State denies acquittal, new trial requests from man convicted of murder

Minnesota court documents show a judge has denied the request for a man to be acquitted, as well as his request for a new trial.

According to a court order filed Tuesday, Judge Nicole Engisch denied the requests made by Jamal Smith. You can view the full court order at the bottom of this article.

As previously reported, Smith was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and second-degree murder in the death of Jay Boughton, who was fatally shot while driving home from a baseball game on Highway 169 in 2021.

CLICK HERE for KSTP’s complete coverage of the Smith trial.

In August, Smith’s attorneys argued about why a new trial or acquittal was warranted, saying there wasn’t evidence supporting the convictions, and added the whole thing was just “the painting of Jamal Smith as a monster.”

RELATED: Man convicted in Hwy 169 shooting asks for acquittal or new trial

Smith is still scheduled to be sentenced in October. A conviction of first-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence in prison.