State v. Osborne

562 S.E.2d 528, 149 N.C. App. 235, 2002 N.C. App. LEXIS 217
Court of Appeals of North Carolina·Decided March 19, 2002·No. COA01-271·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinions

[237] HUNTER', Judge.

Tommy Lee Osborne (“defendant”) appeals a conviction for felonious larceny. We hold defendant has failed to show prejudicial error.

The evidence presented at trial tended to establish that in late April 1999, the victim, Thomas Klostermeyer, received a telephone call from his minister asking him to provide defendant a place to stay. Klostermeyer agreed, and defendant moved into Klostermeyer’s one bedroom apartment on Tuesday, 27 April 1999. Klostermeyer provided defendant with a key to the apartment, and testified defendant had “the run of the apartment.” Klostermeyer allowed defendant to sleep in the living room area. Defendant brought with him several garbage bags full of things and a duffel bag which he stored behind a chair in the living room. No one other than defendant and Klostermeyer had access to the apartment.

Klostermeyer testified he last saw defendant at approximately 1:00 p.m. Friday afternoon, 30 April 1999, when Klostermeyer left the apartment. When Klostermeyer returned home that evening, he began to discover that several of his possessions were missing. He notified the police, and on Saturday, 1 May 1999, he went to the police station to file a report. Upon returning home, Klostermeyer discovered more items missing.

On Sunday morning, 2 May 1999, Klostermeyer changed the locks to his apartment. Defendant’s bags were still behind a chair in the living room. Later that day, defendant attempted to enter the apartment, but found that his key no longer worked. Klostermeyer informed defendant that several of his possessions were missing, and that the police had instructed him to notify them when defendant returned to the apartment. Defendant, who appeared to be intoxicated, left the apartment. Klostermeyer notified the police.

On Monday, 3 May 1999, the police located defendant at the Hospitality House, a homeless shelter in Boone, North Carolina. Defendant told the police that if any of Klostermeyer’s possessions were in his bags, it was because Klostermeyer put them there. The police brought defendant to Klostermeyer’s apartment and instructed him to open his bags. Klostermeyer’s missing possessions were in defendant’s bags. Defendant testified on his own behalf, maintaining that Klostermeyer placed the items in his bags in an effort to frame him because Klostermeyer did not believe defendant had served enough prison time for a previous sexual abuse conviction.

[238] Over defendant’s motion to dismiss the larceny indictment, the trial court submitted to the jury possible verdicts of felonious larceny, non-felonious larceny, and not guilty. On 18 August 2000, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of felonious larceny. The trial court entered judgment thereon, and sentenced defendant as an habitual felon to a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 129 months in prison.

Defendant appeals his conviction for felonious larceny, arguing that the trial court erred in (1) instructing the jury on the doctrine of recent possession; (2) instructing the jury on constructive possession; (3) denying his motion to dismiss the larceny charge for lack of substantial evidence; (4) denying his motion to quash the larceny indictment for failure to set forth the essential elements of larceny; and (5) denying his motion to dismiss the indictment due to a fatal variance between the date alleged on the indictment and the evidence presented at trial.

I.

Defendant first argues the trial court erred in instructing the jury on the doctrine of recent possession because the evidence was insufficient to support the instruction. We disagree.

The trial court’s jury instructions on possible theories of conviction must be supported by the evidence. State v. Carter, 122 N.C. App. 332, 339, 470 S.E.2d 74, 79 (1996). “The doctrine of recent possession allows the jury to infer that the possessor of certain stolen property is guilty of larceny.” State v. Pickard, 143 N.C. App. 485, 487, 547 S.E.2d 102, 104, disc. review denied, 354 N.C. 73, 553 S.E.2d 210 (2001). Under this doctrine, the State must show three things: (1) that the property was stolen; (2) that defendant had possession of this same property; and (3) that defendant had possession of this property so soon after it was stolen and under such circumstances as to make it unlikely that he obtained possession honestly. Id.

In this case, defendant argues that the trial court should not have instructed the jury as to recent possession because the evidence failed to establish the element of possession. He contends the evidence failed to show that he had the requisite intent and capability to control the property in Klostermeyer’s apartment.

In order to prove the element of possession under this doctrine, the State need not prove actual physical possession of the property. State v. Perry, 316 N.C. 87, 96, 340 S.E.2d 450, 456 (1986). Rather, “[p]roof of nonexclusive, constructive possession is sufficient. . . . [239] Constructive possession exists when the defendant, ‘while not having actual possession, . . . has the intent and capability to maintain control and dominion over’ the [property].” State v. Matias, 354 N.C. 549, 552, 556 S.E.2d 269, 270 (2001) (citation omitted). “Where sufficient incriminating circumstances exist, constructive possession of the [property] may be inferred even where possession of the premises is nonexclusive.” State v. Kraus, 147 N.C. App. 766, 770, 557 S.E.2d 144, 147 (2001). Moreover, this Court has previously emphasized that “ ‘constructive possession depends on the totality of the circumstances in each case. No single factor controls, but ordinarily the questions will be for the jury. ” State v. Butler, 147 N.C. App. 1, 11, 556 S.E.2d 304, 311 (2001) (citation omitted) (emphasis omitted).

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State v. Osborne, 562 S.E.2d 528, 149 N.C. App. 235, 2002 N.C. App. LEXIS 217 (N.C. Ct. App. 2002).

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