Opinion ID: 4537852
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: Petitioner appeals the circuit court’s order denying his motion for a new trial made under Rule 33 of the West Virginia Rules of Criminal Procedure. Rule 33 enables a circuit court to grant a new trial to a defendant if required in the interest of justice. We review a circuit court’s order denying a motion for a new trial for abuse of discretion.7 “Although the ruling of a trial court in granting or denying a motion for a new trial is entitled to great respect and weight, the trial court’s ruling will be reversed on appeal when it is clear that the trial court has acted under some misapprehension of the law or the evidence.”8 “[T]he question of whether a jury was properly instructed is a question of law, and the review is de novo.”9