Opinion ID: 1882055
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the trial court committed reversible error by refusing to grant the circumstantial evidence instructions which Moore requested.

Text: ¶ 17. Moore alleges that the trial court erred in refusing to give four requested jury instructions on circumstantial evidence, asserting that the only direct evidence of his guilt consisted of his alleged jailhouse confession to Andre Bully. This Court finds no error by the trial court in refusing these instructions. ¶ 18. This Court has held that a confession constitutes direct evidence and that the existence of a confession precludes the need to provide circumstantial evidence instructions, stating that: A circumstantial evidence instruction must be given only when the prosecution can produce neither an eyewitness nor a confession/statement by the defendant. Clark v. State, 503 So.2d 277, 279 (Miss. 1987). The confession which constitutes direct evidence of a crime is not limited to a confession to a law enforcement officer but also includes an admission made to a person other than a law enforcement officer. Mack v. State, 481 So.2d 793, 795 (Miss.1985). In Holliday v. State, 455 So.2d 750, 752-53 (Miss. 1984), a witness testified that he had overheard the defendant say to another person that he had killed his wife. This Court held that the circumstantial evidence instruction was not required. See Foster v. State, 508 So.2d 1111, 1115 (Miss.1987) (Court held that without jailhouse confession the case would have been entirely circumstantial). Ladner v. State, 584 So.2d 743, 750 (Miss. 1991). As Moore points out, prior to Ladner, this Court expressed doubt as to whether a jailhouse informant's testimony should be considered as direct evidence which would prevent the granting of a circumstantial evidence instruction. McNeal, 551 So.2d at 159. While McNeal declined to answer that question, Ladner settled the matter, holding that when the type of testimony given by Bully in the case sub judice is present, circumstantial evidence instructions are not necessary. Thus, Moore's second assignment of error is without merit.