Williams v. State

749 So. 2d 159, 1999 WL 153779
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedMarch 23, 1999
Docket98-KA-00536-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 749 So. 2d 159 (Williams v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. State, 749 So. 2d 159, 1999 WL 153779 (Mich. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

749 So.2d 159 (1999)

Rusty WILLIAMS a/k/a Rusty Chantel Williams, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 98-KA-00536-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

March 23, 1999.

*160 William C. Trotter, III, Belzoni, Attorney for Appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Jolene M. Lowry, Attorney for Appellee.

BEFORE McMILLIN, P.J., DIAZ, KING, AND PAYNE, JJ.

PAYNE, J., for the Court:

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 1. Rusty Williams was indicted for the July 12, 1997 murder of Caron Smith. Williams received a jury trial in the Circuit Court of Humphreys County, Mississippi. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and thereafter, Williams filed his motion for a new trial and JNOV. These motions were denied. Williams was then sentenced to serve a term of life imprisonment. Feeling aggrieved by this judgment, Williams filed his appeal.

FACTS

¶ 2. In the early morning hours of July 12, 1997, Caron Demon Smith died after receiving a discharge from a sawed-off shotgun. Prior to his demise, Shameika Bronson, Smith's companion for the evening, testified that she and the deceased left Tiffany's club to go to his car. Standing near Smith's car was Roosevelt Dear and Williams. Smith indicated that some of his property was missing and that he could not find his gun. Smith, Dear, and Williams exchanged words. Soon thereafter, Williams fired a shotgun in Smith's direction, hitting his intended victim in the chest.

¶ 3. L.J. Luton testified that on the night/early morning of the murder, he was managing Tiffany's club. He stated that he did not see the shooting take place, but he did testify that he saw Williams and Dear kicking Smith while Smith was on the ground.

¶ 4. Several deputy sheriffs testified about what occurred that night. Deputy Zelie Shaw testified that his investigation resulted in the belief that a shotgun had been used to commit the crime. Deputy Shaw further noted that L.K. Newell was the brother of the appellant.

¶ 5. Deputy Sheriff James Terry testified that Luton had indicated to him that only Roosevelt had kicked Smith. Luton stated that the portion of his statement germane to the kicking incident must have been removed from his full statement. Deputy Terry also testified that a weapon from the vehicle in which Williams had occupied was recovered.

ISSUES PRESENTED

I. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN REFUSING TO GRANT A DIRECTED VERDICT OF ACQUITTAL AND A REQUESTED PEREMPTORY INSTRUCTION (INSTRUCTION *161 1) AND, LIKEWISE, ERRED IN OVERRULING DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL OR FOR A JUDGMENT NOTWITHSTANDING THE VERDICT, AS SAID VERDICT WAS CONTRARY TO LAW AND AGAINST THE OVERWHELMING WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE.

¶ 6. The appellant first asserts that the trial court erred in not granting him a motion for a direct verdict or in the alternative a JNOV. He also insists that he should have received the peremptory instruction he requested. The appellant also argues that the verdict of the jury was against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, and as a result he claims a new trial is warranted.

¶ 7. Motions for a directed verdict and a motion for JNOV. challenge the legal sufficiency of the evidence. Noe v. State, 616 So.2d 298, 302 (Miss.1993) (stating that a motion for directed verdict tests legal sufficiency of the evidence); McClain v. State, 625 So.2d 774, 778 (Miss.1993) (stating that a motion for judgment of acquittal notwithstanding the verdict also tests legal sufficiency of the evidence). See also Strong v. State, 600 So.2d 199, 201(Miss.1992) (stating that the trial judge is bound by the same law whether addressing a motion for directed verdict or addressing a request for a peremptory instruction). Since both require consideration of the evidence before the court when made, the supreme court (and the Court of Appeals) properly reviews the ruling only on the last occasion that the challenge was made in the trial court. McClain, 625 So.2d at 778.

¶ 8. Concerning the weight of the evidence, the Mississippi Supreme Court has held that "[t]he jury is charged with the responsibility of weighing and considering the conflicting evidence and credibility of the witnesses and determining whose testimony should be believed." McClain v. State, 625 So.2d 774, 781 (Miss.1993). Furthermore, "the challenge to the weight of the evidence via motion for a new trial implicates the trial court's sound discretion." Id. (citing Wetz v. State, 503 So.2d 803, 807-08 (Miss.1987)). The decision to grant a new trial "rest[s] in the sound discretion of the trial court, and the motion (for a new trial based on the weight of the evidence) should not be granted except to prevent an unconscionable injustice." Id. The supreme court will reverse only for abuse of discretion, and on review will accept as true all evidence favorable to the State. Id.

¶ 9. Williams was charged with "deliberate design" murder pursuant to Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-19(1)(a). In challenging the sufficiency of the evidence in this assignment, Williams submits that this killing was "manslaughter at best, but actually was his reasonable actions in self-defense as he contended at the trial." The State submits that malice is not a necessary ingredient of murder; deliberate design is all that is required. Hughes v. State, 207 Miss. 594, 605, 42 So.2d 805 (1949). Malice may be inferred from the accused's use of a deadly weapon. Carleton v. State, 425 So.2d 1036, 1041 (Miss. 1983).

¶ 10. In the present case, the jury heard the witnesses and the evidence as presented by both the State and the defense. There exists in the record evidence from which the jury could have inferred the deliberate design murder of Smith. The gun which was used to kill Smith was found in a vehicle owned by L.K. Newell. Williams told the police that he (Williams) shot Smith.

¶ 11. Forensic serologist Dana Johnson examined the shotgun and Williams's shorts for the presence of blood. She detected human blood on the shotgun. She stated that human blood was discovered on Williams's shorts.

¶ 12. Shameika Bronson was the nineteen year old friend of Smith and was with Smith at the time of the shooting. She testified that when she and Smith exited the club, they proceeded to Smith's car. *162 Smith noticed that his car stereo was missing as well as his gun. Smith began speaking with Dear and Williams. Smith questioned Dear and Williams about the missing items. Williams and Dear denied having any knowledge about the alleged theft, then questioned Smith asking him why he was "disrespecting" them. Bronson then watched Williams shoot Smith. Bronson testified that after Smith had been shot, he sat in his car, then fell out of the car. Thereafter, Bronson exited the car and hid behind a van. When she looked back toward the scene, she saw Dear kicking Smith and Williams heckling Smith.

¶ 13. Other witnesses testified about what occurred immediately after the shooting. L.J. Luton, the operator of Tiffany's night club, testified that he walked outside the club and saw Williams standing over Smith beating his victim with a shotgun. Deputy Kenneth Terry arrived at the scene and testified that Luton had told him that Williams was in possession of a weapon.

¶ 14. Dr. Steven Hayne testified about his external examination of the victim.

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Related

Jordan v. State
80 So. 3d 817 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2010)
Woods v. State
996 So. 2d 100 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2008)
Alonso v. State
838 So. 2d 309 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2002)

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Bluebook (online)
749 So. 2d 159, 1999 WL 153779, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-state-missctapp-1999.