State v. Williams

Summary

The court held that a defendant charged with reckless first-degree manslaughter is entitled to a self-defense instruction when the evidence reasonably supports it, even if the person killed was an unintended bystander. Because the omitted instruction was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, the court ordered a new trial on the manslaughter charge. The court also held that separate convictions for possessing a firearm and ammunition under the same statute violated double jeopardy and vacated the ammunition conviction.