¶ … Michigan v. Bryant case. It will cover the case's procedural statement, relevant facts, issue presented on appeal, court ruling, rationale, authorities cited, and final disposition on appeal.
Relevant Facts
In the middle of the night (approximately 3:25 A.M.) on 29th April, 2001, police officers in Detroit, Michigan, acting in response to a message on radio, which indicated that a man wounded by a gunshot had been found, arrived at the spot to find Anthony Covington -- the victim -- with a bullet in his abdomen. He looked like he was in great agony and was finding difficulty speaking. The officers asked him what happened and where, and the name of the person who shot him. Covington could only manage to say the word, "Rick," and that the incident took place on 126 St. at 3 a.m. Further, he indicated that he and Bryant spoke (SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES MICHIGAN, PETITIONER v. RICHARD PERRY BRYANT MICHIGAN v. BRYANT, 2011). The police spoke for about 5-10 minutes with Covington, until emergency services arrived at the spot and took him to an emergency room. Covington succumbed to his wound in a few hours. After the ambulance took off, the police officers sought backup, and made their way to Bryant's residence. Bryant was not...
Additionally, police stumbled upon Covington's identification and wallet outside Bryant's house. Before the state Supreme Court, the defendant asserted that the deceased Covington's words to police officers were inadmissible, being testimonial under Davis v. Washington and Crawford v. Washington. But the State claimed that, under Michigan's Rules of Evidence, his words could be admitted as being "excited utterances." Upon remand, the appellate court again affirmed their verdict, by claiming that the statement of Covington was admitted properly, as it wasn't testimonial. Once again, Bryant appealed before the state's Supreme Court, and his conviction was reversed (SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES MICHIGAN, PETITIONER v. RICHARD PERRY BRYANT MICHIGAN v. BRYANT, 2011).
Procedural Statement
At the court trial, Covington's words to police officers at the parking lot of a gas station, where he was found wounded, were used as testimony against Bryant. He was judged as guilty of committing second-degree manslaughter, being a criminal possessing a firearm, as well as possessing…
