TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

Court Reinstates Jury Verdict in Child Neglect Case

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Mar 1, 2021

The Tennessee Supreme Court today reinstated a jury verdict against Shalonda Weems, a Davidson County woman found guilty of aggravated child neglect. The court concluded that the evidence at trial could have led a reasonable jury to determine that the state successfully proved all of the necessary elements beyond a reasonable doubt. Following the jury verdict, Weems filed a motion for judgment of acquittal. The trial court and the Court of Criminal Appeals found that the evidence was insufficient to prove Weems acted knowingly. The Supreme Court said the lower court erred in applying the standard of review when considering the motion for judgment of acquittal, improperly weighed the evidence, failed to disregard countervailing evidence, and failed to recognize the jury’s ability to draw inferences and make conclusions from the evidence presented.

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