Jarvis v. State

A jury found Dorothy Jarvis guilty of misdemeanor obstruction of a law enforcement officer. Jarvis appeals, alleging the trial court erred in failing to grant her motion for a directed verdict of acquittal and that the evidence was insufficient to support the jury’s verdict. We find no error and affirm Jarvis’ conviction. The standard of review for the denial of a motion for a directed verdict of acquittal is the same as that for determining the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction: We view the evidence in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict and determine whether any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.1 We leave the resolution of conflicting or contradictory testimony and the credibility of the witnesses to the jury.2

Viewed in that light, the evidence shows that a deputy with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department received a call about dogs chasing people down the road. When he arrived at the scene, someone directed him to Jarvis’ house, where he saw two dogs in the front yard that matched the description provided by the caller. The deputy beeped his horn, and Jarvis approached the deputy’s car. The deputy asked Jarvis to secure the dogs and told her a neighbor had called and reported that her dogs were chasing people down the street. Jarvis became upset, told the officer she knew who had made the call, and stated, “you can tell them for me that they can kiss my —.” At that point, the deputy informed Jarvis that an animal control officer was on his way, he backed his vehicle onto the road, and he called for backup.