The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that a man convicted of murder in Fulton County home invasion must be given a new trial because the jury verdict form was improperly worded.
In an unanimous ruling Monday, the high court said the form incorrectly instructed jurors that to find Soniel D. Cheddersingh not guilty, they had to do so “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The form, however, reversed the principles of American jurisprudence. Rather it was the prosecution's duty to find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, according the court opinion
Cheddersingh was accused of and assisting two other men in a 2007 home invasion. In 2008, a Fulton County jury convicted him of murdering Michael Walker, Jr. and wounding his cousin, Anthony Mack, Jr.
Cheddersingh was sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison.
About the Author
