Opinion ID: 166204
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 80 Having determined that the OCCA did not act contrary to clearly established federal law when it relied on the foregoing evidence in considering the jury's finding of the continuing threat aggravating factor, we turn now to whether it acted contrary to clearly established federal law when it concluded that the evidence was sufficient to sustain the jury's finding. Sufficiency of the evidence claims are reviewed under the rational fact-finder standard announced in Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979), and require appellate courts to determine, after reviewing the evidence presented at trial in the light most favorable to the government, whether any rational trier of fact could have found the aggravating circumstance existed beyond a reasonable doubt. This standard is based on our system's longstanding principle that it is the province of the jury to evaluate the evidence and to draw reasonable inferences from trial testimony. Jackson, 443 U.S. at 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781. Our review under Jackson is sharply limited, and a court faced with a record of historical facts that supports conflicting inferences must presume — even if it does not affirmatively appear in the record — that the trier of fact resolved any such conflicts in favor of the prosecution, and must defer to that resolution. Turrentine, 390 F.3d at 1197 (quotations and alterations omitted). We must accept the jury's determination as long as it is within the bounds of reason. Messer v. Roberts, 74 F.3d 1009, 1013 (10th Cir.1996). Our review is even more limited given that AEDPA governs this issue. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(1). 81 In this case, evidence of Mr. Boltz's comments to Mr. Morrison about killing people and cutting off their heads, in conjunction with Mr. Boltz's threat to Ms. Kirby that he would kill her after he finished killing her son, and evidence that Mr. Boltz entered Mr. Kirby's home looking for Ms. Kirby after the killing, is more than sufficient for a rational factfinder to find that there was a probability that Mr. Boltz would commit criminal acts of violence that would constitute a continuing threat to society. Mr. Boltz contends that these statements were only false braggadocio. He points out that he had no prior criminal record at the time and many character witnesses testified that he was a peaceful and law-abiding citizen. Even if Mr. Boltz's implied threats were empty, however, a rational juror could conclude that he was telling the truth and was threatening similar action in the future. This is all that is necessary under Jackson, and Mr. Boltz's argument that he had not in fact killed anyone in Korea does not prevent the jury from coming to its own reasonable conclusion about Mr. Boltz's intent in making the statements. Therefore, the OCCA did not act contrary to Jackson or other clearly established federal law in upholding the jury's finding of this aggravating circumstance. Accordingly, habeas relief is not warranted on this issue. 82