Smith v. Commonwealth

OPINION BY CHIEF JUSTICE DONALD W. LEMONS

In this appeal, we consider whether the Court of Appeals of Virginia ("Court of Appeals") erred when it found the evidence was sufficient to uphold a conviction of voluntary manslaughter in the Spotsylvania County Circuit Court ("trial court").

I. Facts and Proceedings

A. The Evidence at Trial

Laurence Maria Smith ("Smith") was tried by a jury upon indictments for the first-degree murder of her husband, Sean McVae Smith ("Sean"), and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Smith pled not guilty, and a four-day jury trial was held.

At the…