Opinion ID: 1739464
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: was the verdict of the jury against the overwhelming weight of the evidence and the law applicable thereto?

Text: The testimony of one of the police officers, Deputy Abernathy, was that the brown grocery sack containing the marijuana was open on the floorboard of the truck, and sitting between the legs of Donnell Kinzey. Andrew Parhams contradicted the officer's testimony by claiming that the bag was found, not between Kinzey's legs, but under the seat, and that it was folded shut, not sitting open. In situations such as this, where there is conflicting evidence, the jury will be the sole judge both of the credibility of the witnesses as well as the weight and worth given their testimony. Gathright v. State, 380 So.2d 1276, 1278 (Miss. 1980); Johnson v. State, 452 So.2d 850, 853 (Miss. 1984). The credibility of the witnesses at trial is not a matter for the reviewing court's evaluation. Anderson v. State, 461 So.2d 716, 719 (Miss. 1984); Williams v. State, 427 So.2d 100, 104 (Miss. 1983); Gathright, 380 So.2d at 1378. In Curry v. State, 249 So.2d 414 (Miss. 1971), this Court stated: What constitutes a sufficient external relationship between the defendant and the narcotic property to complete the concept of `possession' is a question which is not susceptible of a specific rule. However, there must be sufficient facts to warrant a finding that defendant was aware of the presence and character of the particular substance and was intentionally and consciously in possession of it. It need not be actual physical possession. Constructive possession may be shown by establishing that the drug involved was subject to his dominion or control. Proximity is usually an essential element, but by itself is not adequate in the absence of other incriminating circumstances. In the instant case, all of the circumstances and these criteria were sufficient to warrant the jury in finding that appellant was in possession of the marijuana. Id. at 416. Per the testimony of Deputy Abernathy  which the jury apparently believed  the marijuana in the instant case was sufficiently within the dominion and control of Kinzey to have supported the verdict. In addition to proximity (which, by itself, is not adequate to show possession), Kinzey's suspicious behavior prior to the discovery of the marijuana and the fact that he kept walking when ordered to exit the truck, are additional incriminating circumstances. Sufficient to support affirmance. Finding no error, we affirm. AFFIRMED. WALKER, C.J., ROY NOBLE LEE and HAWKINS, P.JJ., and ANDERSON and GRIFFIN, JJ., concur. ROBERTSON, PRATHER and SULLIVAN, JJ., concur as to Parts I, III and IV and dissent as to Part II.