State v. McGriff

441 P.2d 264, 7 Ariz. App. 498, 1968 Ariz. App. LEXIS 428
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMay 22, 1968
Docket1 CA-CR 140
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 441 P.2d 264 (State v. McGriff) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. McGriff, 441 P.2d 264, 7 Ariz. App. 498, 1968 Ariz. App. LEXIS 428 (Ark. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinions

DONOFRIO, Judge.

This is an appeal by Therman McGriff from a criminal conviction for breaking into a coin-operated contrivance as prohibited by A.R.S. § 13-676. Defendant was charged with this crime, and by addendum to the information, the County Attorney alleged that defendant had a prior conviction of two counts of burglary by mechanical means, felonies. This allegation was made to seek the increased punishment provided for by A.R.S. § 13-1649. Defendant received a sentence of not less than five years nor more than ten years in the state prison.

The facts pertinent to this appeal are as follows: On February 12, 1966, some time between 10:00 p.m. and 6:15 the following morning a telephone located at 43rd Avenue and West McDowell Road had been broken into and looted. The telephone was found broken apart and the inner parts scattered around on the ground. Approximately $43.-00 was taken. The key piece of evidence was a small yellow plastic part from the inside workings of the telephone upon which was found defendant’s palm print.

At the trial defendant testified that on the night of February 12, 1966 he was driving on West McDowell Road, had car trouble, and went in search of a telephone so he might obtain help. He saw the telephone in question, which he asserts had already been torn apart. He testified he could not recall whether or not he picked up anything at the scene. He admitted he had a prior conviction of Burglary by Mechanical Means, which was the title of the offense alleged in the addendum, and stated that because of his record he did not report to the police that a telephone had been broken into. The officers testified at the trial that he denied that he had been at the scene of the crime. There was conflicting testimony as to whether or not the officers had told him of the palm print.

Defendant bases his appeal on three grounds: First, that the circumstantial evidence was insufficient to support conviction because there was a reasonable hypothesis of innocence; second, that conviction under A.R.S. § 13-676 for the first time precludes any increased penalty under A.R.S. § 13-1649; and third, that the trial court erred in not granting a hearing out of the presence of the jury on the voluntariness of certain statements made by defendant.

SUFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE

The most significant piece of evidence in the State’s case is the palm print on the plastic part of the telephone works. Defendant contends that the print, standing alone, cannot be sufficient to convict of a crime. Further, it is urged that in Arizona if in a circumstantial evidence case there [501]*501•exists a reasonable hypothesis of innocence, then the Court must direct a verdict for the defendant.

In support of his position, defendant cites many cases from other jurisdictions where the only evidence against a defendant was fingerprints taken from the scene of the ■crime. In these cases the courts use the language that merely because the fingerprints are found at the scene, the circumstances do not exclude every other reasonable hypothesis except that of the guilt of the accused. The prints in these cases were found in public places where the defendants may have been present as customers or employees and may have innocently left the prints where found. It is to be noted in the instant case, however, that the prints were found not in a place exposed to the public, hut in a place concealed until after destruction of the telephone. In addition, the circumstances are much stronger here be■cause the palm print was found on the small ■object and the jury may well have determined it to be highly unlikely that such a small piece of plastic would bear the palm print of a person who innocently picked it up. They may have felt that a palm print would be more likely to be left by a person hitting and tearing up the telephone.

Defendant’s contention is that the evidence does support a conclusion of innocence if his testimony is believed; i. e., that he came along after the telephone was looted and possibly picked up the piece of plastic at the time. Defendant states that since the evidence could be so interpreted, the law in Arizona dictates that no conviction can be had. He relies on the case of .State v. Andrade, 83 Ariz. 356, 321 P.2d 1021 (1958), which stated:

“To warrant a conviction on circumstantial evidence alone, the evidence must be consistent with guilt and inconsistent with every reasonable hypothesis of innocence. * * *” 83 Ariz. at 359, 321 P. 2d at 1022.

The Supreme Court of Arizona has recently explained the doctrine of reasonable hypothesis of innocence in the case of State v. Green, 103 Ariz. 211, 439 P.2d 483 (decided April 3, 1968). We feel that the view expressed in that case, when applied to the instant case, is determinative of the issue created by defendant. The Court said:

“Defendant contends that the verdict of guilty against him was based solely on circumstantial evidence and was not inconsistent with every reasonable hypothesis of innocence. In addition, he contends that the verdict was contrary to the weight of the evidence. The record supports defendant’s contention that the evidence against him was entirely circumstantial. He argues that if after an examination of all the reasonable inferences that can be drawn from the evidence an inference of innocence exists then his motion for a directed verdict should have been granted. We do not agree. We have consistently held in the past that because of the dangers that lurk in a conviction based solely on circumstantial evidence an instruction must be given to the jury that ‘the evidence must not only be consistent with guilt but inconsistent with every reasonable hypothesis of innocence/ State v. Bearden, 99 Ariz. 1, 3, 405 P.2d 885; State v. Tigue, 95 Ariz. 45, 47, 386 P.2d 402. However, in the Bearden case we noted that it was the function of the jury to decide what reasonable inferences could be drawn from the evidence. State v. Bearden, 99 Ariz. at 3, 405 P.2d at 886. * * * ” (Emphasis supplied.)

The instant case went to the jury which had been properly instructed as to the “reasonable hypothesis of innocence” doctrine. It would not have been proper to have directed a verdict for defendant. It was the function of the jury to decide what reasonable inferences could be drawn from the evidence. The question of any reasonable hypothesis of innocence was resolved against defendant by the jury and will not be disturbed on appeal.

VOLUNTARINESS OF STATEMENTS

Defendant urges that the trial court erred in denying his request for a hearing on the [502]*502voluntariness of certain statements made by him, citing the requirements of Jackson v. Denno, 378 U.S. 368, 84 S.Ct. 1774, 12 L.Ed. 2d 908, 1 A.L.R.3d 1205; State v. Owen, 96 Ariz. 274, 394 P.2d 206 (1964); and Miranda v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
441 P.2d 264, 7 Ariz. App. 498, 1968 Ariz. App. LEXIS 428, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mcgriff-arizctapp-1968.