P. v. Meeks
The prosecution presented uncontested evidence that defendant Ronnie Derek Meeks had the motive and opportunity to stab the victim 19 times, while she was alive, before administering the lethal blunt force trauma to her head. The prosecution also introduced compelling DNA evidence she had been murdered in defendant's motel room and he had dumped the body, together with bloody sheets, pillows, and gloves, into a dumpster, as well as evidence he had received a cut on his hand as a result of the victim's defensive moves. A jury convicted him of murder in the first degree, involving the use of torture and the personal use of a knife.
On appeal, defendant, who represented himself at trial, contends the trial court abused its discretion by denying his request to allow his standby counsel to make his closing argument. Standby counsel had prepared the trial for three years and had attended the entire trial. Although we agree with defendant the court abused its discretion by holding him to his election to represent himself without any indication on the record that it considered the factors necessary to justify its refusal to allow standby counsel to give a closing argument, Court do not find the error prejudicial. Court also reject defendant's claims of instructional error and therefore affirm the judgment.
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