Opinion ID: 1841427
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

Text: ¶ 14. Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-37-5 makes it unlawful for any person who has been convicted of a felony to possess a firearm and provides that anyone in violation of this section may be imprisoned for not more than three years, or be ordered to pay not more than $5,000 in fines, or both. Miss.Code Ann. § 97-37-5 (Rev.2006). ¶ 15. It is undisputed that Williams previously was convicted of the felony of aggravated assault. His indictment and order of conviction were admitted into evidence as State Exhibit 5. The issue here is whether there was sufficient evidence to find that the gun found at Williams's residence was in Williams's possession. [2] ¶ 16. Because the gun was not found on Williams's person, the State must prove that the gun was in the constructive possession of Williams. Constructive possession allows the prosecution to establish possession of contraband when evidence of actual possession is absent. Constructive possession is established by showing that the contraband was under the dominion and control of the defendant. Roberson v. State, 595 So.2d 1310, 1319 (Miss.1992) (citing Vickery v. State, 535 So.2d 1371, 1379 (Miss.1988)). [T]here must be sufficient facts to warrant a finding that the defendant was aware of the presence and character of the particular [contraband] and was intentionally and consciously in possession of it. Curry v. State, 249 So.2d 414, 416 (Miss.1971). ¶ 17. Williams claims that the gun found at his residence was not his but his wife's and that the evidence was insufficient to establish that the gun belonged to him. It is clear from the record that Williams's residence was under the control and possession of both Williams and his wife. In Ginn v. State , this Court prescribed the proper rule for finding constructive possession of contraband in such a situation: We have held that where contraband is found upon premises not in the exclusive control and possession of the accused, additional incriminating facts must connect the accused with the contraband. Where the premises upon which contraband is found is not in the exclusive possession of the accused, the accused is entitled to acquittal, absent some competent evidence connecting him with the contraband. Ginn v. State, 860 So.2d 675, 685 (Miss. 2003). Because Williams's residence was not under his exclusive possession and control, we must determine whether additional incriminating factors connect Williams to the gun. ¶ 18. The handgun, which was admitted into evidence as State Exhibit 8, was found in the drawer of a nightstand located on the left side of the bed in Williams's bedroom. Umfress testified that on the right side of the bed was a dresser containing, among other things, female garments. On the nightstand in which the gun was located was a fixed-blade knife [3] and a metal box containing literature about growing marijuana. Williams said that the literature was his. Umfress testified that because of the items located in the dresser on the right side of the room and the nightstand on the left side of the room, it appeared that the left side of the room was the masculine side, i.e., Williams's side. Umfress testified that Williams's wife claimed that the gun was hers, but when he asked her to load bullets into the gun's magazine, she could not. ¶ 19. In viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, we find that there was sufficient additional incriminating evidence for a reasonable juror to find beyond a reasonable doubt that Williams was in constructive possession of the handgun found in his bedroom. Therefore, this issue is without merit. The trial court did not err in denying Williams's motions for directed verdict and JNOV.