Opinion ID: 1190434
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Defendant next claims that the trial court erred in denying its motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and its motion for new trial, both of which were based on insufficient evidence. When a party challenges a trial court's denial of a motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict or a new trial on appeal and bases that challenge on a claim that there was insufficient evidence to support the verdict, we follow one standard of review: We reverse only if, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prevailing party, we conclude that the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict. [17] When a challenge to the denial of either of these motions amounts to an attack on the sufficiency of the evidence, the appealing party must marshal the evidence in support of the verdict and then demonstrate that the evidence is insufficient when viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict. [18] In reviewing defendant's claims of insufficient evidence, we conclude that the Bank has not made the necessary showing. Although the Bank made an admirable listing of evidence presented in the case upon which the verdict was or could have been based, the Bank's arguments merely refute the credibility of this evidence and of Heslop as a witness. The Bank does not base its argument upon the insufficiency of the evidence supporting the verdict. Instead it relies on other, contradictory evidence that supports the Bank's position. The Bank also ignores the crucial testimony of Heslop that he was asked to resign and the letter he presented that tends to support his testimony. This type of argument, although based on the facts of the case, does not marshal the evidence and persuade us of its insufficiency. Absent a legal argument that Heslop's evidence fails to support a crucial element of his claims or that his evidence is inherently contradictory or incredible, we will not invade the province of jurors to determine Heslop's credibility or to reverse their decision. [19] We find no error in the trial court's denial of the motions for a new trial or for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict.