Opinion ID: 6498682
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: standard of review

Text: [1] 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 - 651 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. GARCIA Cite as 311 Neb. 648 evidence; such matters are for the finder of fact. The relevant question 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. 2 [2] Whether jury instructions are correct is a question of law, which an appellate court resolves independently of the lower court’s decision. 3