Opinion ID: 864471
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: ¶34. Under a sufficiency of the evidence review, “our authority to interfere with the jury's verdict is quite limited. Benson v. State, 551 So.2d 188, 193 (Miss. 1989). [I]f there is in the record substantial evidence of such quality and weight that, having in mind the beyond a reasonable doubt burden of proof standard, reasonable and fairminded jurors in the exercise of impartial judgment might have reached different conclusions, the verdict of guilty is thus placed beyond our authority to disturb. Id. Factual disputes are not sufficient to mandate a new trial, but rather, are properly resolved by the jury. Id. The prosecution must be given the benefit of all favorable inferences that can reasonably be drawn from the evidence. Id. ¶35. Specifically, when a defendant attacks the sufficiency of the evidence, he is alleging that there is no competent evidence introduced on one or more of the elements of the crime charged. “In determining whether that is true, a court is to consider all credible evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, also making such appropriate evidentiary inferences as are consistent with the verdict” Drake v. State, 800 So.2d 508, 516 (Miss. 2001). We may reverse only where, with respect to one or more of the 14 elements of the offense charged, the evidence so considered is such that reasonable and fair-minded jurors could only find the accused not guilty. Id. ¶36. In the present case, Jones was charged with murder pursuant to the language of Section 97-3- 19(1). At trial numerous eyewitnesses testified, and the jury was instructed as follows on the elements: The defendant, Alvin Jones, has been charged in a three count indictment with the crime of murder two [sic] counts of aggravated assault. Under Count I of the indictment, if you believe from the evidence in this case beyond a reasonable doubt that: Number 1, on or about June 5th, 2000, Tracy Marshall was a living person; and Number 2, that Alvin Jones did willfully, feloniously and without authority of law, not in necessary self defense or defense of another, and of his deliberate design to affect death did kill and murder Tracy Marshall, then you shall find the defendant guilty of murder in Count I. If the state has failed to prove any one or more of the above listed elements, then you shall find the defendant not guilty in Count I”. . . .The Court instructs the jury that to make the murder or manslaughter justifiable on the grounds of self defense, the danger of Alvin Jones must have been either actual, present and urgent from Tracy Marshall. . . .If you fail to find the defendant, Alvin Jones, guilty of the felony crime of murder, then you should continue with your deliberations to consider the elements of the felony crime of manslaughter. If you find fro the credible evidence in this case beyond a reasonable doubt that the deceased Tracy Marshall was a living person and that the defendant, Alvin Jones, did kill Tracy Marshall without deliberate design and in the heat of passion, but in a cruel or unusual manner or by the use of a dangerous weapon, not in necessary self defense, and without authority of law, then you shall find the defendant, Alvin Jones, guilty of manslaughter. Upon these instructions, the jury found Jones guilty of manslaughter. The record makes clear that this verdict is supported by an abundance of substantial, credible evidence and should therefore be affirmed. Indeed, the evidence provided sufficient credible, corroborated eyewitness testimony that Jones had not acted in necessary self-defense when he killed Tracy Marshall, since Tracy had retreated. The jury found rather that Jones acted in the heat of passion. ¶37. Jones arrived at the scene of the nightclub with a gun. He admitted to bringing the gun to the scene although he did not admit in his pre-trial statement to being the gunman. The evidence at trial indicated that the casings on the ground were from the same gun, and from .380 caliber projectiles, that Tracy died 15 from a gunshot wound to the chest, and that the gunshot wound was created by the same gun that left the casings. No eyewitness to the killing saw any other person with a gun. No witness saw Tracy Marshall with a gun or any other weapon, nor was any weapon found near him. Three witnesses specifically testified that they saw Jones shoot Tracy. While testimony indicated that Tracy assailed Jones, there was corroborated testimony that Jones was not being held, threatened or being harmed in any way when Tracy was shot. Jones was no longer under attack. In other words, the evidence at trial supports the conclusion that Jones did not have to shoot to protect himself.