Opinion ID: 4544431
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: [1] In reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress based on a claimed violation of the Fourth Amendment, an appellate court applies a two-part standard of review. 1 Regarding historical facts, an appellate court reviews the trial court’s findings for clear error, but whether those facts trigger or violate Fourth Amendment protections is a question of law that an appellate court reviews independently of the trial court’s determination. 2 1 State v. Brye, 304 Neb. 498, 935 N.W.2d 438 (2019). 2 Id. - 963 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 305 Nebraska Reports STATE v. BENSON Cite as 305 Neb. 949 [2] A trial court’s denial of a motion to sever will not be disturbed on appeal absent an abuse of discretion. 3 [3] In reviewing a criminal conviction for a sufficiency of the evidence claim, whether the evidence is direct, circumstantial, or a combination thereof, the standard is the same: An appellate court does not resolve conflicts in the evidence, pass on the credibility of witnesses, or reweigh the evidence; such matters are for the finder of fact. 4 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. 5