Opinion ID: 1689027
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: was there sufficient evidence to support the jury verdict of guilty of murder?

Text: ¶ 17. Smiley contends that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction for murder. Smiley also asserts that the testimony provided by Thompson that the victim was carrying a gun at the time he was shot shows that Smiley was not acting with deliberate design, but rather in self-defense. ¶ 18. After the trial had concluded Smiley moved for a new trial on the basis that the verdict was against the overwhelming weight of the evidence and was manifestly wrong as a matter of law. In the motion Smiley also contended that the trial court had erred in not dismissing the charges against Smiley and in not granting a directed verdict at the conclusion of the State's case. The trial court subsequently denied the motion. ¶ 19. This Court has outlined the standard of review regarding the denial of a motion for a new trial: A motion for a new trial is discretionary with the trial judge and this Court will not order a new trial unless it is convinced that the verdict is so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence that to allow it to stand would sanction an unconscionable injustice. McNeal v. State, 617 So.2d 999, 1009 (Miss.1993); Burrell v. State, 613 So.2d 1186, 1191 (Miss.1993); Pierre v. State, 607 So.2d 43, 54 (Miss.1992). In determining whether a jury verdict is against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, this Court must accept as true the evidence which supports the verdict and will reverse only when convinced that the trial court abused its discretion in failing to grant a new trial. Nicolaou v. State, 612 So.2d 1080, 1083 (Miss.1992). Any factual disputes are properly resolved by the jury and do not mandate a new trial. McNeal, 617 So.2d at 1009. Bailey v. State, 729 So.2d 1255, 1263 (Miss. 1999). ¶ 20. Viewing as true the evidence which supports the jury's verdict, it cannot be said that the verdict was so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence that allowing it to stand would result in an unconscionable injustice. The only factual dispute found in this case was whether the victim was carrying a gun at the time of the shooting and if the victim made any threatening movement towards Smiley before he was shot. Testimony from several witnesses provided support that the victim did not have a gun in his hand, on his person, or lying near him after he was shot. Cathy Sanders and Angela Daniels both stated that they did not see the victim make a threatening movement prior to being shot by Smiley. Thompson, who was on the porch at the time Smiley shot the victim, testified that he saw the victim pull out a gun and cock it as he was walking down the path between the two houses. Thompson explained that the victim swirled around with the gun in his left hand just before Smiley shot him. On cross-examination, Thompson contradicted many of his previous statements including admitting that he had given a different account to investigators and that he, in fact, had not witnessed the actual shooting or even seen what the victim did prior to his being shot. Faced with this conflicting testimony, the jury was left to make its own determination as to what occurred prior to the shooting. ¶ 21. Considering the testimony heard at trial, there was sufficient evidence to support the trial court's denial of a motion for new trial. This issue is without merit.