Opinion ID: 2137446
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Nature of Circumstantial Evidence

Text: Relying on language from State v. Trimble, 220 Neb. 639, 371 N.W.2d 302 (1985), the brothers argue that where circumstantial evidence is susceptible to multiple interpretations, the ambiguity must be resolved in their favor. It is true that in Trimble, this court, in reversing the defendant's convictions of theft and second degree arson, stated: The test of the sufficiency of circumstantial evidence in a criminal prosecution is whether the facts and circumstances tending to connect the accused with the crime charged are of such a conclusive nature as to exclude to a moral certainty every rational hypothesis except that of guilt. State v. Costanzo, 203 Neb. 586, 279 N.W.2d 404 (1979). 220 Neb. at 643, 371 N.W.2d at 305. The brothers' argument, however, overlooks that earlier, in State v. Buchanan, 210 Neb. 20, 312 N.W.2d 684 (1981), this court, in an opinion which thoroughly examined the issue, abandoned the rule that a criminal conviction could not be based solely on circumstantial evidence unless the State disproved every hypothesis but that of guilt. Thenceforth, in criminal cases, circumstantial evidence has usually been treated the same as direct evidence; the State, upon review, is entitled to have all conflicting evidence, direct and circumstantial, viewed in its favor. See, State v. Zitterkopf, 236 Neb. 743, 463 N.W.2d 616 (1990); State v. Saltzman, 235 Neb. 964, 458 N.W.2d 239 (1990); State v. Badami, 235 Neb. 118, 453 N.W.2d 746 (1990); State v. Reed, 228 Neb. 645, 423 N.W.2d 777 (1988); State v. Piskorski, 218 Neb. 543, 357 N.W.2d 206 (1984); State v. Evans, 215 Neb. 433, 338 N.W.2d 788 (1983); State v. Workman, 213 Neb. 479, 329 N.W.2d 571 (1983). Trimble, supra, demonstrates only that on occasion the ghost of a dead rule of law returns to temporarily haunt the halls of justice. In an effort to exorcise this mischievous spirit, we hereby reject the Trimble language which improvidently proclaims that a criminal conviction based solely on circumstantial evidence can stand only if the State has disproved every hypothesis but that of guilt.