State v. Freeman

596 S.E.2d 319, 164 N.C. App. 673, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 980
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedJune 1, 2004
DocketCOA03-878
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 596 S.E.2d 319 (State v. Freeman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Freeman, 596 S.E.2d 319, 164 N.C. App. 673, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 980 (N.C. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

TYSON, Judge.

Michael Eugene Freeman (“defendant”) appeals from judgment entered after a jury found him to be guilty of misdemeanor cutting, injuring, or removing another’s timber. Defendant was sentenced to imprisonment for 120 days. The trial court suspended this sentence and placed defendant on probation for sixty months. As part of the judgment, defendant was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,837.00 to Billy Cain (“Cain”). We find no error at trial and affirm the judgment ordering restitution.

I. Background

During November and December 1999, defendant was employed as a logger with Ross Logging Company, owned by Riley Ross (“Ross”). In November 1999, Ross contracted with Elvin Simmons (“Simmons”) to cut and remove timber from his property. Ross hired Canal Wood Company to remove the timber, sell it, and pay Simmons the proceeds. Simmons was obligated to pay Ross Logging Company. The project was completed in late December 1999. Ross and Simmons testified that trees on adjoining properties were left when the Simmons’s job was completed.

*675 Steven Shaffer (“Shaffer”) testified that his grandmother lived down the road from Simmons’s and Cain’s properties, although none of these individuals were personally acquainted. In late 1999 or early 2000, Shaffer observed several men, including defendant, and two trucks bearing the logo “All American Timber” near his grandmother’s property. Shaffer engaged in a conversation with defendant, who informed him that Simmons had permitted the men to cut trees. The men were there to identify, or “tag,” the trees to be cut. Shaffer requested defendant to remove some trees from his grandmother’s property. Defendant gave Shaffer a business card with his name and phone number written on the back. The front of the card read, “All American Timber Company,” which matched the name on the trucks.

Cain owns property adjoining Simmons’s land. Prior to 1999, ninety-five percent (95%) of his land was covered by large, longleaf, southern yellow pine trees, with trunks up to twenty-four inches in diameter. In late 1999 or early 2000, Cain visited his property and observed that timber from approximately five acres of his land had been cut and removed. Cain spoke with neighbors, including Shaffer’s grandmother, and learned that trees Shaffer saw being tagged were actually located on Cain’s property. He called the Fayetteville Police Department and reported his trees had been cut.

Defendant contacted Cain approximately five times by phone and two times in person after charges were filed against him. In the first telephone conversation with Cain, defendant admitted that he cut the timber, but contended that he acted at the direction of the company and was not personally responsible. A few weeks later, defendant called Cain and informed him that a “Mr. Riley” had cut the timber. Six weeks later, defendant met with Cain. Cain provided defendant with an estimate of the stolen timber’s value. Cain asked how much money defendant received from the timber. Defendant admitting cutting the timber and receiving payment for it, but could not remember the amount of money he had received. Cain testified that defendant’s story changed from working/or Mr. Riley to working with Mr. Riley.

Defendant asked Cain what amount of money he wanted. Cain replied that he would be satisfied if defendant paid for the value of the timber and reimburse him for the cost of obtaining the estimate. Defendant stated he would see what he could do about getting the money and left. Defendant later visited Cain’s office and told Cain that he would pay for the timber but was trying to raise money. A few *676 days after this visit, defendant called Cain again and stated that Cain had damaged his name and would sue Cain if he did not drop the charges. Cain told defendant never to contact him again and had no further contact with defendant until trial.

The jury found defendant to be guilty of cutting, injuring, or removing Cain’s timber and the trial court proceeded to sentencing and restitution. The State offered two methods to determine the issue of damages. The first method involved Cain’s testimony that he had sold a similar tract of land in 2002 that was slightly larger, measuring approximately 8.4 acres, and included 6.2 acres of cuttable timber. The second method was based on Cain’s testimony that he hired a forestry agent who documented and estimated the value of the timber cut from Cain’s land.

The trial court averaged the results of the two methods and ordered defendant to pay restitution in the amount of $12,337.00, plus the $500.00 Cain paid for the forestry report, for a total of $12,837.00. The trial court suspended defendant’s sentence and placed defendant on probation for five years on the condition that he pay the restitution and costs of the action. Defendant appeals.

II. Issues

The issues presented are whether the trial court erred in: (1) failing to dismiss the case and submitting the case to the jury; (2) failing to consider the factors set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.35 by not measuring damages at the time and place of the alleged loss; and (3) speculating as to the amount of restitution due and whether defendant had the ability to pay.

III. Motion to Dismiss

Defendant contends the State presented insufficient evidence to submit the charge of cutting, injuring, or removing another’s timber to the jury. We disagree and dismiss this assignment of error.

The failure of a defendant to move to dismiss at the close of all the evidence bars him from raising this issue on appeal. State v. Richardson, 341 N.C. 658, 676-77, 462 S.E.2d 492, 504 (1995). Rule 10 of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure provides that “a defendant in a criminal case may not assign as error the insufficiency of the evidence to prove the crime charged unless he moves to dismiss the action . . . .” N.C.R. App. P. 10(b)(3) (2004). Further, “if a defendant fails to move to dismiss the action... at the close of all the *677 evidence, he may not challenge on appeal the sufficiency of the evidence to prove the crime charged.” Id.

Here, defendant failed to renew his motion to dismiss and waived appellate review of this issue. Defendant argues we should apply plain error review. Plain error, however, only applies to jury instructions and evidentiary matters in criminal cases. State v. Atkins, 349 N.C. 62, 81, 505 S.E.2d 97, 109 (1998), cert. denied, 526 U.S. 1147, 143 L. Ed. 2d 1036 (1999). While this is a criminal case, defendant’s failure to renew his motion to dismiss does not trigger a plain error analysis. See Richardson, 341 N.C. at 676-77, 462 S.E.2d at 504 (Our Supreme Court declined to apply plain error when defendant failed to renew motion to dismiss and preserve issue for review pursuant to N.C.R. App. P. 10(b)(3)). This assignment of error is dismissed.

IV. N.C. Gen. Stat § 15A-1340.35

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
596 S.E.2d 319, 164 N.C. App. 673, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 980, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-freeman-ncctapp-2004.