Opinion ID: 2495571
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Eaddy's Trial

Text: ¶ 7. Officer Jefferson provided the same testimony regarding the incident at Eaddy's trial. Additionally, Eaddy gave his version of the search and arrest. According to Eaddy, on the day of his arrest, he had been dating Wendell Barnes's sister, Thandiwe. When Thandiwe had picked him up in Wendell's car for lunch that day, Eaddy explained that he did not see any drugs or a gun when he entered the car. On their way to lunch, the officers pulled them over. According to Eaddy, Officer Jefferson never asked him his name during the encounter. Eaddy explained, in relevant part, that he did not have any drugs on him and that if he had possessed drugs on his person, he would have disposed of them before a police search. Instead, Eaddy testified that Officer Jefferson had removed both the gun and the drugs from the car. Eaddy implied that Officer Edwards had encouraged Officer Jefferson to misrepresent where he had found the drugs. ¶ 8. The State called Officer Edwards to rebut Eaddy's accusations. Officer Edwards explained that he did not ask Officer Jefferson to misrepresent where he had found the drugs. Officer Edwards further testified that after they had made the traffic stop and had approached the car, he had told Officer Jefferson that Wendell Barnes was not in the car. In other words, Officer Edwards had identified Eaddy as the driver before Officer Jefferson had conducted the search. ¶ 9. The jury found Eaddy guilty of possession with intent to distribute and acquitted him of possession of a weapon by a felon. Eaddy was sentenced to fifteen years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The court denied Eaddy's Alternative Motion for a JNOV or a New Trial, and Eaddy appealed.