The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down two opinions today. Both are murder cases. Both are unanimous decisions. One affirms, one reverses.
The is also a new order amending M.R.C.P. 4 and 81 that is substituted for the order amending those rules that was entered earlier this month.
Gibson v. State, 2024-KA-00726-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Reversing convictions of capital murder and armed robbery, holding that the trial court failed to conduct a proper speedy-trial hearing by taking judicial notice of a backlog in the medical examiner’s office without requiring the State to prove causation, that inadmissible hearsay was admitted, that the State misrepresented evidence during closing, and that the State used improper impeachment evidence as substantive evidence.
(7-0: King for the Court)
Wilson v. State, 2025-KA-00288-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of first degree murder, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion instructing the jury and that the verdict was supported by sufficient evidence.
(7-0: Coleman for the Court)
Other Orders
In Re: The Rules of Civil Procedure, 89-R-99001-SCT (withdrawing a previous order amended Rules 4 and 81 and substituting a new one)
Higdon v. Pinkston, 2023-CT-00685-SCT (denying cert)
Bumgardner v. State, 2024-CT-00090-SCT (denying cert)
Chavers v. State, 2024-CT-00551-SCT (denying cert)
Baird v. Baird, 2024-CT-00629-SCT (dismissing pro se Petition for Writ of Certiorari, Motion for Leave to File Substituted Petition for Certiorari, Motion to Proceed Pro Se and for Recognition as Counsel of Record, and Motion to Anonymize Record and Protect Identities of Minor Children are dismissed as untimely
Cummins v. State, 2024-CT-00909-SCT (granting cert)
ABL Management, Inc. v. Rowell, 2024-CT-01007-SCT (denying cert)
Simoneaux v. State, 2024-CT-01127-SCT (denying cert)
Mississippi Appeals Blog 