Opinion ID: 1859815
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the trial court erred in finding the weight of the evidence adequate to deny the appellant's motion for a new trial.

Text: ¶ 26. Unlike a motion for a directed verdict or judgment notwithstanding the verdict, a motion for a new trial simply challenges the weight of the evidence. Sheffield, 749 So.2d at 125. This Court has explained that it will reverse the trial court's denial of a motion for a new trial only for an abuse of discretion. Id. at 127. This Court should not order a new trial unless it is convinced that the verdict is so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence that, to allow it to stand, would be to sanction an unconscionable injustice. Id. (quoting Groseclose v. State, 440 So.2d 297, 300 (Miss.1983)). Factual disputes are properly resolved by a jury and do not mandate a new trial. McNeal v. State, 617 So.2d 999, 1009 (Miss.1993). ¶ 27. Brengettcy argues that Edwards v. State, 736 So.2d 475, 482 (Miss.Ct.App. 1999), is on point and compels a reversal of his conviction. In Edwards, the Court of Appeals reversed a murder conviction where the only eyewitness admitted at trial that he was not certain the defendant was the person he saw at the scene of the crime. Id. The Court of Appeals distinguished the issue of witness credibility from that of witness certainty and concluded that the testimony of a vacillating witness, standing alone, is insufficient to support a jury's verdict. Id. at 483 (noting that [f]or evidence that is sufficient to convict, the jury must among other requirements be given proof that identifies the accused in a manner adequate to convince them beyond a reasonable doubt. If only one person makes the identification and there is no other evidence that adds to it, then if that witness himself is not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, neither may be the jury.). ¶ 28. Brengettcy misapprehends the Edwards holding. In the instant case, none of the four prosecution eyewitnesses vacillated in their testimony as the witness in Edwards did, and even those witnesses who did not actually see Brengettcy open fire were affirmatively able to either place him in the front passenger seat of the car or to testify that gunfire originated from the front passenger seat. Furthermore, any factual disputes between the prosecution witnesses and the defense witnesses were resolved by the jury and should not be disturbed. Plainly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying Brengettcy's motion for a new trial.