State v. Champion

THIS OPINION
HAS NO PRECEDENTIAL VALUE.  IT SHOULD NOT BE CITED OR RELIED ON AS PRECEDENT IN
ANY PROCEEDING EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY RULE 239(d)(2), SCACR.

THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

In The Court of Appeals

The State, Respondent,

v.

Marion P.
Champion, Appellant.

Appeal From Sumter County

 Steven H. John, Circuit Court Judge

Unpublished Opinion No. 2007-UP-381

Submitted September 1, 2007 – Filed
September 18, 2007  

AFFIRMED

Appellate Defender Aileen P. Clare, of Columbia, for Appellant

Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney
General John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Salley W. Elliott, Assistant
Attorney General Julie M. Thames, Office of the Attorney General, all of
Columbia; and Solicitor Cecil Kelly Jackson, of Sumter, for Respondent.

PER CURIAM:  In January 2006, Marion “Pierre” Champion
was tried and convicted by a jury of distribution of crack cocaine.  He was
sentenced to fifteen years.  Champion timely appeals this conviction arguing
the trial court erred by denying his directed verdict motion. 

We affirm[1] pursuant to Rule 220(b)(2), SCACR, and the following authorities:  In re Matthews,
345 S.C. 638, 550 S.E.2d 311 (2001) (holding that when ruling on a motion for a
directed verdict, the trial court is concerned with the existence or
nonexistence of evidence, not its weight); State v. Harris, 351 S.C. 643, 653, 572 S.E.2d 267, 273 (2002)
(stating if there is any direct evidence or substantial circumstantial evidence
reasonably tending to prove the guilt of the accused, the appellate court must
find the case was properly submitted to the jury); State
v. Gaster, 349 S.C. 545, 555, 564
S.E.2d 87, 92 (2002) (holding the appellate court may reverse the trial court’s
denial of a motion for a directed verdict only if there is no evidence to
support the trial court’s ruling).

AFFIRMED.

HEARN,
C.J., ANDERSON and THOMAS, JJ., concur.

[1] We decide this case without oral argument
pursuant to Rule 215, SCACR.