State v. Woolridge-Jones
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The case involves Makhi Woolridge-Jones, who was convicted of second-degree murder, second-degree assault, and two counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. The charges stemmed from a shooting at a shopping mall that resulted in the death of one man and injury to a woman. Woolridge-Jones fired multiple shots, hitting the man. On appeal, Woolridge-Jones argued that the district court erred in excluding expert testimony that would have opined that the initial shot fired by him put him in a state of peritraumatic dissociation. He also claimed that the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions and that his sentences were excessive.
The District Court for Douglas County had previously found Woolridge-Jones guilty of the lesser-included offense of second-degree murder, second-degree assault, and two counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. The court had also excluded the expert testimony of a licensed psychologist who had evaluated Woolridge-Jones and opined that he experienced symptoms of peritraumatic dissociation during the shooting incident.
The Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The court found that the expert's testimony would not have assisted the jury in determining whether Woolridge-Jones acted with the requisite intent to be found guilty of second-degree murder. The court also found that there was sufficient evidence to support Woolridge-Jones' convictions and that the district court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing him.
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