Wright v. State

The defendant's admission that he shot the victim, but did so in self-defense, removed the ' "case from the rule that a conviction based entirely on circumstantial evidence can be affirmed only if every reasonable hypothesis other than guilt is excluded." '

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A jury found Percy Wright guilty of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Following the denial of his motion for new trial, Wright appeals, asserting several claims of error. We affirm. Construed in favor of the verdict, the evidence showed that the victim had taken his father’s car to be repaired by someone near his home when he noticed Wright driving a small red car. The victim had known Wright for several years. Wright drove away and returned a few seconds later, but as a passenger in the car with another man driving. Wright offered the victim a ride to go and purchase some beer. After buying beer, the victim noticed that instead of traveling the same route that the men had taken to the store, the driver made a wrong turn and begin traveling in another direction, “speeding up and . . . slowing down and speeding up.” The victim and Wright began to have a conversation where Wright told the victim about someone he “didn’t like and stuff and they were going to do something about it that night.” The victim responded by telling Wright and the driver about someone he did not like. Wright then pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the mouth, head and chest. The victim was able to grab the gun and hop over the seat before eventually falling out of the car.

Wright testified that the victim told him that he wanted Wright to shoot someone for “some money.” When Wright refused and stated that he was going to tell the person of the victim’s intentions, the victim pulled out a gun. Wright claimed that he and the victim began fighting in the car and that he then shot the victim in self-defense.

Wright v. State

The defendant's admission that he shot the victim, but did so in self-defense, removed the ' "case from the rule that a conviction based entirely on circumstantial evidence can be affirmed only if every reasonable hypothesis other than guilt is excluded." '

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