State Supreme Court affirms ruling in Pickens County case

South Carolina Supreme Court agreed this week with a lower court ruling in the case of a man convicted in Pickens County of murder in Clemson.  The state’s case against Jaron Lamont Gibbs made its way to the SUPCO on a writ of certiorari from the state Court of Appeals and earlier an appeal from Pickens County circuit court.  Although convicted of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, Gibbs’ appeal argued that the trial erred in allowing Detective Michael Arflin to present lay testimony about single and double action revolvers and allowing the state to reference Arflin’s testimony in its closing arguments. The SUPCO gave the following background on the shooting:  “This shooting occurred at a four-way intersection near Clemson while Gibbs was standing at the driver’s side window of a vehicle occupied by Hunter Raby, Robby Porter, and Kalyn Meaders (Victims).  Gibbs’ revolver discharged into the car, and the bullet grazed the top of Raby’s head and struck Porter, who died the following day.  Gibbs left the scene and was arrested in Atlanta two days later.  The revolver was never recovered.  The central dispute at trial was whether the shooting was accidental or intentional.”