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MARCUS DESMOND SHIPMAN v. STATE OF MARYLAND
A jury in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County convicted Marcus Desmond Shipman, appellant, of murdering seventeen-year-old LaCole Hines, the mother of his child. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for first degree premeditated murder and a concurrent 20 years for using a handgun to commit a crime of violence. In this appeal, he raises the following questions for our review:
1. Whether the trial court erred by limiting defense counsel’s cross-examination of [prosecution witness] Staccardo Riley?
2. Whether the trial court erred by allowing the prosecutor to introduce evidence that Staccardo Riley was threatened prior to trial in order to rehabilitate him?
3. Whether the trial court should have declared a mistrial after Staccardo Riley testified that [appellant] indicated that he planned to kill another witness in the case?
4. Whether the prosecutor’s improper statements in opening and closing argument warrant reversal?
5. Whether the trial court erred in permitting an expert to testify at trial who was not properly disclosed to the defense prior to trial?
Because we find neither error nor abuse of discretion, we shall affirmthe convictions.
