Roberts v. Mississippi

Jafron Roberts was convicted by jury of kidnapping and statutory rape, but was acquitted him of sexual battery. The Circuit Court imposed the maximum penalty for the kidnapping conviction, thirty years, and sentenced Roberts to thirty-seven years for the statutory rape conviction, to run concurrently with his sentence for kidnapping. Roberts appealed, arguing: (1) the trial court should have granted his motion to suppress his statement to the police; (2) the trial court should have granted his request for production and in camera inspection of medical records; (3) the State’s loss of exculpatory evidence denied his right to due process; (4) the trial court should have excluded the testimony of the State’s DNA expert; and (5) a pre-indictment delay of approximately one year violated his due process rights. Finding no error, the Mississippi Supreme Court affirm Roberts’ convictions. View "Roberts v. Mississippi" on Justia Law