Opinion ID: 724858
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Battered Woman's Syndrome Defense.

Text: 75 Mrs. Lewis argues that she suffered from Battered Women's Syndrome which diminished her capacity to develop specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm on Jadasha or to aid and abet Mr. Lewis to do the same. We concluded above that the government presented sufficient evidence to allow the jury to find that Mrs. Lewis had specific intent to inflict great bodily harm on Jadasha. The jury heard and evaluated the testimony regarding Battered Women's Syndrome. The jury chose not to believe that the Syndrome affected her ability to develop the intent necessary to commit murder. We find no basis in the record to disturb the jury's credibility choices. See United States v. Garcia, 86 F.3d 394, 398 (5th Cir.1996) (noting that the appellate court must accept the credibility choices supporting the verdict); and United States v. Straach, 987 F.2d 232, 237 (5th Cir.1993) (noting that the appellate court cannot weigh and assess the credibility of the witnesses). 76 Based on our evaluations of the record, we find no merit to any of the Lewises' evidentiary claims of error. Therefore, we will not compel the government to waste time and resources reindicting the Lewises, duplicating the trial, presenting the same sufficient evidence, and proving the same elements where the jury has already spoken loudly, clearly, and correctly. The jury found the Lewises guilty and, under the circumstances of this case, a new trial would not change this.