home. Juanita was driving an automobile which belonged to her brother, Jesse Thomas, who was a passenger in the front seat. Joseph Cosby got into the back seat with Juanita's two young children. When they arrived at her home, Juanita got out of the car to unlock the front door. At this time two men approached the car. One of the men, wearing a sling on his arm, stepped up to the automobile and fired numerous shots into the back seat of the automobile at Joseph Cosby. Cosby received a number of wounds in his arm, leg, side and back. At trial, Cosby identified the man who had done the shooting as being the same man who had harassed the family at the gathering all that day. Defendant, Clifton G. St. Amant, was arrested and charged by bill of information with attempted first degree murder. He was convicted of that offense by a unanimous twelve person jury.