Taylor’s appeal was sent back to the state Supreme Court

BISMARCK, ND (KFYR) – A Burleigh County judge upheld a unanimous guilty verdict for a Bismarck teenager convicted of murder in 2022.

Jesse Taylor Junior appealed his conviction and life sentence to the state Supreme Court earlier this year. The defense says a problem with the court record should overturn his conviction.

In September, 12 jurors convicted Taylor of the fatal shooting of Maurice Thunder Shield at the Motel Six in 2022.

Taylor appealed his conviction and sentence to the North Dakota Supreme Court, but the high court first required the district court to clarify one issue.

Taylor’s defense attorney says the problem is that the court records lack a juror’s response during the vote. His attorney says that’s why the verdict was not unanimous and his conviction should be overturned.

State and Burleigh County Judge James Hill says that while this may be missing, the transcripts detailed that all jurors nodded in agreement with their verdict, making it unanimous. Judge Hill affirmed that the verdict was correct and accurate.

The defense says that in such a motion, the state would normally present evidence to correct the record, such as subpoenaing the juror in question to deliver his or her verdict.

The state argued that there was no need to correct the records because they were already accurate and therefore no evidence needed to be presented.

The prosecution states that this point was not raised after the verdict or during sentencing in the district court.

On appeal, Taylor’s attorney also said there were problems with Taylor’s sentencing and cross-examination of a witness.

The case will now be sent back to the state Supreme Court, which will decide these issues.

A date for the oral hearing before the High Court has yet to be set in this case.

Previous reporting: Jury finds Taylor guilty in Motel 6 murder trial

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