Maxwell v. State

509 S.W.2d 338, 1974 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1602
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 3, 1974
Docket47689
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 509 S.W.2d 338 (Maxwell v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Maxwell v. State, 509 S.W.2d 338, 1974 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1602 (Tex. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION

ONION, Presiding Judge.

This appeal is taken from a conviction for felony theft wherein the jury assessed the punishment of two (2) years, probated.

The indictment charged the felony offense of theft of twelve coils of ¾ inch copper tubing, twenty-five ¾ ⅛⅛ brass curb stops, and twenty ¾ inch brass corporation stops.

In his first two grounds of error appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the conviction.

*339 Leon Morris Cohen, President of Jones Supply Co., Inc., testified that his company records reflected that on August 17, 1971, the items listed in the indictment were sold to the I.O.I. Systems Company and Woodrow Wilson signed the receipt for the same. 1 The selling price for such items was $915.45. 2 He related that Wilson had been introduced to “our people” by another employee of I.O.I. Systems, who informed them Wilson was authorized to pick up material and supplies as needed by I.O.I. Systems. Cohen testified that if he had known on August 17, 1971, that Wilson had no such authority the transaction in question would not have been completed. He acknowledged, however, that the items had been given to Wilson under the impression I.O.I. Systems was purchasing the same.

John Wayne Thompson, an employee of the Jones Supply Company, testified that several months prior to August 17th Roosevelt Duncan, also known as Willie X, an employee of the I.O.I. Systems, had introduced Woodrow Wilson to him, told him Wilson was an I.O.I. employee and was authorized to pick up material for I.O.I. Thompson related he checked with I.O.I. and was told it was “okay” and that Wilson had come in on several occasions to pick up material. He testified he was present on August 17th when the items described in the indictment were loaded onto a red 1969 or 1970 truck being driven by Wilson.

Sam Caliva, President of I.O.I. Systems, testified Wilson was an employee of his organization from April 28th to May 18, 1971, and from July 27th to July 28, 1971, and that Roosevelt Duncan was also an employee.

Caliva testified he began checking on some invoices on August 19th and asked Duncan to contact and bring Wilson in on the pretext he was needed for work. When Wilson arrived, he was questioned by Detective Elkin of the Houston Police, and subsequently, Caliva, Wilson and Elkin all went to the appellant’s junk yard or place of business at 3615 Crane. From there, after a conversation between Elkin and appellant, they went to Gulf Metals, where they found some brand new corporation and curb stops with the seal of the Hays Company on them and Elkin took some into possession for evidence. The copper found was chopped up and couldn’t be identified.

Detective Elkin described the above events as occurring on August 18th. He revealed that after talking to Wilson at I. O.I. he went with others to appellant’s business where he observed a red 1969 Ford truck and that, following a conversation with the appellant, he went to Gulf Metals where they found new Hays brand corporation and curb stops.

Bernard Schwartzberg, general manager of Gulf Metal Industries, testified that on August 17, 1971, the appellant Maxwell, accompanied by another man, sold him some “No. 1 copper” and red brass for $595.92 and that he paid $450.00 immediately so the appellant could pay his supplier. He related he had had a number of transactions with the appellant, who was one of forty dealers from whom he purchased scrap metal on a regular basis.

Woodrow Wilson, 21, testified that he was raised in Louisiana speaking French, that he only went to the third grade, and learned the English he knew after he arrived in Houston several years before the events in question. He claimed he could sign his name, but could not read or write. He related he was looking for a job and was hired by the appellant, to whom he *340 had explained his former employment with I.O.I.; that the appellant would give him “a receipt” with something written on it and direct him to go in appellant’s red truck to Jones Supply or Utility Supply and pick up items such as copper tubing, etc., and that he would sign for such items and deliver them to the appellant. Wilson testified he knew it was wrong to steal, but he didn’t know what- he was doing was wrong, that he didn’t understand how the system worked or who paid for the items he secured, even though he had previously picked up needed items for I.O.I. and a subcontractor named Collins.

He denied he had borrowed a truck from a Murphy Richards and had merely sold the items listed in the indictment to the appellant.

Dr. Jerome Brown, a clinical psychologist, testified that he had examined Wilson and found he had an “IX (sic) of 52,” was mentally retarded and had the mental ability of a six or eight year old child, and did not have the ability to form the intent to commit a crime.

Roosevelt Duncan, testifying for the defense, acknowledged that Wilson had been a fellow employee at I.O.I. and that he and Wilson often sold old copper to the appellant, the copper being from jobs where the old copper was being abandoned or left in the ground.

Murphy Richards testified he met Wilson for the first time on August 5, 1971, and Wilson paid him $10.00 for the use of his truck, and that he drove Wilson on that date to Jones Supply and to Utility Supply, where a number of items were picked up and were then unloaded at the appellant’s place of business.

Joseph Porter testified he lived across the street from the appellant’s business establishment, and that on an occasion in August, 1971, Wilson had paid him $10.00 to unload some copper tubing at the appellant’s place; that Wilson did not appear to know the appellant was in a red truck with another man, such truck being similar to appellant’s truck.

James Booker testified that on an occasion in August, 1971, he loaned money to the appellant so that the appellant could purchase some copper tubing from Wilson.

Appellant’s wife testified she helped her husband operate his business, that they never had any employees, and that she saw Wilson for the first time on August 5, 1971, when he came inquiring about “the man who buys metal.” She recalled one occasion when Wilson asked to borrow her husband’s truck, claiming his brother’s truck had broken down.

Testifying, appellant denied he had ever employed Wilson, and said he met Wilson on August 5th when he purchased some copper from Wilson which had been hauled in Murphy Richard’s truck. He related he had other purchases the next day and through August 17, 1971, the day before his arrest. He acknowledged he sold the items purchased on August 17th to Gulf Metals. He denied that Wilson was an employee or that he had used Wilson in any way to obtain the items involved.

In rebuttal the State called Woodrow Wilson’s brother, Colton, who testified Woodrow was employed by the appellant and that he (Colton) took Woodrow to work on a number of days.

Without objection, the court charged the jury at the guilt stage of the trial to find the appellant guilty if they found there was a taking without consent.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
509 S.W.2d 338, 1974 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1602, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maxwell-v-state-texcrimapp-1974.