Opinion ID: 1096134
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: a. whether the trial court had venue.

Text: The local jurisdiction of all offenses, unless otherwise provided by law, shall be in the county where committed. Miss. Code Ann. § 99-11-3 (Supp. 1991). Jones challenges the sufficiency of the proof of venue and argues that the state failed to prove that the crime took place in Lauderdale County. Venue is an indispensable part of a criminal trial and it may be proved by direct or circumstantial evidence. Griffin v. State, 381 So.2d 155, 158 (Miss. 1980); Cf. Fairchild v. State, 459 So.2d 793, 799 (Miss. 1984) (may be proved by circumstantial evidence or inferentially.). In this case, all of the witnesses who testified about Jones' movements with his daughter indicated that these took place in Lauderdale County. There is no indication of Jones having left Lauderdale County at any time with M.J.. The evidence was sufficient to establish Lauderdale County as the venue for Jones' trial. This assignment is without merit.