Phillips v. State

447 So. 2d 1312
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJanuary 31, 1984
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 447 So. 2d 1312 (Phillips 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
Phillips v. State, 447 So. 2d 1312 (Ala. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

447 So.2d 1312 (1984)

David Robert PHILLIPS
v.
STATE of Alabama.

6 Div. 174.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama.

January 31, 1984.
Rehearing Denied March 20, 1984.

*1314 Harold P. Knight, Birmingham, for appellant.

Charles A. Graddick, Atty. Gen. and Jane LeCroy Brannan, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

TYSON, Judge.

David Robert Phillips was indicted for unlawfully obtaining or exerting unauthorized control over one 1982 Freightliner truck, Serial Number: 1FUPYDYB3CH208084, the property of Owel Newman, of the value of an amount in excess of $1,000.00, contrary to the provisions of § 13A-8-3, Code of Alabama 1975.

The jury found the appellant guilty as charged in the indictment, and the trial court set sentence at 15 years' imprisonment as punishment for theft of property in the first degree.

Owel Newman testified he operated a trucking company in the Belk community of Fayette County in May of 1982. He stated that he returned to his home on the evening of May 21, 1982, and found a large 18 wheel Conventional Cab Freightliner with sleeper and a 400 Cummings engine in it missing. Mr. Newman stated that he had paid in excess of $64,000 for the truck and that as of May 21, 1982 the vehicle was worth at least that amount. He then gave the serial number for the truck from the bill of sale, showing the number as 1FUPYDYB3CH208084.

Mr. Newman stated that he had left the vehicle at his home and it was missing when he returned that night about 10 o'clock from a visit to Columbus.

The State then presented the testimony of several deputy sheriffs from both Fayette and Walker counties who went to the home of Mr. Hershel Phillips, the appellant's father, and there received his permission to search the premises, including a shop which was located nearby. The appellant was observed working over a truck with the hood raised when the deputies went on the premises.

The appellant's father, Mr. Hershel Phillips, testified and stated that he had given the sheriff's deputies in question permission to go on the premises and to make a search for missing property. This was on May 25, 1982.

A part of the missing truck taken from the Newman premises was found, together with clothing which belonged to the driver. An inventory was made of several missing items and this was placed in evidence.

The consent by Mr. Hershel Phillips to search the premises was verified by several of the deputies who went to the premises in question on May 24, 1982. The appellant and his companions were advised that they had received consent to search by the officers in question. An inventory was made of items found on the premises and photographs taken at the time of the search. These were placed in evidence.

The appellant testified that he was simply working on the premises and was not aware his companions had purchased some items which ultimately turned out to have been stolen. The appellant made a motion to exclude and a motion for a judgment of acquittal at the close of the State's evidence. He also filed a motion for new trial which was overruled by the trial court.

I

The appellant first avers in brief that "there is a fatal material variance in the indictment which charges property taken was personal property of a named individual and proof showed the property belonging to a corporation." We have carefully examined this record and find no challenge to the indictment anywhere in this record. It should be noted that the motion for new trial avers that the trial court erred in overruling the demurrer to the indictment but the aforesaid demurrer is nowhere to be found in this record. Secondly, there was no challenge either by motion to quash the indictment or demurrer challenging the legal sufficiency of the indictment or pointing out that there was some variance between the allegations made and the proof offered.

*1315 Moreover, the State's proof at trial, through Mr. Newman, was simply that he owned and operated a trucking business in Fayette County, Alabama, on the date in question and that there was the large truck removed from his premises on the date and gave its description and stated where he had left it. It was the appellant, through counsel, who brought out the fact that the bill of sale was made out to N & N Trucking Company, Inc., and on inquiry on cross-examination, Mr. Newman stated that he and his wife owned all of the stock. He stated that he was president of the company and that she was secretary-treasurer and that he owned 99 of the 100 shares of stock. He also owned the land on which the truck was situated at the time it was taken. Following this testimony, there was no challenge or motion made with reference to the alleged discrepancy between ownership as laid in the indictment and proof offered at trial.

Some time later during the trial, and after an issue was made with reference to a conversation with a juror, appellant's counsel moved to exclude the testimony of Mr. Owel Newman, who he stated the proof showed was not the owner of the truck as charged, but rather the truck was owned by N & N Trucking Company, Inc. This is not the proper way to raise a discrepancy between the ownership of the property at issue.

Moreover, we fail to see how the appellant is injured, since his own counsel brought out on cross-examination the ownership by the corporation when the proof offered on direct was simply that Mr. Newman was the owner of the business and of the truck in question. Thus, the trial court properly overruled the motion to exclude on this basis. See Boutwell v. State, 432 So.2d 531 (Ala.Cr.App.1983).

II

Appellant next challenges the indictment in that the appellant states that the indictment fails to show that the Code of Alabama 1975, § 15-8-70, was complied with by a presentment to the judge in open court in the presence of eleven other grand jurors. Appellant's counsel states that the circuit clerk failed to sign the indictment.

The provisions of the Code section above referred to indicate that the endorsement by the circuit clerk is merely directory. Russell v. State, 33 Ala. 366 (1859).

Moreover, any challenge to the indictment pointing out that such has not been properly endorsed or properly presented in court must be made before pleading the general issue in the case. Jackson v. State, 74 Ala. 26 (1883). Thus, the issue is not properly presented for review in this case.

III

The appellant argues that the seized items taken at the premises of Mr. Hershel Phillips were the result of an illegal search and seizure carried on by sheriff's deputies of Fayette and Walker Counties, acting jointly, but without a search warrant and without probable cause. This contention is without legal merit. Each of the officers who took part in the search of the premises on May 25, 1982, told of finding the appellant standing over the hood of a truck with his companion and also stated that the appellant's father told them that they could come back and search the premises in question. The appellant simply replied, "All right" and turned around and walked off. The consent to search, moreover, was borne out through the testimony of Mr. Hershel Phillips, who stated at trial that he did, in fact, give his permission to the deputies to make the search in question.

Taylor v. Alabama, 399 So.2d 881, 891 (Ala.1981) states:

"A search warrant is not required when the party in control of the searched premises gives his consent to the search, Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218

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447 So. 2d 1312, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phillips-v-state-alacrimapp-1984.