State v. Brian Mlyniec

Summary

The Rhode Island Supreme Court affirmed the conviction for first‑degree murder, the admission of the defendant’s videotaped statement, the admission of prior‑act testimony, the denial of the judge’s recusal, and the life‑without‑parole sentence. The Court held the statement was voluntary, the evidentiary rulings were not an abuse of discretion, the judge showed no disqualifying bias, and the sentence was appropriate given the heinous nature of the crime. The decision was based on a de novo review of the confession issue and an abuse‑of‑discretion review of the evidentiary and recusal rulings.