Bennett v. State

1958 OK CR 40, 324 P.2d 873, 1958 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 158
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 16, 1958
DocketNo. A-12532
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1958 OK CR 40 (Bennett v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bennett v. State, 1958 OK CR 40, 324 P.2d 873, 1958 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 158 (Okla. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

NIX, Judge.

Johnnie Bennett, plaintiff in error, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged by information in the District Court of Stephens County with the crime of Grand Larceny, tried before a jury, convicted, and the punishment left to the trial court who sentenced defendant to serve a term of two years in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

The evidence reflects that the charge was filed upon the following set of facts as are accurately set forth in the brief of defendant in error, as follows:

That either on the night of March 15, 1957, or the early part of the morning of March 16th, the tool house on an oil and gas lease, located in Stephens County about sixteen miles east and three south of Duncan, was broken into and there was missing one set of 4¾ inch elevator, one set of 4½ inch bottle neck elevator, one set of 8⅝ inch elevator with side latch, one set of Webb-Wilson pipe tongs with 4½ inch heads, one 11 inch OSC-3 Hughes Drilling Bit, Serial #50346, and one C.P. 7⅝ inch retip drilling bit, of the total value of $1,600, the personal property of R. V. Dillard, a drilling contractor residing at Duncan.

The evidence showed that sometime between 2 and 3 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, March 16th, defendant was arrested by Duncan police officers for driving his automobile on a public highway while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. The defendant and his car were brought to the police station in Duncan, and about thirty minutes later, he was turned over to the Sheriff and was placed in the county jail, and later charged with driving while intoxicated.

Shortly after defendant had been placed in the county jail, the police officers searched his car and found in the trunk compartment two drilling bits, which were identified at the trial by the owner, R. V. Dillard, and other state witnesses, as being the two drilling bits taken from the tool house on the date of the alleged offense.

The large 11 inch bit and the smaller 7⅞ inch bit (which were found in defendant’s car) after being identified, were introduced in evidence as State’s exhibits 1 and 2.

James Rose, Sheriff of Stephens County, testified in substance that it was on Monday morning, March 18th, When he first received information that some oilfield equipment was missing from Mr. Dillard’s lease. That about 10 o’clock on Thursday night, March 21st, in company with other officers, he went to a place located about two miles east of the Sunray refinery, in Stephens County, and they found three sets of elevators and a set of 4" tongs in the garage, located about 100 feet back of the dwelling house. He later learned that the place where the equipment was found be[876]*876longed to a Mrs. Ragan, living in Duncan. He testified that Mr. Dillard later arrived at the garage that night and identified the equipment as being a part of the property-taken from his lease.

The witness further testified that he later had occasion to talk with the defendant concerning the missing equipment, and defendant told him that he and Bob Carter found the bits in a bar ditch out at the Oklahoma Hills. Witness asked defendant if he would take him out there and show him where he had found the bits. Witness said when they got out there they didn’t see a bar ditch, or anything to indicate that the bits had been thrown out on the ground. He said when defendant saw there was no bar ditch there, defendant then picked out another place where he said he had found the bits.

Defendant did not take the stand in his own behalf, but chose to stand upon a demurrer to the evidence at conclusion of state’s testimony.

The defendant relies for reversal upon four assignments of error:

1. That the court erred in overruling demurrer to the information.
2. That the court erred in overruling demurrer to the evidence.
3. That the court erred in overruling defendant’s motion to suppress evidence.
4. That the court erred in permitting evidence upon items alleged to have been stolen but never introduced in evidence and failing to give requested instructions to strike from consideration of jury those items alleged in information but not introduced.

The assignments will be discussed in the order presented. The charging part of the information to which defendant demurred read as follows:

“That is to say, the said defendant, in the county and state aforesaid, and on the day and year aforesaid, then and there being, did then and there wil-fully, unlawfully and feloniously take, steal and carry away by stealth and fraud, from the possession of R. V. Dillard, and without the knowledge and consent of the owner thereof, one set of 4 inch elevator, one set of 4 inch bottle neck elevator, one set of 8⅝ inch elevator with side latch, one set of Webb-Wilson pipe tongs with 4½ inch heads, one 11 inch OSC-3 Hughes Drilling Bit, Serial #50346, and one C.P. 7⅞ inch retip drilling bit, of the total value of $1,600.00, good and lawful money of the United States of America, and the personal property of the said R. V. Dillard, the said taking, stealing and carrying away of said property on the part of the said defendant was with the unlawful, wrongful and felonious intent to appropriate the same to his own use and benefit, and to deprive the said rightful owner permanently thereof, contrary to the form of the Statutes, in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Oklahoma.”

We have examined thoroughly the contents of the information as to its sufficiency and find it contains the necessary elements to properly charge the crime of Grand Larceny. This court has often said that the true test of an information is not whether it might possibly have been made more certain but whether it alleges every element of the offense intended to be charged and sufficiently apprises the defendant of which he must be prepared to meet. In the case of Scott v. State, 40 Okl.Cr. 296, 268 P. 312; see also Burns v. State, 72 Okl.Cr. 409, 117 P.2d 144:

“An information is sufficient which informs an accused of the offense with which he is charged with such particularity as to enable him to prepare for his trial, and so defines and identifies the offense that, if convicted or acquitted, he will be able to defend himself against any subsequent prosecution for the same offense.”

[877]*877We are of the opinion that the information in the case at bar amply met these requirements and that the court was justified in overruling defendant’s demurrer.

The defendant further contends the court erred in overruling the demurrer to the evidence. We have carefully examined the evidence and though it presents a close question, we deem it sufficient to support the charge of Grand Larceny. A portion of the items alleged to have been stolen were found in the automobile of the defendant, locked in the rear compartment of said vehicle. It was in the possession of the defendant. The defendant offered no explanation as he did not testify in his own behalf.

This court has held in numerous cases that the possession of stolen property recently after the larceny thereof, when unexplained, may be sufficient to warrant the jury in inferring the guilt of the party in whose possession it is found and whether such inference should be drawn is a fact exclusively for the jury. See Weber v. State, 29 Okl.Cr. 55, 232 P. 446; also, Ballard v. State, 68 Okl.Cr.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cagle v. State
1973 OK CR 90 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1973)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1958 OK CR 40, 324 P.2d 873, 1958 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 158, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bennett-v-state-oklacrimapp-1958.