MachIVshooter
Member
So the third obvious thing to not do is to make statements to the police that go beyond establishing yourself as the victim and pointing out pertinent evidence at the scene.
This. The man's conviction probably hinged a great deal more on his inconsistencies and poorly thought out, poorly articulated arguments than on what actually happened.
Most of us here have probably seen this, but it's worth linking again:
Don't talk to the police
The speaker makes excellent points and great examples of how even a truly innocent person can ensnare themselves with seemingly benign statements.
Most States allow a conviction on a lesser included offense. One thing that occurs to me, but this is just a guess, Michigan might allow to some extent alternate verdicts. So if, for some reason, the conviction on the murder charge gets tossed on appeal, e. g., faulty jury instructions on murder, or insufficient evidence as a matter of law of malice, etc., the manslaughter conviction could stand avoiding a need for a new trial.
How would that not be preemptive double jeopardy?