Jamyrian Quinn was convicted of second-degree murder after shooting and killing Courtney Todd during an altercation at a Mississippi gas station parking lot in 2019, where surveillance footage and witnesses showed Quinn punching Todd, pulling a gun, ordering him to the ground, and firing the fatal shot to the neck while Todd was on his knees with his hands raised. Quinn appealed, arguing that the trial court erred by excluding testimony from his uncle as a sanction for a discovery violation and by barring additional evidence of Todd’s alleged violent character that he claimed supported his self-defense theory. The Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence, finding no abuse of discretion in the exclusions. The court held that the uncle’s late disclosure justified exclusion and that the character evidence was either irrelevant or harmless because Quinn and another witness had already testified extensively about Todd’s prior threats and violence, allowing Quinn to present his state of mind to the jury.
Daniel Ladner, a house framer working for a subcontractor on a Hinton Homes project, fell from a roof and sustained head and back injuries; a hospital urine test was positive for marijuana. His workers’ compensation claim was denied by an administrative judge and the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, which applied the presumption in Mississippi Code section 71-3-121(1) that intoxication was the proximate cause of the injury. On appeal, the Court of Appeals affirmed, finding the Commission’s decision supported by substantial evidence because Ladner offered no medical testimony, further testing, or other proof to show that his marijuana use was not a contributing cause. The court also noted that the 2012 statutory amendments eliminated any prior rule requiring liberal construction in favor of claimants.
Allen Nicolaou was convicted of murdering his cellmate while in jail and sentenced as a nonviolent habitual offender to life imprisonment without parole, based on prior convictions; after his direct appeal was affirmed, he filed multiple post-conviction relief (PCR) motions challenging the habitual offender enhancement under Mississippi Code § 99-19-81. In this case, the Hancock County Circuit Court denied his latest PCR motion as successive. The Court of Appeals vacated that denial and instead dismissed the motion for lack of jurisdiction. The court reasoned that, under Mississippi Code § 99-39-7, Nicolaou was required to first obtain permission from the Mississippi Supreme Court to file a PCR motion in the trial court after his conviction and sentence had been affirmed on appeal, but he had not done so, leaving the circuit court without authority to adjudicate the motion.
Jesse Sandlin, a Tennessee resident, sued State Farm in DeSoto County Circuit Court for uninsured motorist benefits after a 2019 car accident in Mississippi involving an allegedly uninsured driver. State Farm moved to dismiss for insufficient process and service of process under Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 4, arguing that Sandlin’s certified-mail attempts to various addresses, including a claims specialist, corporate headquarters, and the registered agent, failed to comply with service requirements. The circuit court granted the motion, dismissed the complaint with prejudice, and later denied reconsideration, finding that proper service had not been effected and the three-year statute of limitations had expired. The Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the attempted services were defective because they lacked properly issued summonses directed to the correct parties and did not follow the rules for serving a foreign insurer. The court further noted that even late efforts could not revive the claim once the limitations period had run.
In July 2023, a Warren County jury convicted Ray Jordan of shooting into a dwelling after he fired a gun into the home he shared with his wife in June 2022, though the jury acquitted him of aggravated assault and could not reach a verdict on an aggravated domestic violence charge. The trial court sentenced him to ten years in custody, with one year suspended and nine years to serve, plus one year of post-release supervision. Jordan appealed, and his appointed counsel filed a brief under Lindsey v. State stating that no arguable issues existed for appeal; Jordan did not file a pro se supplemental brief. After an independent review of the record, the Mississippi Court of Appeals found sufficient evidence to support the conviction and no arguable issues warranting reversal. The court therefore affirmed Jordan’s conviction and sentence.
The case involved the Estate of Alton Boleware suing Brenda McPhail and PriorityOne Bank for claims including conversion, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty, alleging that McPhail had improperly withdrawn and used funds from a joint bank account created after Boleware’s sister’s death. The Covington County Circuit Court granted the bank’s motion to stay the litigation and compel arbitration under a Deposit Account Agreement containing an arbitration addendum that Boleware had signed, finding the agreement valid and the claims covered. On appeal, the Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed the order as modified, holding that the Estate failed to prove defenses such as lack of mental capacity, undue influence, or fraud that would invalidate the arbitration provision, and that McPhail was a signatory party to the agreement rather than a third-party beneficiary. The court clarified that, under the terms of the addendum, an arbitrator rather than a court must determine whether the specific claims fall within its scope.
Jane Rodriguez sued Diamondhead Country Club and Property Owners Association for premises liability after tripping on an uneven sidewalk seam while leaving the community pool, resulting in a broken shoulder and lost tooth; she alleged the roughly half-inch height difference between concrete slabs created an unsafe condition. The Hancock County Circuit Court granted summary judgment to Diamondhead, and the Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed. The court held that the minor elevation change did not qualify as a dangerous condition under premises liability standards, so Diamondhead owed no duty to warn or repair it. It also rejected Rodriguez’s negligence-per-se claim, finding that the cited building code provisions (including IBC accessibility rules) were intended to protect disabled individuals from discrimination or denial of access, a class and type of harm to which she did not belong.
