The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down one opinion last week and one this week. Both were direct criminal appeals, but this week’s decision is a death penalty case. You can read about them below.
July 31, 2025
Harrelson v. State, 2024-KA-00600-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of statutory rape, holding that the defendant was not deprived of a fair trial by improper comments by the State because there was no objection at trial and there was substantial evidence of guilt, and holding that the verdict was not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence.
(9-0: Chamberlin for the Court)
Other Orders
- Miller v. State, 2023-CA-00322-SCT (denying cert)
- United Emergency Services of Mississippi, Inc. v. Miller, 2023-IA-00767-SCT (denying rehearing)
- J.S. v. Ocean Springs School District, 2023-CA-01009-SCT (denying rehearing)
- Tubbs v. State, 2023-KA-01124-SCT (denying rehearing)
- In Re: Administrative Orders of the Supreme Court of Mississippi, 2025-AD-00001-SCT (directing the disbursement of $216,005.10, in civil legal assistance funds among the MS Center for Legal Services, MS Volunteer Lawyers Project, and North MS Rural Legal Services)
- Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. Body, 2025-IA-00510-SCT (granting interloc)
August 7, 2025
Abram v. State, 2023-DP-00614-SCT (Criminal – Death Penalty)
Affirming conviction of two counts of capital murder and one count of attempted murder and his death sentence, holding that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion by admitting evidence from locations other than the crime scene, that the evidence was sufficient to support the capital murder convictions, and that the capital-murder convictions were not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, and declining to abandon the M’Naghten Rule.
(9-0: Ishee for the Court)
Other Orders
- Nailer v. State, 2023-CA-00627-SCT (denying cert)
- Estate of Roberts: Herd v. Stokes, 2023-CT-00713-SCT (denying cert)
- Gardner v. State, 2023-CT-00903-SCT (granting cert)
- Wilson v. State, 2023-CT-01050-SCT (denying cert)
- Grimes v. State, 2023-CT-01254-SCT (denying cert)
Mississippi Appeals Blog 