JACKSON (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court has overturned the murder conviction of a man accused of killing his baby son, saying his rights were violated by a hostile judge who repeatedly asked questions at trial.
A judge can interrogate witnesses. But in a unanimous decision Thursday, the Supreme Court said Jackson County Judge John McBain appeared biased and likely influenced the jury, especially when he acted like a prosecutor while questioning a defense expert.
Adam Stevens was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his 3-month-old son, who had head trauma in 2010. Stevens told jurors that he accidentally dropped Kian after tripping on a toy truck, although he had denied dropping the baby during interviews with police.
- Posted July 27, 2015
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Conviction overturned in baby's death
![](/Content/LegalNews/images/article_db_image1.jpg)
headlines Macomb
- Presenting an evening of humor
- State data, national surveys find disparity between active registered young voters and election turnout, large gap between college and noncollege youth
- Macomb County medical examiner's office welcomes Crime Scene Investigation Camp
- Governor establishes gun violence task force
- Macomb County man arraigned for impersonating fire personnel at crime scenes
headlines National
- Michelle Behnke looks to build community and strengthen the ABA with new strategic plan
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- New research about legal operations is ‘at a crossroads,’ consortium leaders say
- You were probably not taught to market yourself; now what?
- Which BigLaw firms pay the highest starting salary?
- Netflix’s true-crime documentary about woman stalking man flows like book you can’t put down