Trial ongoing for man accused of killing over parking spot
Prosecutor: Slaying was ‘senseless’; Stanton’s lawyer: It was self-defense
The third day of testimony is expected to begin Wednesday in the trial of a man accused of fatally shooting another over a parking spot in September 2015.
Marvin Arrell Stanton was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in the death of Jesse Hamilton, 22, following a trial in 2016. An Arkansas appellate court reversed Stanton’s conviction and sent the case back to Miller County circuit court for a new trial.
A second attempt to resolve the case in August 2018 ended with Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson declaring a mistrial. Monday, a jury of nine women and three men was chosen to hear the case.
Jurors this week have heard Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Potter Barrett describe Hamilton’s death as a “senseless” killing that began when Stanton demanded Hamilton move his truck from an area in the parking lot of the Raceway gas station where Stanton liked to park. They
heard Little Rock defense lawyer Natalie Dixon frame the shooting as self-defense and a reasonable response to the circumstances.
Testimony from lay witnesses who were at the scene, accounts from law enforcement, findings of a firearms expert and opinions from the medical examiner have been heard, under questioning by Barrett, Dixon, Rosenzweig and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Cotton.
Once both sides have rested, the jury will be given instructions on the law they must follow before deliberating on Stanton’s case. Should they convict, the trial will enter a punishment phase.
Stanton faces 10 to 40 years or life in prison if found guilty.