Timothy Aaron Dewberry was convicted after a jury trial in Yalobusha County Circuit Court of one count of sexual battery, one count of child fondling, and one count of child exploitation based on evidence that he sexually abused his daughter over several years beginning when she was three. He received a life sentence plus consecutive terms of fifteen and forty years. On appeal, Dewberry challenged the trial court's handling of a Batson objection during jury selection, which resulted in three jurors previously struck by the defense being seated, and argued that Jury Instruction 11 on the elements of sexual battery constructively amended the indictment by using a broader definition of "sexual penetration." The Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions and sentences, holding that the jury-selection ruling contained no reversible error and that the instruction, read as a whole, tracked the indictment's specific allegation of vaginal penetration and did not alter the elements the State was required to prove or prejudice Dewberry's defense of general denial.
The case concerned Donny Moore’s claim for unemployment benefits after his employment as a shelter manager at the Animal Rescue Fund of Mississippi ended in December 2012. A claims examiner initially denied benefits, finding that Moore had voluntarily quit by failing to return from a medical leave of absence, but an administrative law judge reversed that decision after a hearing, concluding Moore had been discharged due to health issues beyond his control; the MDES Board of Review and Hinds County Circuit Court both affirmed the ALJ. On appeal, the Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed the circuit court’s judgment, holding that the Board of Review’s factual findings were supported by substantial evidence—primarily Moore’s testimony that he never requested leave, was told to go home without a return date, and did not intend to quit—and were therefore neither arbitrary nor capricious under the applicable standard of review.
Jereme Jones was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison after a jury trial in Harrison County Circuit Court for fatally shooting Randy Johnson at the Golden Nugget Casino in Biloxi. Jones appealed, claiming the verdict was against the overwhelming weight of the evidence because the brief altercation showed he acted in the heat of passion or self-defense after Johnson punched him. The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction, holding that surveillance video and witness testimony established Jones picked up his fallen gun, chased the fleeing victim across the casino floor, stood over him, and fired ten shots, actions from which the jury could reasonably infer deliberate design to kill rather than manslaughter or justified self-defense. The court noted that the jury was properly instructed on the relevant legal standards and that its weighing of credibility and conflicting evidence would not be disturbed on appeal.
A Tunica County jury convicted Justin Mitchell of aggravated assault for shooting Dawanna Johnson and attempted aggravated assault for shooting at Cordarryl Curtis, after which the trial court imposed consecutive prison sentences plus five-year firearm enhancements on each count. Mitchell appealed, claiming the evidence was insufficient and against the weight of the evidence on the attempted-aggravated-assault count and that the trial court wrongly excluded his mother’s alibi testimony. The Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions and sentences. It held that eyewitness identifications and other testimony provided sufficient evidence for a rational jury to find guilt, that the verdicts were not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, and that exclusion of the alibi witness was proper because Mitchell had known of the potential defense for over a year yet failed to give timely notice under Uniform Rule of Circuit and County Court Practice 9.05 (now Rule 17.4).
The case involved Juan Adame's conviction in DeSoto County Circuit Court for fondling a nine-year-old child, Amy, after a jury trial in which Amy and other witnesses testified about an incident on Thanksgiving night in 2021 when Adame touched her while they were alone watching a movie. Adame was sentenced to fifteen years in custody, and he appealed, claiming error in the trial court's use of a jury instruction addressing the uncorroborated testimony of a sex-crime victim. The Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence. The court reasoned that the instruction was proper under established precedent, that the jury was also correctly instructed on the presumption of innocence and the requirement that the State prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt, and that no abuse of discretion occurred.
The case involved Donald Ray Robinson's conviction in Pearl River County Circuit Court for sexual battery under Mississippi Code § 97-3-95(1)(a), based on an incident at a July 2020 barbeque where the victim, L.S., testified that Robinson digitally penetrated her vagina while she slept on a couch. Robinson was sentenced to seven years in custody, with three years to serve and four years of post-release supervision. On appeal to the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Robinson's sole claim was that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by introducing the full recording of a police interview with an absent witness, which mentioned Robinson's intoxication. The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence, holding that counsel's strategic decision did not constitute deficient performance and, even if it did, caused no prejudice because the victim's testimony was corroborated by another witness's observations and Robinson's own statements, making the evidence of guilt overwhelming.
The case involved a dispute over two acres of land in Forrest County, Mississippi, originally conveyed in 1945 to Luther and Carrie Bouchee; after Carrie’s 1971 death and the 1972 probate of her estate (which did not list the two acres), the Forrest County Industrial Park Commission claimed ownership by adverse possession and sued to quiet title, while the Bouchee heirs (appellants) filed counterclaims for trespass and related relief. The Forrest County Chancery Court ruled that the Commission had acquired title through adverse possession and dismissed the counterclaims. On appeal, the Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the Commission proved by clear and convincing evidence all required elements of adverse possession—actual, exclusive, open and notorious, and continuous and uninterrupted possession for at least ten years—based on its use of the property, including after a 2002 deed from Pearl River Community College that confirmed its control. The court found no error in the chancery court’s factual findings or legal conclusions regarding the Commission’s possession since at least 2002.
