Opinion ID: 1444205
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Evidence of appellant's fraudulent use of a credit card

Text: Middleton unsuccessfully moved the district court to instruct the jury to acquit him of both counts of kidnapping, the count of murdering Davila, and the count of fraudulent use of a credit card. He argues that the court abused its discretion in denying the motion. The granting of an advisory instruction to acquit rests within the sound discretion of the district court. NRS 175.381(1); Milton v. State, 111 Nev. 1487, 1493, 908 P.2d 684, 688 (1995). As discussed above, there was sufficient evidence to convict Middleton of the murder and kidnapping counts, so the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion in regard to the kidnappings and Davila's murder. [2] The state charged Middleton with fraudulent use of Powell's credit card at the Good Guys store. Because Haley picked up the stereo equipment from Good Guys and the state failed to allege that Middleton aided and abetted Haley, [3] Middleton maintains that there was insufficient evidence to convict him of this crime. We conclude that there was sufficient evidence that Middleton personally committed fraudulent use of the credit card. Mark Decker, a manager at the Good Guys store, took a telephone call on the morning of February 6, 1995, in regard to the purchase on Powell's credit card. Decker believed that the caller was male. The caller told Decker that he would send a courier to pick up the equipment. Combined with Middleton's connection to Haley and the presence of the equipment in his storage unit, this was sufficient evidence for the jury to find that Middleton made the call and directly participated in fraudulent use of the credit card.