State v. Jones

402 N.W.2d 231, 1987 Minn. App. LEXIS 4148
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedMarch 17, 1987
DocketC6-86-1537
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 402 N.W.2d 231 (State v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Jones, 402 N.W.2d 231, 1987 Minn. App. LEXIS 4148 (Mich. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

OPINION

SEDGWICK, Judge.

Kyle Jones appeals from his theft conviction and sentence. We affirm as modified.

*233 FACTS

Kyle Jones moved in with his elderly grandmother, Evelyn Weiland, in September 1985. Kyle had earlier been thrown out by his mother, Rodene Jones, who lived next door. About the same time Kyle moved in, Weiland entrusted a box with Rodene, who is her daughter. The metal first-aid box, wrapped in plastic and containing Weiland’s savings, was secreted in an unused clothes hamper.

On February 21, 1986, Weiland, with her daughter as witness, told Kyle “to get out and stay out.” Kyle threatened to get even with his mother.

Several days later, Kyle rented a room and purchased a 1979 van, a new 19-inch color television and auto insurance, all with cash. Kyle had not worked for some time. When his mother learned of his purchases, she checked and found the first-aid box in its place still covered with plastic. When she opened the box, however, she found it empty, except for a U.S. government envelope. When Kyle was arrested, he had $518 in his possession and his room contained $5,010, divided among five envelopes.

Kyle was convicted of theft and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Execution of sentence was stayed conditioned on 10 years probation, provided Kyle served 9 months in jail and pay $13,101.18 in restitution to his grandmother’s estate. As part of restitution the trial court ordered Kyle to transfer title of the van purchased with the stolen money to the estate. Kyle refused. Probation was revoked and the property transferred by court order.

ISSUES

1. Does the evidence support appellant’s conviction for theft?

2. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in setting restitution at $13,000?

3. Did the trial court properly enforce its order for restitution when appellant refused to transfer property voluntarily to his grandmother’s estate?

4.Did the trial court err in its calculation of appellant’s criminal history score?

DISCUSSION

1. Sufficiency of the Evidence.

Appellant was convicted of theft under Minn.Stat. § 609.52, subds. 2(1), 3(1) (1986), solely on circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence may support conviction if it “reasonably supports an inference of guilt.” State v. Combs, 292 Minn. 317, 321, 195 N.W.2d 176, 178 (1972).

An appellate court may not substitute its judgment for that of the jury.

[W]e are limited to ascertaining whether, given the facts in the record and the legitimate inferences that can be drawn from those facts, a jury could reasonably conclude that the defendant was guilty of the offense charged. * * * We cannot retry the facts, but must take the view of the evidence most favorable to the state and must assume that the jury disbelieved any contradictory evidence. * * * If the jury, giving due regard to the presumption of innocence and to the state’s burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, could reasonably have found the defendant guilty, that verdict will not be reversed.

State v. Turnipseed, 297 N.W.2d 308, 313 (Minn.1980) (citations omitted).

The State established that Kyle was without a job, shelter or money. He threatened to “get even” with his mother. Rodene testified she believed Kyle knew she was safekeeping the metal box full of his grandmother’s savings. Rodene testified Kyle had been in her house after his eviction from next door. Approximately one week after he was thrown out and only a month after he applied for general assistance, appellant purchased a 1979 Chevy van for $6,384.70 cash. He bought a new color television (with six $100 bills), auto insurance, and paid for two weeks’ rent (with a $100 bill). Also, appellant was found with another $5,000 in currency, mostly in $20, $50 and $100 bills, the denominations saved by Weiland and kept in *234 envelopes identified by her and her daughter. The cash and purchases totaled over $13,000.

The bills found in Kyle’s possession were typically not in circulation. They included bills from 1984 and 1950 series. Such bills are seldom seen because the average duration of a $20 bill is five years and once mutilated the bill would be destroyed. A bank vice-president testified that an extensive search of $20 bills in his bank’s vault turned up no bill from a series prior to 1969. Appellant also possessed two rare bank notes from 1929, long since retired from circulation. The bills were commonly possessed only by collectors. The jury could have concluded the bills might have been saved by Weiland.

When a conviction rests on circumstantial evidence alone, an appellate court should insure that

the circumstances proved are consistent with the hypothesis that the accused is guilty and inconsistent with any rational hypothesis except that of his guilt.

State v. Berndt, 392 N.W.2d 876, 880 (Minn.1986), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 107 S.Ct. 909, 93 L.Ed.2d 859 (1987) (citations omitted). The facts supported by the proffered circumstantial evidence must “form a complete chain which * * * leads so directly to the guilt of the accused as to exclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, any reasonable inference other than that of guilt.” State v. Beilke, 267 Minn. 526, 531, 127 N.W.2d 516, 520 (1964) (citation omitted).

Appellant argues that the State could not prove that the first-aid box contained approximately $13,000, or any money at all, since the box had not been opened in several years.

Testimony showed the envelopes found in appellant’s possession were the envelopes in which the money was placed, before being stored in the metal box. The box was also wrapped in plastic. The jury could have concluded the box would not have been wrapped when entrusted to Ro-dene if it contained no money. An empty box requires no special precautions to protect its contents. The jury could also reason that Kyle rewrapped the box after his theft in order to conceal the crime. The only rational hypothesis points to guilt.

2. Amount of Restitution.

Restitution is a sentencing option under Minn.Stat. § 609.10(5) (1986). Restitution may be granted if requested by the crime victim. Minn.Stat. § 611A.04 (1986). The court’s evaluation of the propriety of restitution “shall consider the amount of economic loss sustained by the victim as a result of the offense.” Minn.Stat. § 611A.045, subd. 1 (1986). The prosecution carries the evidentiary burden in any dispute over restitution; “a dispute as to the proper amount or type of restitution must be resolved by the court by a preponderance of the evidence.” Id., subd. 3.

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Related

State v. Flemino
529 N.W.2d 501 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1995)
State v. Hatton
405 N.W.2d 498 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1987)

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Bluebook (online)
402 N.W.2d 231, 1987 Minn. App. LEXIS 4148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-jones-minnctapp-1987.