The case involved Gregory Davis’s convictions in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court for aggravated assault and felon-in-possession of a weapon, based on evidence that he shot Eric Bishop during an argument over money. Davis appealed, claiming the trial court violated his confrontation rights by barring cross-examination of prosecution witness Quinton Bell about two 1995 forgery convictions. The Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions and consecutive sentences of twenty and ten years. It held that the decades-old convictions fell outside Mississippi Rule of Evidence 609(b)’s presumptive window and lacked sufficient probative value on Bell’s credibility to justify admission. The court further concluded that any error was harmless given the multiple eyewitness accounts and other evidence establishing Davis’s guilt.
Sacred Heart Catholic School and its principal petitioned the Forrest County Chancery Court for a restraining order and injunctive relief against former employee and contractor Lowry Yarbrough after he sent flowers with a note to the principal containing a biblical reference to wrath and a citation to the Mississippi statute prohibiting weapons on educational property; the petition also referenced prior disturbing incidents. The chancery court issued a preliminary and then permanent injunction barring Yarbrough from contacting the principal or coming within 100 yards of her and designated school properties. On appeal, the Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the school stated a legally cognizable claim grounded in its right to protect students and employees from the foreseeable risk of harm posed by Yarbrough’s conduct and that the chancellor did not abuse discretion in granting the relief.
Demario Walker, an inmate in MDOC custody, filed a petition in Hinds County Circuit Court seeking judicial review of MDOC's calculation of his trusty earned time under Mississippi Code Annotated section 47-5-138.1. He alleged that MDOC had miscalculated his inmate timesheet and refused to address his grievances on the issue. The circuit court dismissed the petition, finding that Walker had not attached any ARP decision for review and had failed to exhaust his administrative remedies through MDOC's Administrative Remedy Program. The Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal, holding that Walker provided no documentation showing he had initiated or completed the required ARP process before seeking judicial relief, which is a prerequisite for court review. The court limited its review to the exhaustion issue and did not address the merits of Walker's sentencing calculation claim.
Garrick Miller, appearing pro se, appealed the Chickasaw County Circuit Court’s denial of his motion for post-conviction relief challenging the revocation of his probation and suspended sentence. Miller had entered an Alford plea to possession of cocaine, received an eight-year suspended sentence as a habitual offender along with five years of supervised probation, and later had his sentence imposed after a hearing found he more likely than not committed new felonies while on probation. On appeal, he argued that the trial court failed to properly inform him of the probation conditions, lacked authority to revoke or reinstate the sentence, and relied on insufficient evidence. The Court of Appeals affirmed the denial, holding that Miller’s appellate brief was procedurally deficient under Mississippi Rule of Appellate Procedure 28(a) and that, even on the merits, the written probation conditions satisfied due process requirements, the court had statutory authority to revoke upon a preponderance finding of violations, and it merely enforced rather than altered the original sentence.
This Mississippi Court of Appeals case concerned a dispute over the validity of a 2016 will executed by Michael Edward Roberts, who died in December 2016. After his mother Teresa Herd was appointed administratrix of his estate on the basis that he died intestate, Roberts’s siblings Keith Stokes and Gloria Johnson petitioned to probate the 2016 will, which named them as beneficiaries; Herd and Roberts’s nephew Bryan Williams opposed the petition and sought to probate an earlier 2001 will. Following a bench trial, the Carroll County Chancery Court ruled that the 2016 will was valid and Roberts’s last will and testament. On appeal, the Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the chancellor did not err in admitting the will into evidence, that the attesting witness satisfied statutory requirements, and that the chancellor acted within his discretion in crediting the lay witness’s testimony over that of the appellants’ handwriting expert.
The case involved S.Z.O.’s appeal of a Harrison County Youth Court judgment terminating her parental rights to her daughter M.A.B. The child was removed from S.Z.O.’s custody in January 2021 after testing positive for cocaine at four months old while in the care of family members; the youth court later adjudicated M.A.B. neglected, ordered reunification services, and set requirements for S.Z.O. including stable housing and employment, a valid driver’s license, parenting classes, drug treatment, and supervised visitation. S.Z.O. repeatedly failed to comply with service agreements and court orders over two years, leading the youth court to find clear and convincing evidence of statutory grounds for termination under Mississippi Code sections 93-15-115, 93-15-119, and 93-15-121, as well as that termination served M.A.B.’s best interest. The Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the record contained sufficient credible evidence to support both the statutory findings and the best-interest determination, noting M.A.B.’s strong bond with her foster family where she had lived since infancy and was thriving.