Case Caption: Julian Viera, Jr. v. People of the Virgin IslandsCase Number: S. Ct. Crim. No. 2016-0014Date: 06/17/2019Author: Swan, Ive Arlington Citation: 2019 VI 22Summary: Considering an appeal from a judgment and commitment adjudicating the defendant guilty on charges including voluntary manslaughter (14 V.I.C. § 924(1)), assault in the first degree (14 V.I.C. § 295(1)), unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence (14 V.I.C. § 2253(a)), unauthorized possession of ammunition (14 V.I.C. § 2256(a)), and reckless endangerment in the first degree (14 V.I.C. § 625(a)), in which the defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support his convictions on these charges and argues that his claim of self-defense was adequately established at trial, the defendant’s argument as to the sufficiency of the evidence to support his conviction for voluntary manslaughter is deemed waived by operation of V.I. R. App. P. 22(m), and the Superior Court’s ruling that the People presented sufficient evidence to disprove the defendant’s claim of self-defense is affirmed. The evidence is also deemed to be sufficient to support all of his other convictions, and since, measured by the standard required by V.I. R. App. P. 22(a)(5), he inadequately briefed his argument that, by operation of Superior Court Rule 135, he was entitled to a new trial in the interest of justice, he failed to demonstrate that the Superior Court’s denial of his motion for a new trial was an abuse of discretion. Accordingly, the judgment and commitment is affirmed.Attachment: Open Document or Opinion