Opinion ID: 1652032
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: the jury verdict was against the overwhelming weight of the evidence.

Text: ¶ 19. Carter complains that the trial court erred in overruling her motions for a directed verdict and JNOV and for a new trial. Specifically, she argues that there was no proof of malice aforethought, and a reasonable and fair-minded jury could only find her guilty of heat of passion manslaughter. The State, on the other hand, maintains that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict and insufficient evidence to find that Carter shot Hundley in the heat of passion. When reviewing a challenge to the weight of the evidence, this Court must determine whether the trial judge abused his discretion in denying a new trial. This Court, accepting as true all evidence favorable to the State, will determine whether the verdict is so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence that to allow it to stand would be to sanction an unconscionable injustice. Wetz v. State, 503 So.2d 803, 812-13 (Miss.1987). Taylor v. State, 672 So.2d 1246, 1256 (Miss. 1996). ¶ 20. As previously discussed in Issue III, there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of heat of passion manslaughter in this case. Instead, the testimony at trial supported a finding of murder as defined in § 97-3-19(1)(a): that Carter (1) killed Hundley, (2) without authority of law, (3) with deliberate design to effect Hundley's death. Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-19(1)(a) (Supp.1997). The evidence showed that Hundley was shot and killed with a .38 caliber pistol at a time when only Carter had the opportunity to kill her. ¶ 21. The only element questioned by Carter is that of deliberate design. This Court has held that malice, or deliberate design, may be inferred from use of a deadly weapon. Tran, 681 So.2d at 517-18; Day v. State, 589 So.2d 637, 642 (Miss.1991); Wilson v. State, 574 So.2d 1324, 1337 (Miss.1990); McGowan v. State, 541 So.2d 1027, 1030 (Miss.1989); Nicolaou v. State, 534 So.2d 168, 171-72 (Miss.1988); Russell v. State, 497 So.2d 75, 76 (Miss.1986); Dickins v. State, 208 Miss. 69, 92, 43 So.2d 366, 373 (1949). That presumption prevails unless facts are introduced in evidence changing the character of the killing and showing either justification or necessity. Dickins, 208 Miss. at 92, 43 So.2d at 373. No evidence was presented to show justification or necessity here. The State presented sufficient evidence to prove that Carter killed Hundley with a deadly weapon (a .38 caliber pistol), so we affirm the jury's verdict in this case.