Williams v. State
Mississippi Supreme Court
From the circuit court of Forrest county. Hon. William H. Cook, Judge. Williams, appellant, was indicted and tried for and convicted of murder and appealed to the supreme court. A statement of the facts, in view of the opinion of the court, is deemed.unnecessary. The evidence upon which the conviction was had was purely circumstantial.
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From the circuit court of Forrest county. Hon. William H. Cook, Judge. Williams, appellant, was indicted and tried for and convicted of murder and appealed to the supreme court. A statement of the facts, in view of the opinion of the court, is deemed.unnecessary. The evidence upon which the conviction was had was purely circumstantial. There was no motive shown for the killing’ but the state tried to supply this motive, and was permitted to supply it, to the extent that it prejudiced the minds of the jury against the defendant, in showing that the People’s Bank was robbed shortly after the…
1Opinion of the CourtSmith, J.
This is an appeal from a conviction of murder in the court below. The evidence against appellant was entirely circumstantial. The giving by the court, at the request of the state, of the following instruction, is assigned as error: “The court instructs the jury, for the state, that circumstantial evidence is legal and competent evidence, and whenever circumstantial evidence arises high enough in the scale of belief to generate full conviction in the minds of the jury of the guilt of the defendant to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt, the jury should act upon such evidence as readily as…
2Cases cited2 opinions
- Harper v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1903
- Mississippi Central Railroad v. HardyMississippi Supreme Court · 1906
3Cited by18 opinions
- Brooks v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1937
- Fortenberry v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1953
- Creel v. General Motors CorporationMississippi Supreme Court · 1970
- Mississippi Public Service. Co. v. CollierMississippi Supreme Court · 1938
- Simmons v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1914
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