Opinion ID: 1106407
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: standard of review

Text: ¶ 5. The Court of Appeals cited the following standard of review: Forfeiture statutes are penal in nature and must be strictly construed. Parcel Real Property Located at 335 West Ash Street, Jackson, Miss. v. City of Jackson, 664 So.2d 194, 199 (Miss. 1995); Jackson v. State ex rel. Miss. Bureau of Narcotics, 591 So.2d 820, 822 (Miss.1991). In a civil forfeiture case, the question is whether, given all of the evidence taken together, a rational trier of fact could have found that the funds were the product of or the instrumentalities of violations of the State's Uniform Controlled Substances Laws. Hickman v. State ex. rel. Miss. Dep't of Public Safety, 592 So.2d 44, 48 (Miss.1991). The trier of fact may act on circumstantial evidence and inferences as well as direct evidence. Id. at 46. Evans, 925 So.2d at 853.