Michigan high court to review manslaughter conviction for Dearborn Heights man who killed teen


The Michigan Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday in the case of a man sentenced to 17 years in prison after he shot and killed a woman in 2013.

Ted Wafer is asking the high court to reconsider his second-degree murder and manslaughter charges, arguing it was improper to be charged with both since his sentence was enhanced due to the manslaughter conviction. 

Wafer opened his front door in Dearborn Heights and shot Renisha McBride, 19, through a screen door almost 10 years ago. McBride had been in a car accident and prosecutors had speculated she was disoriented when she began pounding on his door. 

Wafer, arguing he feared for his life, shot McBride instead of calling 911. A jury rejected the self-defense claim and convicted him in 2014. Now, the 62-year-old is hoping to reduce his sentence.

In a court filing, prosecutors said murder and manslaughter with a gun still fit because each crime has different elements.

“Each offense requires proof of an element the other does not,” the prosecutor’s office said. “No clear legislative intent to the contrary exists. Multiple convictions are thus permitted.”

RELATED: Black teen misses bus, gets shot at after asking for directions in Rochester Hills

Wafer is white and McBride was Black, and some people wondered in the aftermath of the shooting whether race was a factor, likening it to the 2012 shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. 

But race was hardly mentioned at trial.

The Associated Press contributed to this report



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Money Laundering
Article Laws in India Legal Updates/News

Unraveling the Complex Web of Money Laundering, its 3 stages: A Deep Dive into Notorious Cases

Money laundering is a pervasive and intricate criminal activity that poses a significant threat to the global financial system

Read More
Legal Updates/News

Corruption a termite in every system: High court

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court while refusing anticipatory bail to a government doctor, observed that corruption was a termite in every system and once it entered the system, it went on increasing. Rejecting the anticipatory bail of a government doctor, justice Krishna Pahal observed on February 25: “Corruption is a termite […]

Read More
Legal Updates/News

SC Allows CBI to Probe 17-Year-Old Girl’s Death by Suicide in TN

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the CBI to proceed with the probe into the suicide of a 17-year-old girl in Thanjavur who was allegedly coerced to convert to Christianity. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M Trivedi issued notice on the appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu DGP challenging the […]

Read More