Opinion ID: 1780236
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Aggravated Assault Conviction

Text: ¶ 37. Moore contends the State failed to meet its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt as to the aggravated assault charge. Moore points out that the State never offered into evidence a knife or other deadly weapon to prove that Moore caused bodily injury to L.D.T. with a deadly weapon. Thus, Moore says, without production of a deadly weapon, the jury's verdict on the aggravated assault charge was against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. ¶ 38. Moore's argument is without merit. The State's indictment of Moore on the aggravated assault charge alleged that Moore did wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously commit an aggravated assault upon [L.D.T.] by attempting to cause, or purposely or knowingly by causing, bodily injury to [L.D.T.], a human being, with a deadly weapon or other means likely to produce death or serious bodily harm, by stabbing [L.D.T.] in the neck . . . . Consistent with the requirements of Mississippi Code Annotated Section 97-3-7(2)(b), the State was not required to show that L.D.T.'s attacker used a knife or other particular weapon commonly thought of as deadly. The State properly sought to show that Moore harmed L.D.T. with some other means  in this case a Leatherman type of tool  likely to produce seriously bodily harm. The State was not required to produce the actual tool, and the jury was free to consider its absence when weighing the evidence and making its determination. See Davis v. State, 909 So.2d 749, 752 (Miss.Ct.App.2005) (sufficient evidence of aggravated assault even though no razor, thought to be the weapon used in the assault, was offered into evidence); Smith v. State, 818 So.2d 383, 386 (Miss.Ct.App.2002) (sufficient evidence of aggravated assault even though no stick, thought to be the weapon used in the assault, was offered into evidence). ¶ 39. Given the victim's testimony about the stabbing, as well as photographs of the victim's neck wounds, and accepting as true this evidence which supports the verdict, we hold the verdict was not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. The trial court did not abuse its discretion by failing to grant Moore's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or, in the alternative, for a new trial.