Ex Parte William Chad Randolph Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Court of Criminal Appeals (in Re: William Chad…

Summary

The Alabama Supreme Court granted certiorari to review the Court of Criminal Appeals' affirmation of William Chad Randolph's rape conviction and reversed that decision. It held that the trial court erred by admitting lay‑witness testimony on the ultimate issue, contrary to Rule 704 and the precedent set in Naylor, and that the error was not harmless. The case was remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.