Barnett v. State
Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
783 So. 2d 927 (2000)
Relevant factsFree
During an altercation, Barnett (defendant) hit Kevon Moses in the head with a garden hoe after Moses tripped while backing away, killing him. Alabama charged Barnett with felony murder, using first-degree assault — the very act that caused Moses's death — as the predicate felony, and a jury convicted him.
IssueFree
Whether, under the merger doctrine, a felony that directly results in, or is an integral part of, the homicide can serve as the basis for a felony-murder conviction.