Mass. court upholds convictions in party killing

BOSTON (AP) - The highest court in Massachusetts has upheld the convictions of a man accused of killing the host of a party.

Dwayne Taylor was convicted of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm in the 2004 shooting of David Fleet.

Authorities said Taylor had a disagreement with Fleet during the party, then returned later in the evening and shot him in the chest through a glass door of the house.

Taylor appealed, arguing that the judge gave erroneous instructions to the jury at his trial and that a conviction of voluntary manslaughter would be more appropriate based on the evidence.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Taylor's convictions and refused to reduce his murder conviction to manslaughter.

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