Pollard v. State

932 So. 2d 82, 2006 WL 1679935
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJune 20, 2006
Docket2004-KA-01700-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 932 So. 2d 82 (Pollard v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pollard v. State, 932 So. 2d 82, 2006 WL 1679935 (Mich. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

932 So.2d 82 (2006)

Robert Ed POLLARD, Appellant
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2004-KA-01700-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

June 20, 2006.

*84 James A. Williams, Brookhaven, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Jose Benjamin Simo, attorney for appellee.

EN BANC.

BARNES, J., for the Court.

¶ 1. Robert Ed Pollard was convicted in the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County of larceny of timber of a value of $250 or more, and was sentenced to five years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, fined $500, and ordered to pay restitution of $1,226.50. Aggrieved, Pollard timely appealed to this Court. Finding error, we reverse and remand.

SUMMARY OF FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2. In early 2003, Walter Duncan sought to have some trees removed from a piece of property located in Meridian, Mississippi. He contacted Cuba Timber and was told by a representative that someone from the company would be in touch with him in a few days. On January 6, Pollard and his brother Charles—both employees of Cuba Timber—arrived at Duncan's property and indicated that they were ready to begin cutting the trees. Duncan took the Pollards twice around the property, pointing out the property lines and emphasizing to the Pollards that they were to obey the property lines. Duncan stated that he did not see Robert Pollard again until the morning of January 8, when he arrived at the property to find Pollard and a crew cutting trees on an adjacent parcel of land owned by Melwyn Shirley. Duncan testified that he informed Pollard that he was cutting on the wrong property and *85 ordered him to stop cutting immediately. According to Duncan, Pollard indicated that he had spoken to Shirley and had agreed to pay her for the mistakenly cut timber.

¶ 3. Shirley testified that on the morning of January 8, she witnessed Pollard cutting trees in her backyard. Shirley stated that she went outside and confronted Pollard, who apologized for cutting too far over the property line and offered to pay for the timber and to clean up her property. Shirley sought the assistance of the Mississippi Forestry Commission, which determined that twenty-five trees had been cut by Pollard, with a total value of $1,226.50. Shirley testified that when she received this estimate, she showed it to Pollard, who refused to pay the sum and instead offered a payment of $500. Shirley testified that she did not accept Pollard's offer.

¶ 4. Pollard was indicted on a charge of larceny of timber of a value of $250 or more, pursuant to section 97-17-59(2) of the Mississippi Code (Rev.2000). On July 9, 2004, Pollard was convicted of the crime in the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County and was sentenced to the maximum term of five years in prison, fined $500, and ordered to pay restitution of $1,226.50. Pollard filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, or, in the alternative, a new trial, which was denied by the trial court. On appeal, Pollard raises several issues, some of which we need not reach, as we find reversible error.

ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

I. WHETHER POLLARD'S INDICTMENT WAS FATALLY DEFECTIVE.

¶ 5. Section 97-17-59(2) of the Mississippi Code, under which Pollard was convicted, reads in pertinent part:

Any person who shall knowingly, willfully and feloniously take, steal and carry away from the lands of another any merchantable timber on the property of another, of the value of Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00) or more, whether such timber is growing, standing, or lying on the lands, shall be guilty of a felony; and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by imprisonment in the Penitentiary for a term of not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years, or both, in the discretion of the court.

¶ 6. The indictment charging Pollard stated that "Robert Ed Pollard . . . did then and there wilfully, unlawfully, and feloniously cut and harvest [$1,226.50] worth of timber from the property of Melwyn Shirley . . . ." (emphasis added). Pollard contends that his indictment was defective because it did not specify an essential element of the crime, namely, that he "carried away" the timber in question.

¶ 7. It is well-settled that in order for an indictment to be sufficient, it must contain the essential elements of the crime charged. Peterson v. State, 671 So.2d 647, 652-53 (Miss.1996). The Mississippi Supreme Court has held that where a deficiency appearing in an indictment is non-jurisdictional, it may not be raised for the first time on direct appeal absent a showing of cause and actual prejudice; however, the State's failure to include the essential elements of the crime in the indictment is a jurisdictional defect that is not waivable by the defendant. See Banana v. State, 635 So.2d 851, 853 (Miss. 1994). Furthermore, the State's failure to include an essential element of the crime cannot be cured by notice outside of the indictment. White v. State, 851 So.2d 400, *86 403(¶ 5) (Miss.Ct.App.2003). The key question in this case is whether the word "harvest" served as an adequate substitute for "carry away"; if so, the indictment states each element of the crime and is thus adequate.[1]

¶ 8. Our case law establishes that in order to constitute a "carrying away," movement of the good in question need not be substantial. In Mapp v. State, 248 Miss. 898, 904, 162 So.2d 642, 645 (1964), the Mississippi Supreme Court held that "it is not necessary to constitute a sufficient asportation, that the goods be removed from the owner's premises." Furthermore, in the case of Harbin v. State, 402 So.2d 360, 361 (Miss.1981), the supreme court sustained a conviction of grand larceny where the defendants had towed an automobile a mere three feet. In that case, the supreme court held that, "There is a caption when the defendant takes possession; he takes possession when he exercises dominion and control over the property. There is an asportation when he carries away the property; any carrying away movement, however slight, even though it takes but a moment, is sufficient." Harbin, 402 So.2d at 361-62.

¶ 9. According to Black's Law Dictionary, "harvesting" refers to "[t]he act or process of gathering of crops of any kind." Black's Law Dictionary, 718 (6th ed.1990). It is obvious from this definition, as well as from common sense, that harvesting necessarily involves some degree of movement of the good in question. Furthermore, as stated above, even a slight movement of a good can constitute a "carrying away" so as to sustain a conviction of larceny. We have no difficulty finding that, where the indictment charging Pollard with larceny alleged that he feloniously "harvest[ed]" timber from the property of Melwyn Shirley, this served as an adequate replacement for the term "carried away." Thus, we find that Pollard's indictment was not defective, as it set forth each element of the crime with which he was charged. This issue is without merit.

II. WHETHER THE JURY WAS PROPERLY INSTRUCTED AS TO THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE CRIME.

¶ 10. As set forth supra, section 97-17-59(2) of the Mississippi Code sets forth the elements for larceny of timber of the value of $250 or more:

Any person who shall knowingly, willfully and feloniously take, steal and carry away

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

Related

Jimmy Allen v. State of Mississippi
Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2024
Gary Lynn Jennings v. State of Mississippi
Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2021
Victor Washington v. State of Mississippi
Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2020
Eric Hodges a/k/a Pinky v. State of Mississippi;
Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2019
Robert Patrick Terrell v. State of Mississippi
237 So. 3d 717 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2018)
Stanley R. Chesney v. State of Mississippi
165 So. 3d 498 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2015)
Drummer v. State
167 So. 3d 1222 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2014)
Pollard v. State
122 So. 3d 1242 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2013)
Fox v. State
129 So. 3d 208 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2013)
Jenkins v. State
75 So. 3d 49 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2011)
McBride v. State
61 So. 3d 174 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2010)
Heidelberg v. State
976 So. 2d 948 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
932 So. 2d 82, 2006 WL 1679935, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pollard-v-state-missctapp-2006.