Milo v. State

663 S.W.2d 483, 1983 Tex. App. LEXIS 5591
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 12, 1983
DocketNo. 09 83 036 CR
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 663 S.W.2d 483 (Milo v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Milo v. State, 663 S.W.2d 483, 1983 Tex. App. LEXIS 5591 (Tex. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

OPINION

BROOKSHIRE, Justice.

Debbie Ruth Milo appeals from probation revocation where the period of probation was reduced and sentence assessed at five years. Order was entered granting bond pending appeal.

Appellant asserts that there was a material and fatal variance between ownership alleged in the motion to revoke probation and ownership proved. Appellant also contends the trial court abused its discretion in revoking probation because grounds for revoking was not established by evidence.

At probation revocation proceedings, Randy Lucas testified that on June 30, 1982, he was employed in a managerial capacity at Brookshire Brothers Store in Con-roe. On the occasion in question, he saw Appellant and several other women enter the store. He saw the women shoplifting goods. He saw Appellant standing next to one side of the drug aisle putting goods m her purse — a large shoulder bag. A woman accompanying Appellant was putting cigarettes in a smaller bag. Another woman was watching the end of the aisles. The women went to the meat counter and then to the checkout counter. Lucas called the police. He had an employee of the store wait outside for the cops.

When police arrived, the patrol car parked behind the automobile used by the women, Lucas said. The woman who had earlier been watching the aisles went outside and, apparently seeing the patrol car, came back into the store and said something to her companions. The women went over to the pay-telephone, and then back down the drug aisle. Lucas was right behind them. Appellant started throwing stuff out of her purse. Lucas asked Appellant to stop and come to the back of the store, but she did not stop. She went through the checkstand and then out the door. Lucas summoned the waiting police.

At the time of this incident, James Steele, Lucas’ superior at the store, was at lunch and Lucas was in charge. Lucas was under supervision of Steele. Lucas did not give consent to Appellant to remove the items from the store without paying. Lucas also, from personal knowledge, knew that Steele did not give Appellant consent to remove items from the store without paying. The items removed were cosmetics and hair-care products.

Conroe policeman Steven Scott Spiller testified that on June 30, 1982, he was dispatched to the Brookshire Brothers Store in Conroe in reference to a shoplifting call. He said that when he arrived at the store, one of the store sackers came out and said shoplifters had not yet left the store. Spiller said he pulled around the corner and waited for several minutes. He saw three women coming out of the store with store employees right behind them. The women were walking eastward from the front of the store toward their vehicle and Spiller got out of his car and said to Appellant, “Excuse me, ma’am.” Appellant threw down her purse, kicked off her shoes and [486]*486ran. Spiller chased Appellant across the front of the store, back north across the back side of the parking lot. While chasing Appellant he hollered repeatedly for her to stop. He caught her at the back end of the parking lot and placed her under arrest. At that moment, Appellant exclaimed to the officer: “I didn’t know that a fat boy could run that fast.” On that day, Spiller was dressed in his police uniform. It took several minutes to get handcuffs on Appellant because Appellant was resisting. Inside of Appellant’s abandoned purse were cosmetics and hair care products (valued at $41.16).

We find there was no fatal variance between the ownership alleged in the motion to revoke probation and the proof at hearing. The motion to revoke said:

“I.
“Defendant violated condition ‘a’ of the terms of her probation in that on or about the 30th day of June A.D. 1982 in Montgomery County, Texas she did then and there unlawfully appropriate property, to-wit: cigarettes, cosmetics and hair car[e] products of the value of $41.16 without the effective consent of the owner, James Steele and with intent to deprive the said owner of said property.” (emphasis added)

Where a large entity is involved, cases of “without effective consent” come up frequently and often with some vexation. See Simpson v. State, 648 S.W.2d 1 (Tex.Cr.App.1983). We think the facts in this case are different than those in Simpson, supra. In that case, there was no testimony that the “owner” named in the indictment had greater right to possession than appellant. Here, Steele’s capacity was explained and showed, on its face, a greater right of possession in the goods. It was also shown, from personal knowledge, that Steele did not give Appellant consent to take the goods. Here the evidence, direct and circumstantial, supports the finding that the people who had care, custody and control of the property did not part with the same voluntarily or by consent. Daigle v. State, 658 S.W.2d 774 (Tex.App.—Beaumont 1983). Further, we agree with the State that allegations in a motion to revoke probation need not be in the same precise terms as would be necessary in an indictment and that it is sufficient that a violation of law be alleged and fair notice be given probationer. Bradley v. State, 608 S.W.2d 652, at 655 (Tex.Cr.App.1980). We think that the instant Motion to Revoke sufficiently alleged a violation of law and gave fair notice.

Able counsel for Appellant was very diligent at trial on portions of the Motion to Revoke concerning failure of Appellant to make probation fee payments and fine payments. It was advanced: (1.) Appellant’s prior job had paid only $60.00 every two weeks. (2.) Appellant had recently lost her job. (3.) Appellant had two small children. (4.) Appellant was unmarried. (5.) Appellant was pregnant at time of alleged violations. (6.) Appellant suffered the death of one of her children. (7.) Appellant was presently ill. (8.) Appellant had sought employment. Complaint is also made as to how the failure to pay was shown.

There were, however, other bases for revocation. After reviewing the record we cannot hold that the trial court abused discretion in revoking probation. In appeal from order revoking probation, the only issue before the intermediate court is whether the trial court abused its discretion. Pitts v. State, 442 S.W.2d 389 (Tex.Cr.App.1969). The trial judge is the sole trier and finder of facts, the credibility of witnesses and weight to be given to their testimony. Ross v. State, 523 S.W.2d 402 (Tex.Cr.App.1975). The trial judge alone had the ability and opportunity to weigh and observe the witnesses’ demeanor, the behavior of Appellant before him, the tenor of evidence— whether it rang true or false. Also, burden of the State is by a preponderance of the evidence. Scamardo v. State, 517 S.W.2d 293 (Tex.Cr.App.1974).

Without detailing again the various facts before the trial judge, we think the evidence and testimony of the several witness[487]*487es permitted the trial judge to find that the allegations of theft, contained in paragraph I of the Motion to Revoke, were true.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
663 S.W.2d 483, 1983 Tex. App. LEXIS 5591, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/milo-v-state-texapp-1983.