Case: STATE V. J.G.

The defendant was charged with second degree murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The defendant faced life in prison. The two counts were severed and the State tried the defendant on the felon in possession charge first. At trial, the defense was able to impeach witness after witness as their stories contradicted each others on major points. The primary defense in the case was that the defendant only grabbed the gun and shot the victim out of “necessity” to protect his relative who was getting beat up in the street. The jury found the defendant acted out of “necessity” under the law and found him not guilty. He later received probation and not one day in jail on the murder charge as none of the witnesses were credible after the first trial.