Case Caption: Kareem Jamal Brown (Appellant/Defendant,) vs. People of the Virgin Islands, (Appellee/Plaintiff)Case Number: S.Ct.Crim. No. 2008-0078Date: 10/27/2010Author: Hodge, Rhys S. Citation: Summary:

The Supreme Court holds that the evidence was sufficient to sustain the appellant's conviction for aiding and abetting another in the commission of first degree murder because the evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to the People, could have allowed a jury to find that the crime of first degree murder had been committed and that appellant knew of the crime and attempted to facilitate it. However, the Court holds that the trial court abused its discretion when it authorized the People to call witnesses to offer proof of appellant's bad character in violation of 5 V.I.C. § 887(a), and that the error was not harmless because the evidence of appellant's guilt, though sufficient to withstand a judgment of acquittal, was not overwhelming. Accordingly, the Court reverses the appellant's convictions and remands the matter for a new trial.

Attachment: Open Document or Opinion