Justia Mississippi Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Husband appealed the trial court's award of lump-sum alimony, temporary alimony, and interest to the wife. Upon review of the trial court record, the Supreme Court concluded that the chancellor examined all relevant factors in determining lump-sum alimony, and his determination was supported by the record. The chancellor was within his power to enforce the temporary order and continue the obligation of temporary alimony until the divorce was finalized. Furthermore, the chancellor did not err in awarding interest on monies owed to the wife that were more than a year past due. Because the chancellor did not err in any of these determinations, the Supreme Court affirmed the trial court in all respects. View "McFarland, Jr. v. McFarland" on Justia Law

Defendant Steve Antonio Anthony was convicted in circuit court for selling cocaine. He appealed his conviction, arguing that: (1) the circuit court erred by excluding evidence on cross-examination of the prior felony charges of the State's confidential informant; (2) the circuit court erred in denying two peremptory challenges raised by the defense; and (3) the jury's verdict was against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction. Defendant raised the same issues in his appeal to the Supreme Court which found that the trial court erred by limiting the cross-examination of the confidential informant. Accordingly the Court reversed Defendant's conviction and remanded the case for a new trial. View "Anthony v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Roundstone Development, LLC, sought to develop an affordable-housing subdivision in the City of Natchez. The land which it sought to develop had two different zoning classifications: O-L (Open-Land) and R-1 (Single-Family Residential). The City’s Planning Commission denied Roundstone's site plan, finding that the O-L area must be rezoned R-1 before the development could be approved. The Mayor and Board of Alderman then denied Roundstone's rezoning request. The Circuit Court of Adams County and the Court of Appeals both affirmed the City’s decision. The Supreme Court granted certiorari to address: (1) whether the City erred in requiring that the O-L area be rezoned R-1 and (2) whether the City erred in failing to grant Roundstone's rezoning request. Upon review, the Court found that the City’s interpretation of its zoning ordinance to require rezoning from O-L to R-1 was not manifestly unreasonable and that it did not act arbitrarily or capriciously in denying the rezoning. Therefore, the Court affirmed the judgments of the circuit court and the Court of Appeals. View "Roundstone Development, LLC v. City of Natchez" on Justia Law

Robert Lee Jenkins was convicted for possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to life imprisonment under the habitual-offender statute. The Supreme Court granted Jenkins's petition for writ of certiorari to examine whether the trial court erred by allowing a laboratory supervisor to testify regarding the results of substance testing, where the supervisor reviewed and verified the results, but another analyst actually performed the tests. Finding no error, the Court affirmed. View "Jenkins v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Frederick Denell Grim was convicted by jury for the sale of cocaine. The circuit court adjudicated Grim a habitual offender and sentenced him to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court's judgment of conviction and sentence. The Supreme Court granted Grim's petition for writ of certiorari to examine whether the trial court erred by allowing a laboratory supervisor, who neither observed nor participated in the testing of the substance, to testify in place of the analyst who had performed the testing. Finding no error, the Court affirmed. View "Grim v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

In a divorce proceeding, the chancery court ordered the father and mother to pay certain specific college expenses which the father argued should include flight lessons associated with the child’s aviation-related major. The chancellor found for the father, held the mother in contempt, and awarded the father attorney’s fees. The Court of Appeals affirmed. After its review of the matter, in particular the terms of the divorce decree, the Supreme Court found that because the decree required payment for only “meals, tuition, books and room,” and reversed the judgments of the Court of Appeals and the chancery court in part and remanded the case for further proceedings. View "Zweber v. Zweber" on Justia Law

In this interlocutory appeal, the issue before the Supreme Court was whether the Circuit Court of Simpson County erred in ordering Defendants to produce a recorded statement and a privilege log of all documents withheld on the basis of privilege and relevance. Upon review of the matter, the Court found that the circuit court abused its discretion in ordering Defendants to produce the recorded statement without any analysis of their claim of work-product privilege. Additionally, the Court found that the circuit court erred by granting Plaintiff’s motion to compel discovery without conducting an item-by-item analysis of each objection. Therefore, the Court vacated the circuit court’s order and remanded the case for further proceedings. View "Powell v. McLain" on Justia Law

Pro se prisoner Edgar Earl Patton appealed his convictions on false pretense and fraudulent use of identity. He argued: (1) the circuit court judge engaged in improper ex parte communications; (2) he was denied his Sixth-Amendment right to counsel at all critical phases; (3) the circuit court erred in denying his motion to recuse the trial judge; (4) the circuit court erred by allowing a substantive amendment to the indictment; (5) he was denied the right to compulsory service of process; (6) Patton’s Fourth-Amendment protection against unlawful search and seizure was violated; (7) the circuit court erred by violating Uniform Circuit and County Court Rule 1.11; (8) the circuit court judge’s inquiry into Patton’s educational background for purposes of determining his ability to represent himself was an improper discovery tool that benefitted the State and violated his Fifth-Amendment right against self-incrimination; (9) the circuit court erred by denying Patton’s motion for directed verdict; (10) jurisdiction was improper and venue was not established; (11) the jury was improperly instructed; and (12) the indictment was legally insufficient and defective. Finding no reversible error, the Supreme Court affirmed Patton’s convictions and sentences. View "Patton v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

Howard Goodin appealed a circuit court's denial of his application for post-conviction relief. The circuit court denied Goodin’s claims that he was mentally retarded and that he had received ineffective assistance of counsel on the issues of mental illness and competency. After review of the record and pertinent authorities, the Supreme Court found that the circuit court erred in determining that Goodin was not mentally retarded. The Court also found that Goodin failed to prove ineffective assistance of counsel regarding competency at the conviction stage. Because these issues were dispositive, the Court did not address Goodin’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel on the issue of mental illness. The circuit court's judgment was affirmed in part and reversed in part. Goodin's death sentence was vacated and this case was remanded to the Circuit Court of Newton County for resentencing on the capital murder charge. View "Goodin v. Mississippi" on Justia Law

This appeal by Dorothy Knight arose from a 2011 circuit court order. In it, the circuit court affirmed an administrative decision by the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) denying disability benefits. Upon review, a majority of the Supreme Court concluded that Knight met her burden, and that PERS' decision to deny her claim was not supported by substantial evidence. Accordingly, the Court reversed the appellate and circuit courts' rulings and remanded the case for further proceedings. View "Knight v. Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi" on Justia Law