Ex Parte Wakilii Brown (In Re: Wakilii Brown v. State of Alabama).

Summary

The Alabama Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Criminal Appeals, holding that the trial court’s examination of a child witness in the jury’s presence, the prosecutor’s closing‑argument comment, and the reasonable‑doubt jury instruction did not constitute plain error reversible error. The Court declined to adopt a per se rule requiring competency examinations outside the jury box or a mandatory reliability hearing for child witnesses. Each challenged practice was found within the trial court’s discretion and did not prejudice the defendant.