Justia Mississippi Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Ira Bowser admitted to killing Shabree Page at their apartment in 2012. The question at trial was whether Bowser’s actions were a product of deliberate design murder, second degree murder, heat of passion manslaughter, or self-defense. The jury returned a verdict of deliberate design murder, and the trial court sentenced Bowser, as a habitual offender, to life in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. On appeal, Bowser challenged the weight and sufficiency of the evidence. After review, the Supreme Court found sufficient evidence to support the jury’s verdict of murder and that the jury’s verdict was not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. View "Bowser v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Tyrone Burrell was indicted for kidnapping. Burrell maintained that he merely tricked an elderly man into driving him to Memphis, but a jury found him guilty of kidnapping. The trial court sentenced Burrell to thirty years without parole. Burrell appealed. Finding no reversible error in Burrell’s conviction or in sentencing, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Burrell v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Thomas Flynt was convicted of manslaughter for the death of his daughter’s girlfriend, Teresa Groover, after an altercation. According to Flynt, he and Teresa were struggling over a gun when it went off, and he did not remember pulling the trigger. Several people were present during the altercation and at the location where Teresa was shot, but no one saw Flynt shoot her. After the trial, Flynt filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or, in the alternative, for a new trial. The trial judge denied the motion, and Tommy appealed. The Supreme Court affirmed, finding that the evidence presented by the State was legally sufficient to allow the jury to conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Flynt was guilty of manslaughter. The Court found no abuse of discretion when the trial court denied Flynt’s motion for JNOV or for a new trial, and it affirmed the judgment of the trial court. View "Flynt v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Daniel Parish appealed his conviction for driving under the influence of marijuana, arguing that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to prove the elements of the charged offense. Finding no error, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Parish v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

In 2008, James Newell was convicted of manslaughter for the shooting death of Adrian Boyette. After this Court reversed Newell's conviction, he was retried and again convicted of manslaughter. The Court of Appeals reversed this conviction, finding that the trial court erred in its admission of certain expert testimony. The Mississippi Supreme Court granted Newell's petition for writ of certiorari to address his remaining claims that the Court of Appeals declined to address. Finding those arguments to be without merit, the Court affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeals, reversed the judgment of the trial court, and remanded the case for a new trial. View "Newell v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Anthony Windless was convicted by jury for the 2011 death of Charles Presley. Windless was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Windless appealed, arguing the trial court erred in instructing the jury, and that he received ineffective assistance of trial counsel. With respect to Windless' claim of improper jury instructions, the Supreme Court found no merit to his argument. With respect to his ineffective assistance of counsel claim, the Supreme Court found it more appropriate for Windless to make his argument in a petition for post-conviction relief. The Court dismissed Windless' ineffective-assistance claim without prejudice. View "Windless v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Erik Hollie walked into a pawn shop in Wesson, Mississippi, and killed the owner because he didn’t follow "the Lord." Hollie claimed "the Lord" led him there to kill the man. A couple of days before the murder, Hollie robbed a gas-station attendant at knife point because, according to Hollie, the two men had argued about religion. Shortly after the murder, Hollie turned himself in and confessed to both the armed robbery and the capital murder. The trial judge appointed an attorney to represent Hollie, and he filed a motion for a mental evaluation. A state doctor evaluated Hollie, but before a competency hearing was held, Hollie pleaded guilty to both crimes. The trial judge accepted the guilty pleas without any adjudication on Hollie’s mental status. At sentencing, Hollie put on no mitigating evidence, and he specifically instructed his attorney to put on no defense. The only thing before the jury from the defense was Hollie’s own statement to the jury, which was just one sentence. "I ask that you let the Lord deal with me and sentence me to death." The jury indeed found him guilty and sentenced him to death. Hollie filed no appeal or any motions for post-conviction relief. The matter came before the Mississippi Supreme Court on mandatory review of Hollie's death sentence. Finding that the trial court erred in ordering a mental evaluation but failing to hold a hearing on Hollie’s competency, the Court vacated Hollie’s guilty pleas, convictions, and his sentences, and remanded this case for a competency determination. View "Hollie v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

After a new trial was ordered, Brian Holliman was retried for the murder of his wife. The jury found Holliman guilty of first-degree murder, and the trial court sentenced him to life in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He appealed, arguing: (1) the evidence of deliberate design was insufficient to support the verdict; (2) the jury instructions were improper; (3) the trial court erroneously admitted hearsay statements made by the victim; (4) the trial court erroneously denied a motion to suppress his two written statements; and (5) the trial court erred by denying his motion to quash the indictment. Finding no error, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Holliman v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Michael Gardner was tried and convicted of possession of more than thirty grams but less than one kilogram of marijuana, with intent to distribute. The trial judge sentenced him to ten years, day for day, as an enhanced habitual offender. Gardner appealed, arguing that “a penalty for [his] convicted offense no longer appeared” in the relevant drug statutes when he was sentenced. After review, the Supreme Court disagreed and affirmed the judgment of the Circuit Court. View "Gardner v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Reginald Jackson was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to thirty years with five years suspended. On appeal, Jackson argued that the prosecutors’ misconduct during opening statements and closing argument "so infected the trial with unfairness" that his right to due process was violated. Jackson additionally argues that the State failed in its burden to prove the knife used in the robbery was a deadly weapon. After review of the trial court record, the Mississippi Supreme Court found that the prosecution’s repeated misstatements of evidence and improper arguments, in the absence of an objection, did not rise to the level of reversible error in this case. Furthermore, the Court found no merit to Jackson’s contention that the State failed in its burden to prove the knife was a deadly weapon. Accordingly, the Court affirmed Jackson's conviction and sentence. View "Jackson v. Mississippi" on Justia Law