Hines v. State
Georgia Supreme Court
578 S.E.2d 868 (2003)
Relevant factsFree
Hines (defendant), a convicted felon who had been drinking, went turkey hunting with friends and relatives; hearing a turkey gobble at dusk, he fired his shotgun into thick foliage without confirming his target and killed his friend Steven Wood, roughly 80 feet away. He was convicted of felony murder based on the underlying felony of illegal firearm possession by a convicted felon, and he appealed, arguing that felon-in-possession could never support a felony-murder charge.
IssueFree
Whether possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is an inherently dangerous felony that can support a felony-murder conviction.