Hibbler v. State

ROBERTS, J.,

for the Court:

¶ 1. A jury sitting before the Noxubee County Circuit Court found R.C. Hibbler guilty of statutory rape. The circuit court sentenced Hibbler to twenty years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC). Hibbler appeals. Because we find merit to Hibbler’s claim that he received ineffective assistance of counsel, we decline to address Hibbler’s claims that there was insufficient evidence to find him guilty and that the jury’s verdict is contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence. Consequently, we reverse the judgment of the circuit court…