California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Lucas, G049915, G049918 (Cal. App. 2014):
light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. [Citation.]" (People v. Lagunas (1994) 8 Cal.4th 1030, 1038, fn. 6.) Thus, our power "'begins and ends with the determination of whether there is any substantial evidence, contradicted or uncontradicted which will support the conclusions reached by the trial court [citation]. All evidence most favorable to respondents must be accepted as true and that which is unfavorable discarded as not having sufficient verity to be accepted by the trier of fact. If the evidence so viewed is sufficient as a matter of law, the judgment must be affirmed [citation].'" (In re Brittany H. (1988) 198 Cal.App.3d 533, 549.) "The standard of review is the same when the prosecution relies mainly on circumstantial evidence. [Citation.]" (People v. Valdez, supra, 32 Cal.4th at p. 104.)
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