State v. Mathie

634 P.2d 799, 54 Or. App. 232, 1981 Ore. App. LEXIS 3367
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedOctober 12, 1981
Docket18-989B, CA 18598
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 634 P.2d 799 (State v. Mathie) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Mathie, 634 P.2d 799, 54 Or. App. 232, 1981 Ore. App. LEXIS 3367 (Or. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinions

[234]*234GILLETTE, J.

Defendant appeals his conviction after jury trial of criminal conspiracy to commit burglary in the first degree. ORS 161.450; ORS 164.225.1 He assigns as error the denial of his motion for judgment of acquittal. He contends that the state’s evidence failed to establish that he entered into (1) any criminal agreement; or (2) any agreement in Washington County where he was indicted; or (3) any agreement to commit assault in the fourth degree, the crime the indictment alleged the conspirators intended to commit after the unlawful entry.2 We find it necessary to discuss [235]*235only the second contention. We affirm. Because defendant was convicted after jury trial, we review the state’s evidence to determine

" '* * * whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. * * State v. Harris, 288 Or 703, 721, 609 P2d 798 (1980), quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 US 307, 99 S Ct 2781, 61 L Ed2d 560, 573 (1979). (Emphasis in original.)

Our approach to application of this legal standard is stated in State v. Krummacher, 269 Or 125, 523 P2d 1009 (1974):

«* * * In deciding whether the circumstances are sufficient to entitle the jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant was guilty, we must remember that it is not proper for us to hold that there is a reasonable doubt because of conflicts in the evidence. After a verdict of guilt, or in deciding whether the case should be submitted to the jury, such conflicts must be treated as if they had been decided in the State’s favor. After the conflicts have been so decided, we take such decided facts together with those facts about which there is no conflict and determine whether the inferences that may be drawn from them are sufficient to allow the jury to find defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Zauner, 250 Or 105, 110, 441 P2d 85 (1968); State v. Dennis, 177 Or 73, 78, 159 P2d 838, 161 P2d 670 (1945). Our decision is not whether we believe defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, but whether the evidence is sufficient for a jury to so find. State v. Zauner, supra. ” 269 Or at 137-38.

See State v. Mellinger, 52 Or App 21, 627 P2d 897 (1981); State v. Williams, 49 Or App 893, 621 P2d 621 (1980).

We summarize the facts in the light most favorable to the state: On February 23,1979, Burt Szelap attempted to take his child and personal belongings from a Beaverton residence occupied by the mother of his child, Deborah Dean, and Ms. Dean’s brother. The residence was in Washington County. Ms. Dean and Szelap had lived together for [236]*236a period of time up to August, 1978, when she moved to her brother’s home. The couple had never married, and neither had sought to obtain formal legal custody of their daughter.

A few days prior to February 23, 1979, two men, Steven Allen and Jack Spicer, discussed Szelap’s desire to take his daughter and personal belongings from Ms. Dean’s residence. Allen asked Spicer to assist him and Szelap by going with them to Ms. Dean’s home. On February 22, 1979, Spicer, Allen and Szelap met at a restaurant in Multnomah County to discuss the matter. Szelap showed Spicer receipts for certain home furnishings, along with a picture of his daughter and her birth certificate. Sometime during their discussions, Allen and Spicer agreed to give Szelap protection and "safe conduct” from the residence to a car in the event that there should be any trouble between him and Ms. Dean or Ms. Dean’s brother. Spicer then discussed the matter with his girlfriend, Kathy Malone, who also agreed to participate.

The following morning, February 23, Spicer and Szelap visited defendant at his residence in Multnomah County. Spicer asked defendant to provide transportation for Spicer later that night from the restaurant to Beaverton. Spicer paid defendant five dollars "for gas” after defendant agreed to meet him later that evening at the restaurant.

That evening, Szelap, Allen, Spicer and Malone met at the restaurant. After some discussion, they decided that Malone, who would not be recognized by Ms. Dean, would gain entry to the residence to use the telephone. Some time later, Malone would leave and, as she did, Szelap would enter, get his daughter and belongings and leave. The other individuals were to stay outside to make sure Szelap returned to the vehicle unharmed. For transportation, the group decided to use defendant’s brother’s vehicle, which was large enough to hold everyone and would not be recognized by Ms. Dean. At some point during this conversation, defendant entered the restaurant and joined the group. He stayed for ten to twenty minutes. While defendant was present, the group discussed proposal cutting the telephone wires at the house.

[237]*237At approximately 11:30 p.m., the entire group left the restaurant. They drove in three cars to defendant’s brother’s residence in Multnomah County. There they met David Johnson, who asked defendant what was "going on” and whom defendant told that the group was going to pick up "Szelap’s stuff.” Johnson then agreed to join the group.

They traveled in three cars to Beaverton. While enroute, defendant again mentioned to Johnson that they were going to retrieve Szelap’s "stuff.” Once in Beaverton, the group parked and decided to "go ahead” with the plan. Thereafter, everyone entered defendant’s car and the entire group departed for Ms. Dean’s residence. Along the way, Szelap told Johnson they were going to get his daughter. There was further discussion in the car about cutting the telephone wires.

The group parked in a church lot close to Ms. Dean’s residence, where they remained for about one-half hour. They then went to Ms. Dean’s house, where, at approximately 1:20 a.m., everyone but defendant left the car and approached the house. Defendant remained seated behind the steering wheel of the car. The police had previously learned of the plan and, with Ms. Dean’s concurrence, had established surveillance at her home.

As planned, Malone went to the front door, asked to use the telephone and entered. She was immediately arrested. Twenty-five minutes later, Spicer went to the door and was also arrested. Szelap, Allen, Johnson and defendant were apprehended outside the house. The police recovered billy club from Johnson, a baseball bat from the front seat and a license plate under the passenger’s seat of defendant’s car. A mechanic’s rag covered the rear license plate of defendant’s car.

Defendant contends that the state’s evidence established that any agreement occurred in Multnomah County and not Washington County, where defendant was indicted and tried, and, thus, the state failed to establish venue in Washington County. In State v. Roper, 286 Or 621, 595 P2d 1247 (1979), the Supreme Court held:

"* * * [W]hen an indictment charges that a criminal agreement was made in a certain county, a conviction cannot rest on proof that the agreement was made in a [238]

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Related

State v. Pierce
131 P.3d 776 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2006)
State v. Wrisley
909 P.2d 877 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1995)
State v. Mathie
634 P.2d 799 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
634 P.2d 799, 54 Or. App. 232, 1981 Ore. App. LEXIS 3367, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mathie-orctapp-1981.