U.S. Supreme Court Denies Area Murder Appeal

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to grant a new trial to Christopher Lashon Johnson in a Clay County, Mississippi, slaying.

The nation’s high court without comment Monday let stand a Mississippi Supreme Court order the rejected Johnson’s arguments that attorney didn’t go a good job.

Johnson was convicted in 2004 of murder and sentenced to life in prison for firing into a crowd and killing Jermaine Deloach of Mantee at North Mississippi Motor Sports Racetrack in 2002.

Prosecutors say Johnson became angry when he didn’t win a trophy during a sound system contest and fired shots into the crowd.

The Mississippi court said in October that Johnson waited too long to file the appeal. The court said Johnson had three years after his conviction to appeal and didn’t.