Opinion ID: 1917675
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: and X. Legal Sufficiency and Weight of the Evidence

Text: ¶ 69. Smith asserts that the evidence was legally insufficient and that the jury verdict convicting him of murder, was contrary to the weight of the evidence. ¶ 70. On the issue of legal sufficiency, this Court held in Pinkney v. State, 538 So.2d 329, 353 (Miss.1988), that reversal can only occur when evidence of one or more of the elements of the charged offense is such that reasonable and fair minded jurors could only find the accused not guilty. (citations omitted). The standard of review for a denial of a directed verdict, peremptory instruction and a JNOV are identical. Coleman v. State, 697 So.2d 777, 787 (Miss.1997). A motion for JNOV, a motion for directed verdict and a request for peremptory instruction challenge the legal sufficiency of the evidence. McClain v. State, 625 So.2d 774, 778 (Miss.1993). Since each requires consideration of the evidence before the court when made, this Court properly reviews the ruling on the last occasion the challenge was made in the trial court. This occurred when the Circuit Court overruled [the] motion for JNOV. McClain, 625 So.2d at 778 (citing Wetz v. State, 503 So.2d 803, 807-08 (Miss.1987)). ¶ 71. It is well established that matters regarding the weight of the evidence are to be resolved by the jury. Neal v. State, 451 So.2d 743, 758 (Miss. 1984); Danner v. State, 748 So.2d 844, 846 (Miss.Ct.App.1999). The court is bound by the jury findings upon an issue presented by the instruction requested by the [defendant]. Kinney v. State, 336 So.2d 493, 496 (Miss.1976). A motion for new trial challenges the weight of the evidence. Sheffield v. State, 749 So.2d 123, 127 (Miss. 1999). A reversal is warranted only if the trial court abused its discretion in denying a motion for new trial. Id. (citing Gleeton v. State, 716 So.2d 1083 (Miss.1998)). This Court held in McFee v. State, 511 So.2d 130, 133 (Miss.1987) that it has limited authority to interfere with a jury verdict. The court looks at all the evidence in the light that is most consistent to the jury verdict. Id. The prosecution is given the benefit of all favorable inferences that may reasonably be drawn from the evidence. Id. [I]f there is in the record substantial evidence of such quality and weight that, having in mind the beyond a reasonable doubt burden of proof standard, reasonable and fair-minded jurors in the exercise of impartial judgement might have reached different conclusions, the verdict of guilty is thus placed beyond our authority to disturb. Id. at 133-34. See also May v. State, 460 So.2d 778, 781 (Miss.1984). This Court has held that a new trial will not be given unless the verdict is so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence that an unconscionable injustice would occur by allowing the verdict to stand. Groseclose v. State, 440 So.2d 297, 300 (Miss.1983). See also Danner v. State, 748 So.2d at 846. However, if a jury verdict convicting a defendant is against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, then the remedy is to grant a new trial. Collier v. State, 711 So.2d 458, 461 (Miss.1998). ¶ 72. As to the credibility of witnesses, this Court in Gathright v. State, 380 So.2d 1276 (Miss.1980), has held that in a criminal prosecution the jury may accept the testimony of some witnesses and reject that of others, and that they may accept in part and reject in part the evidence on behalf of the state or on behalf of the accused. In other words, the credibility of witnesses is not for the reviewing court. Id. at 1277 (citing Davis v. State, 320 So.2d 789 (Miss.1975)). ¶ 73. In the case sub judice, the evidence met the legal sufficiency test and the weight of the evidence test for a denial of the JNOV and new trial motions. The main evidence showed that the victim, Theragood, was found dead on March 28, 1998, on Christopher Lane in DeSoto County from gunshot wounds to the head. Many of Smith's relatives lived along this street. ¶ 74. Witnesses testified that they saw Smith, Theragood and her child, Shayna, in the late evening and early morning of January 28-29, 1998. The Memphis hotel staff testified that only Smith and Shayna checked into the hotel on the morning of January 29. Smith stayed at the hotel with the child until February 1, 1998. According to the hotel staff, Smith stated that the baby's mother was an entertainer and was on tour for two months. The hotel staff from another nearby Memphis hotel testified that on January 30, 1998, Smith made reservations for his employees and left some luggage. The luggage was later determined to belong to Theragood. ¶ 75. Marcie Ford stated that on January 30 or 31, 1998, Shayna with left with her to babysit. Smith told Ford that Shayna's mother was in jail, and he also gave Ford a baby bag. The baby was subsequently left with Ford who contacted the police. When police gave Shayna to the Memphis juvenile court, a worker found .38 special bullets in the baby bag. ¶ 76. On February 6, Smith went to a Florida airport to retrieve a piece of luggage that set off an alarm on an airport metal detector. Smith identified himself as Mustapha Amin and claimed the luggage belonged to a member of his religious group. The bag contained a .38 caliber revolver that was wrapped in a towel inside a potato chip bag. Some of the fingerprints on the potato chip bag Smith as well as other items in the luggage belonged to Smith. While there was no positive identification, an FBI agent determined that the bullet fragments could have been fired from the gun found in the airport. ¶ 77. On February 26, 1998, the Nashville police responded to a call concerning a vehicle. A car identified to be like that in the photograph in Exhibit 3 was in a Nashville hotel parking garage. The police found blood and fingerprints in the car. The DNA comparison of blood in the vehicle to Theragood's jawbone was a match. Thus the evidence presented to the jury was legally sufficient, and the verdict was not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. Accordingly, the trial court correctly denied both the jnov and new trial motions. This issue is without merit.