Opinion ID: 1832097
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: whether there was sufficient proof to establish proper jurisdiction in lincoln county circuit court.

Text: ¶ 55. Stubbs argues the State failed to prove each element of the crimes charged. Each of the three charges was alleged to have occurred on or before March 6, 2000, in Lincoln County. Stubbs contends the proof at trial failed to established that all three crimes occurred in Lincoln County. [4] ¶ 56. As to Count One, conspiracy to possess morphine and to commit grand larceny, Stubbs argues there was no proof of an agreement proven at trial. Stubbs also contends if the alleged grand larceny occurred, it must have occurred in Pike, not Lincoln, County. As to Count Two, possession of morphine in an amount greater than twenty (20) dosage units, Stubbs argues the State never proved she directly or circumstantially possessed the morphine pills, nor did the State prove the possession was in an amount greater than twenty (20) dosage units. James Ervin testified he was only missing eight to twelve pills of morphine. Stubbs also argues that no evidence was ever presented from a crime lab that the pills were actually morphine. Stubbs also makes the same jurisdictional argument as was made regarding Count One. As to Count Three, aggravated assault, Stubbs contends that in addition to the State failing to prove where the aggravated assault occurred, the State, through their expert witness, put on proof that the assault did not occur in Lincoln County. Dr. West testified that he believed the surveillance tape showed Stubbs lifting Williams's unconscious body from Stubbs's truck and carrying her inside the motel. Stubbs contends if this statement is true, the crime must have occurred somewhere other than the motel in Lincoln County. Stubbs also argues the State failed to offer any physical evidence from the crime scene. If this brutal crime occurred in the motel room, Stubbs argues there would be blood, hair or fibers corroborating that the crime occurred there. ¶ 57. Vance argues the court never had proper jurisdiction to adjudicate the case because nothing in the record placed the location of the assault in Lincoln County. Vance argues testimony elicited at trial clearly shows all three women traveled through several counties during the time in question. Vance contends the trial court erred in not dismissing the case due to lack of jurisdiction. ¶ 58. The State argues the record indicates that all elements for all three counts were established at trial by the prosecution, including the jurisdictional element. The State contends there was substantial evidence in support of the jury's verdict. The State also argues that Vance did not raise the jurisdictional issue at trial. ¶ 59. In Aldridge v. State, 232 Miss. 368, 376, 99 So.2d 456 (1958), this Court was confronted with the issue of a crime having multiple elements which were committed in multiple counties. Both the promise of marriage and the act of intercourse are essential elements of the crime, and, therefore, the crime was committed partly in one county and partly in another, and the jurisdiction of the crime became governed by Section 2429, Vol. 2A Recompiled, Mississippi Code of 1942, which provides as follows: When an offense is committed partly in one county and partly in another, or where the acts, effects, means, or agency occur in whole or in part in different counties, the jurisdiction shall be in either county in which said offense was commenced, prosecuted, or consummated, where prosecution shall be first begun. [5] Id., 232 Miss. 368, 376, 99 So.2d 456, 460. This Court held: We think that where the crime is committed partly in one county and partly in another, the venue may be laid in either county without doing violence to the constitutional provision. It is manifest that the constitutional provision relates to crimes wholly committed in one county. Certainly it was not the intention of the framers of the constitution that one who commits a crime partly in one county and partly in another should not be amenable to the jurisdiction of the court in either county and should therefore be exempt from prosecution. Id. at 377, 99 So.2d 456. See also Simmons v. State, 568 So.2d 1192 (Miss.1990); McKorkle v. State, 305 So.2d 361 (Miss. 1974). ¶ 60. Regarding the elements necessary to prove conspiracy, this Court has held: The essence of a criminal conspiracy is two or more persons combining and agreeing to accomplish an unlawful purpose or to accomplish a lawful purpose unlawfully. Miss.Code Ann. § 97-1-1 (Supp.1990); Taylor v. State, 536 So.2d 1326, 1328 (Miss.1988); Griffin v. State, 480 So.2d 1124, 1126 (Miss.1985); Norman v. State, 381 So.2d 1024, 1028 (Miss.1980). A criminal conspiracy is complete upon the combination, and the law does not require proof of an overt act in pursuance thereof. Ford v. State, 546 So.2d 686, 688 (Miss.1989). The agreement need not be formal or express but may be inferred from the circumstances, particularly from declarations, acts, and conduct of the alleged conspirators. Nixon v. State, 533 So.2d 1078, 1092 (Miss.1987); Barnes v. State, 493 So.2d 313, 315 (Miss.1986); McCray v. State, 486 So.2d 1247, 1251 (Miss.1986). Clayton v. State, 582 So.2d 1019, 1022 (Miss.1991) (emphasis added). ¶ 61. Helen Ervin testified at trial that when Stubbs, Vance and Williams were in her house in Pike County on the night of March 6, 2000, they made several trips to the back porch in attempts to search for a tent. However, she found this odd because the women were searching in the dark and she could hear them whispering. James Ervin testified when his bag, which was located in his home in Pike County, containing his drugs was returned to him, it contained only thirty-nine (39) dosage units of morphine. He stated there were at least eight to twelve tablets missing. Kim Howard, the receptionist at the Brookhaven, Lincoln County, Comfort Inn, testified Stubbs specifically asked her for a ground floor smoking room. Stubbs also told Howard she was going to be dragging someone into the room, but not to worry because they were not dead, only sleeping. Dr. Moak, Williams's treating physician at the hospital in Brookhaven, testified the injuries most likely occurred within a period of twelve to forty-eight hours of him treating Williams. ¶ 62. Based on the testimony submitted at trial, this Court finds there was sufficient evidence to establish all elements of the crimes, including jurisdiction. Therefore, we find this issue to be without merit.