Appellant, the State of Idaho, seeks review of an Idaho Court of Appeals decision,
State v. Nelson,
The state’s case against Nelson rested solely upon circumstantial evidence. A police informant through James O’Neil exchanged money (which had been photocopied) for cocaine. After the transaction, police officers followed O’Neil to Nelson’s house. Later, the police observed Nelson leaving his house. Nelson was stopped by officers who found a large portion of the photocopied bills in his possession. Various drug paraphernalia and a magazine were later found in Nelson’s house. The paper which contained the cocaine the informant purchased came from a magazine found in Nelson’s home.
On appeal before the Court of Appeals, Nelson argued that the trial court’s instructions were inadequate, in that the trial court failed to give his requested
Holder
instruction on the use of circumstantial evidence.
See State v. Holder,
We granted the state’s petition for review of the Court of Appeals’ decision to consider the state’s argument that the Court of Appeals erroneously ruled that the trial court’s instructions on circumstantial evidence were inadequate, and, in the alternative, to consider the state’s request to overrule State v. Holder, supra. After briefing and argument and a review of the instructions, we are of the opinion that the Court of Appeals’ decision correctly followed our decision in State v. Holder, supra, which we decline to overrule.
The judgment of the district court is reversed.
