Diggs v. State

309 So. 2d 123, 54 Ala. App. 414, 1975 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1574
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedFebruary 18, 1975
Docket1 Div. 464
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 309 So. 2d 123 (Diggs v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Diggs v. State, 309 So. 2d 123, 54 Ala. App. 414, 1975 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1574 (Ala. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

TYSON, Judge.

The Grand Jury charged the appellant with unlawfully buying, receiving, concealing, or aiding in concealing, certain automotive parts, more particularly, 34 Skil impact wrenches and impact kits, 19 cases of 200 each Autolite spark plugs, 6 boxes of Motorcraft tune-up kits, 11 Motorcraft 24 series batteries, and 2 cases of Quaker State motor oil. The Jury found the appellant “guilty as charged,” in the indictment, and the trial court then entered judgment, setting sentence at five years imprisonment. The appellant is in this court with a free transcript and court-appointed counsel.

William O. Allen testified that he was one of the two owners of Acco, Inc., a motor parts wholesale house in Mobile, Alabama. He testified that on the night of February 27, 1973, the business was closed at approximately 6:00 p. m., and that he and his General Manager, Mr. Clyde M. Greaves, left the place of business, located at 1606 Midway Avenue, about this time. He testified that the building was locked, and that there was a chain link fence with two entrance gates, which were also locked upon their leaving. He testified that he came to work shortly after 6:00 a. m. the following morning and discovered in the back end of the building a hole, approximately three and one-half feet square, knocked through the concrete block wall. He said that upon taking inventory they found that certain Skil power tools and impact wrenches had been taken, some cases of oil, boxes of spark plugs, some batteries, some impact kits, and that the total value of the missing property was approximately $19,000.00.

He further testified that the appellant had been in his employment for about two years prior to February 1, 1973, at which time the appellant had left his employment.

On cross-examination, Mr. Allen testified that the appellant had been a driver for his company, that he normally furnished his truck drivers with keys to the outer gates, that he had been informed by his General Manager that all drivers who had worked for him within the period of two to three years prior to this occasion had turned their keys in except the appellant.

Mr. Clyde Greaves testified that he was the General Manager of Acco, Inc., located *416 at 1606 Midway Avenue, in Mobile. He testified that the appellant had been employed as a truck driver for this company, and was under his immediate supervision. He testified that the appellant was given keys to the outer gates, and when he left the company’s employment he did not return the key to the outer gate lock. He testified that the appellant’s employment had been terminated on February 1, 1973. Mr. Greaves further tetified that he left the place of business about 6:00 p. m. on the evening of February 27, 1973, and that all doors and the outer gate were locked. He testified that he returned to work shortly before 6:00 the following morning and found a hole nearly four feet square knocked in the rear wall of the building. He testified that he immediately notified Mr. Allen and the Sheriff’s Department. He testified that, somewhere between $19,000 and $20,000 worth of automotive parts were missing upon taking inventory on February 28. He further testified that he subsequently saw some of the missing parts at the Sheriff’s office the next day.

W. E. “Cookie” Estes testified that he was a detective with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Department. He testified that about 8:30 on the morning of February 28, 1973, he went to the offices of Acco, Inc., in Mobile, and was advised that there were some missing automotive parts. He further testified that later that same day, accompanied by Sheriff’s Detective Beck, he followed a white Ford pickup truck, which had been reported by an informant to them as carrying some of the missing automo.tive parts. He testified that they stopped the vehicle at the apartment home of appellant’s brother, and that in the vehicle were the appellant and his brother. He testified that on looking on the back seat of the vehicle, he saw a case of spark plugs with the name of Acco, Inc., on it. After giving the appellant a Miranda warning, he placed the appellant and his brother under arrest.

He further testified that he and his fellow officer radioed for a search warrant, that approximately twenty minutes later some other officers arrived with a search warrant, that they then went into the apartment of appellant’s brother and there found numerous automotive supplies, including Skil impact wrenches, tune-up kits, spark plugs, batteries, and two cases of oil. The name of Acco, Inc., was on most of the automotive parts found.

Detective Beck further testified that the same day he talked with the appellant at about 11:30 in the morning at the Sheriff’s office, after first giving him a full Miranda warning. The trial court here, in response to motion, excluded the Jury during the laying of the Miranda and pre-Miranda predicate, as required by Jackson v. Denno, 378 U.S. 368, 84 S.Ct. 1774, 12 L.Ed.2d 908; Duncan v. State, 278 Ala. 145, 176 So.2d 840; and Smith v. State, 282 Ala. 268, 210 So.2d 826.

The statement of the appellant was then placed in evidence through Detective Albert Stroh, who, together with Detective Beck and Detective Travis, questioned the appellant at the Sheriff’s office. The appellant’s statement is as follows:

“/s/ Comp #12039 Feb. 28, 1973
“The following is a statement of Earnest Braxton Diggs as given to Albert Stroh who has identified himself as a Detective for Mobile County.
“Q. Earnest how old are you
“A. 20 yrs old
“Q. How far did you go in school
“A. The eleventh grade
“Q. Where do you live
“A. 1555 Duval St Apt B.
“Q. Where do you work
“A. Unemployed now but I used to work at Acco. And sometime I pick up work from longs' employment
“Q. Are you married
“A. Right I got three kids
*417 “Q. Are you familiar with Acco Inc
“A. Yes it at 1606 Midway Ave
“Q. Are you familiar with a burglary at Acco Inc on Feb 27, 1973
“A. Yes sir. Me, my brother Eugene Diggs, and my uncle Eugene Diggs, Sr. burglarized it
“Q. How (sic) who planned the burg and how long had it been planned
“A. My brother Eugene planned it a couple of months ago while I worked at Acco and got me and my uncle to help him burglarize it
“Q. Where did you all get together and what time did you all get together to burglarize Acco Inc
“A. My brother Eugene and uncle Eugene picked me up at my house in uncle Eugene pickup in a white Ford about 6:45 PM. My brother Eugene drove straight to the Acco Company. We got there about 7:00 PM.

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Bluebook (online)
309 So. 2d 123, 54 Ala. App. 414, 1975 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1574, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/diggs-v-state-alacrimapp-1975.