Opinion ID: 1567830
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: ¶ 41. Christmas argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict. A motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict challenges the sufficiency of the evidence. Bush v. State, 895 So.2d 836, 843 (Miss.2005). When reviewing a case for sufficiency of the evidence, the relevant question is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. (quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 315, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979)). ¶ 42. Christmas asserts that the conflict between Echols's testimony and Ms. Sellers's testimony was sufficient for the trial judge to grant his motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict. Christmas reiterates the testimony of Sellers to the effect that her attacker could have been her height and not much taller, comparing it to Echols's testimony that Christmas is the tallest of the defendants. Christmas also points to Ms. Sellers's identification of Terrell White as her attacker. Additionally, Christmas asserts that the only portion of Echols's testimony that was corroborated was Christmas's admission to Deputy Sheriff Reeves that he was present at the scene of the robbery. ¶ 43. While it is correct that Ms. Sellers and Echols offered conflicting testimony, it is not up to this Court to resolve such a conflict. That is the jury's function. Jurors are permitted, and indeed have the duty to resolve the conflicts in the testimony they hear. Any conflicts in the testimony of witnesses is the province of the jury. Who the jury believes and what conclusions it reaches are solely for its determination. As the reviewing court, we cannot and need not determine with exactitude which witness(es) or what testimony the jury believed or disbelieved in arriving at its verdict. It is enough that the conflicting evidence presented a factual dispute for jury resolution. Stephens v. State, 911 So.2d 424, 436 (Miss. 2005) (internal citations omitted). ¶ 44. Along with the testimony of Ms. Sellers and Echols, the jury also was presented with the testimony of multiple sheriff's deputies, forensic analysts, and with that of Quincy Ross, who stated that Christmas admitted to him his involvement in the crimes. After hearing all the evidence and being adequately instructed on the applicable law, the jury rendered its decision in due course. We find that any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime[s] beyond a reasonable doubt. Bush, 895 So.2d at 843.