Opinion ID: 1924358
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: whether the trial court erred in refusing to grant jury instructions d-8, d-9, and d-20.

Text: ¶ 48. Montana maintains that all evidence offered against him was circumstantial and that the trial court erred in refusing to grant instructions D-8, D-9, and D-20, all circumstantial evidence instructions. ¶ 49. Circumstantial evidence instructions are required where all evidence of the crime is entirely circumstantial. Jones v. State, 797 So.2d 922, 929 (Miss.2001); Givens v. State, 618 So.2d 1313, 1320 (Miss.1993). Contrary to Montana's assertions, not all of the evidence offered by the prosecution was circumstantial. It is undisputed that Montana fired a 9mm pistol approximately five times in front of the Stachura residence. It is also undisputed that Holloway was killed by a 9mm projectile. Though the State's expert could not conclusively say that the bullet taken from Holloway's body came from Montana's gun, Chris Hairston testified that he saw Montana point the pistol at the van, that he heard two shots, and that two windows in the van were broken out. ¶ 50. Montana argues that none of the nearly two dozen witnesses saw Montana point the gun at the van and that several contradicted the testimony of Hairston. Montana observes that Hairston's testimony was highly suspect in that only one window was actually broken out on the van, Hairston refused to cooperate with police and had to be taken into custody to be interviewed, and Hairston originally told investigators that approximately seventeen shots were fired. ¶ 51. It is the role of the jury to evaluate the veracity of witnesses. Wetz v. State, 503 So.2d 803, 812 (Miss.1987). Though the testimony of the witnesses was conflicting and of questionable credibility, the jury's verdict was based on direct evidence. It is the jury's province to resolve such conflicts, and the jury is free to accept the testimony of some witnesses and reject that of others, in whole or in part. Evans v. State, 725 So.2d 613, 680-81 (Miss.1997) (citing Ivey v. State, 206 Miss. 734, 40 So.2d 609, 613 (1949)). The trial court did not err in refusing the requested instructions.