(Download) "State v. Mclaughlin" by Supreme Court of Montana " eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: State v. Mclaughlin
- Author : Supreme Court of Montana
- Release Date : January 11, 2007
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 66 KB
Description
Fifteen-year-old John Jason McLaughlin was tried as an adult and convicted for the murders of two fellow students whom McLaughlin shot at Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minnesota. After a bifurcated trial at which six expert witnesses testified regarding McLaughlins mental health, the Stearns County District Court declined to excuse McLaughlin from criminal liability. The court found that McLaughlin knew it was morally wrong to shoot the victims and concluded that McLaughlin therefore failed to establish a mental illness defense under the MNaghten rule codified at Minn. Stat. § 611.026 (2004). Following his conviction, McLaughlin appealed to this court. On appeal, he argues that in light of recent brain development research, the MNaghten rule violates the Due Process Clause of the Minnesota Constitution as applied to adolescent defendants. McLaughlin also argues that the district court abused its discretion by denying a mid-trial continuance he sought in order to produce a rebuttal witness and by imposing permissive consecutive sentences for his two murder convictions. We affirm.