Michigan Criminal Attorney Blog

In a closely watched Michigan murder case, Jamar Pinkney took the stand in his own defense. People v Pinkney involves allegations that Jamar Pinkney fatally shot his son, Jamar Pinkney, Jr after his son admitted to improperly touching his 3 year old sister. While the defendant was charged with murder in the first degree, felony firearm and felonious assault, the defense is countering that the shooting actually constituted manslaughter. The defendant testified that he lost control after learning of the admitted molestation of his daughter, resulting in the beating and shooting of his son. The jury can consider all testimony and evidence. If the jury is convinced that the defendant acted in the heat of passion, they could convict him of manslaughter. Various witnesses testified essentially consistently that Jamar Pinkney, Sr did not exhibit any signs that he might commit such a crime in the three hours leading up to the shooting. Instead, the witnesses agreed that he sat and talked to his son, his son's mother and others while they tried to determine how to handle the alleged sexual assault.
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http://detnews.com/article/20100331/METRO01/3310385/