On Wednesday, the New Hampshire Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Michael Addison. Four years ago, a jury found Addison guilty of first degree murder in the 2006 shooting death of Manchester police officer Michael Briggs. The jury then sentenced Addison to death.
Addison’s lawyers have appealed to the state Supreme Court, and the court will hear a full day of arguments beginning at nine this morning.
University of New Hampshire law school professor Buzz Scherr (sure) says the defense will argue, in part, that the trial judge should have changed the venue out of Manchester.
“The argument has been that the pretrial publicity was such that of all the places literally in the world that you’re running a risk that Michael Addison wouldn’t get a fair trial, it would be Hillsborough County, Manchester in particular.”
Scherr says there most likely won’t be any ruling for at least six months. If Addison loses the appeal, he could still try to take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
