Opinion ID: 6350750
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: standard of review

Text: [1,2] When reviewing a sentence within the statutory limits, whether for leniency or excessiveness, an appellate court - 427 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. PAULY Cite as 311 Neb. 418 reviews for an abuse of discretion. 1 A judicial abuse of discretion exists only when the reasons or rulings of a trial judge are clearly untenable, unfairly depriving a litigant of a substantial right and denying a just result in matters submitted for disposition. 2 [3] In determining whether the district court erred in denying a party’s motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, an appellate court employs a de novo standard of review. 3 [4] Whether jury instructions given by a trial court are correct is a question of law. 4 On a question of law, an appellate court is obligated to reach a conclusion independent of the determination reached by the court below. 5 [5,6] In reviewing a criminal conviction, an appellate court does not resolve conflicts in the evidence, pass on the credibility of witnesses, or reweigh the evidence. 6 Such matters are for the finder of fact, and a conviction will be affirmed, in the absence of prejudicial error, if the properly admitted evidence, viewed and construed most favorably to the State, is sufficient to support the conviction. 7 When reviewing a criminal conviction for sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the conviction, the relevant question for an appellate court is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. 8 1 State v. Parminter, 283 Neb. 754, 811 N.W.2d 694 (2012). 2 Id. 3 See Aldrich v. Nelson, 290 Neb. 167, 859 N.W.2d 537 (2015). 4 State v. Taylor, 262 Neb. 639, 634 N.W.2d 744 (2001). 5 See id. 6 State v. Gartner, 263 Neb. 153, 638 N.W.2d 849 (2002). 7 Id. 8 Id. - 428 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. PAULY Cite as 311 Neb. 418