Johnson v. State

Summary

The Court affirmed Johnson’s convictions for felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children, concluding that the evidence was constitutionally and statutorily sufficient and that the remaining alleged errors did not warrant relief. The Court upheld the admission of most autopsy photographs, the limits on cross-examination, the medical examiner’s testimony, and the exclusion of testimony about efforts to locate a witness; it also held that any error concerning the pre-autopsy photograph was harmless. Although the trial court plainly erred by refusing to instruct on accident under current law, the error did not affect the verdict because the accident theory was inconsistent with Johnson’s primary defense and the medical evidence. No separate opinions were filed.