Opinion ID: 1093284
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: law evidence supporting murder conviction

Text: At the conclusion of all trial testimony, counsel for George Harris moved the court to find the crime of murder had not been proved, and to reduce the charge from murder to manslaughter. The circuit judge overruled this motion and by technically proper instructions submitted to the jury the questions of whether Harris was guilty of murder, or of manslaughter, or was not guilty because he acted in lawful self defense. Harris does not argue on appeal that a jury issue was not made of whether he in fact shot Jenkins in necessary self defense, but he does claim that at the most the proof made only a jury issue on manslaughter. In overruling the motion to submit only a manslaughter instruction to the jury, the circuit judge acknowledged this was an extremely close case. It is well settled that this Court will not disturb a jury verdict based upon conflicting evidence. Gill v. State, 485 So.2d 1047, 1049 (Miss. 1986); Shannon v. State, 321 So.2d 1, 2 (Miss. 1975). Equally well settled is the rule that the jury is the sole judge of the weight and sufficiency of the evidence, the credibility of the witnesses, and may accept or reject all or any part of any witness's testimony. Watson v. State, 465 So.2d 1025, 1030 (Miss. 1985); Williams v. State, 427 So.2d 100 (Miss. 1983); Young v. State, 425 So.2d 1022 (Miss. 1983); Grooms v. State, 357 So.2d 292, 295 (Miss. 1978); Woodward v. State, 180 Miss. 571, 178 So. 469 (1938). Under Rule 607, Mississippi Rules of Evidence, adopted January 1, 1986, the so-called voucher rule has been abolished. This case was tried prior to the adoption of these Rules. Aside from the voucher rule, however, this Court has held that the State was not impeaching its own witnesses' testimony by offering other witnesses who testified to the contrary on material facts. Maddox v. State, 230 Miss. 529, 93 So.2d 649 (1957); Manning v. State, 188 Miss. 393, 195 So. 319 (1940). This being said, I am compelled to conclude that the proof was overwhelming that at the most, George was guilty of no crime greater than manslaughter. Jordan v. State, 248 Miss. 703, 160 So.2d 926 (1964). While the deliberate design to kill in order to justify a conviction of murder may be formed in a very short time, Windham v. State, 520 So.2d 123 (Miss. 1987); Goldsby v. State, 226 Miss. 1, 78 So.2d 762 (1955); Johnson v. State, 140 Miss. 889, 105 So. 742 (1925). See also U.S. v. Shaw, 701 F.2d 367 (5th Cir.1983), it must exist in the mind of the slayer when he acts. The proof is uncontradicted that George, even though armed outside the cafe, made no movement whatever to harm Johnny. The two had a running argument outside the cafe, and there was ample time and opportunity for George  had he been so inclined at the time  to shoot Johnny. Indeed, Larry slapped or struck Harris, and he did nothing. It is clear he evidenced no intent whatever to physically harm Johnny until Johnny turned and charged, and either kicked or tried to kick him. Johnny's cousin Melvin Wiggins, and his half-brothers Larry and Ronnie Porter testified Johnny was attacking George before he did anything. All these were State's witnesses. It is clear George made no attempt to harm anyone until Johnny made a physical attack upon him. While there was some dispute as to whether Johnny at that moment of attack was armed with the pistol, the proof is overwhelming that George had every reason to believe and expect he was still armed  with the same pistol Johnny had threatened him with less than an hour earlier. It is undisputed that Johnny was making a physical attack on George when the latter fired, and the proof is almost as strong that Johnny had threatened George with a pistol inside the cafe. Wiggins, a State witness and Johnny's own cousin, so testified. Larry Porter, Johnny's half-brother, and another State witness, testified Johnny put a pistol in his pocket when he came out the door of the cafe. These two witnesses' testimony was positive. There could be no mistake about their testimony as to Johnny's pistol. Unless they  State witnesses and close kin to Johnny  were committing perjury, Johnny had a pistol in the cafe. Their testimony agreed with the defense testimony of Butler, Younger and George himself. Henrietta, another State witness, saw a pistol in use. She did not know whose it was, but there is no testimony that anybody other than Johnny brandished a pistol inside the cafe. In Anderson v. State, 199 Miss. 885, 25 So.2d 474 (1946), a case in which the accused and one Vera Evans had just engaged in a quarrel, and the accused was walking past her, we said: [I]f it can be said that his first inquiry to her was the act of an aggressor, it is undisputed that on his way to get the mail he had passed Vera and was going on his way; that nothing was said between them when he passed her, and that after he had gotten beyond her, she began the verbal encounter again; that she herself renewed the contest after he had abandoned it; that she had in her possession a hoe and drew it upon appellant. In other words, there is no question that this was a mutual fight and combat, and was immediately brought on by Vera herself. There seems no question the act of appellant was committed in the heat of passion. Whether appellant acted in self-defense and was justified in his actions were questions for the jury, but the undisputed proof discloses a situation where appellant could not be guilty of an offense greater than manslaughter. 199 Miss. at 895, 25 So.2d at 477. I have tediously set forth all relevant evidence upon the issues, and as noted, the record is undisputed that George had not attempted to impede Johnny in any way from going to his car and had made no movement whatever to harm Johnny, when Johnny physically attacked him. The only testimony that Johnny did not have a pistol inside the cafe was Johnny's wife Clara. Younger, Butler and George, and the State witnesses Wiggins, Henrietta and Larry, testified to the contrary. While Clara's testimony enabled the State to barely escape a directed verdict on the issue of murder, Barker v. State, 463 So.2d 1080, 1082 (Miss. 1985); Justice v. State, 170 Miss. 96, 98, 154 So. 265 (1934) it cannot survive the test of being manifestly against the overwhelming weight of the credible evidence. Landers v. State, 304 So.2d 641 (Miss. 1974); Marr v. State, 248 Miss. 281, 288-89, 159 So.2d 167 (1963). I would remand for another jury to pass on the question of whether George was guilty of murder, or whether at most it was manslaughter, or whether he acted in necessary self-defense. DAN M. LEE, P.J., and ROBERTSON and SULLIVAN, JJ., join this opinion.