Upon the Michigan Supreme Court overturning a 2020 second-degree murder conviction in a fatal Muskegon County stabbing case, Markou Montague Levine Defense Partner Anastase Markou spoke with WZZM 13 about the June 26 ruling, stating it reinforces a fundamental constitutional protection.
Ina 4-3 decision, the state supreme court threw out Kristopher Joesel's conviction, a 33- to 90-year prison sentence, ruling jurors should have been allowed to consider a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, and reinforcing the defendant’s constitutional right to a properly instructed jury.
“The court decided the trial judge was wrong in failing to give jurors the option of considering voluntary manslaughter,” Markou said in his interview with WZZM 13. He is not involved in the case. “Every defendant has a constitutional right to a properly instructed jury, and appellate courts cannot speculate about what jurors might have decided had they been given all legally supported verdict options.”
The case now returns to Muskegon County for further proceedings, where prosecutors must determine the next steps. The ruling also underscores the importance of ensuring juries are instructed on every verdict option supported by the evidence.
Watch the full interview, here.
