Sullivan v. Commonwealth

Supreme Court of Virginia

Sullivan v. Commonwealth

204 S.E.2d 264, 214 Va. 679, 1974 Va. LEXIS 199

CourtSupreme Court of Virginia

DecidedApril 22, 1974

DocketRecord 730448

StatusPublished

Cited by7 cases

This text of 204 S.E.2d 264 (Sullivan v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Sullivan v. Commonwealth, 204 S.E.2d 264, 214 Va. 679, 1974 Va. LEXIS 199 (Va. 1974).

Pincite

Opinion

Per Curiam.

The defendant, John Sullivan, Jr., was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit grand larceny, Code § 18.1-15.2, 1 and his punishment was fixed at a term of three years imprisonment. The same jury returned a verdict of not guilty on a jointly tried indictment charging Sullivan with conspiracy to commit burglary arising from the same transaction.

We granted a writ of error limited to defendant’s claim that the trial court erred in not setting aside the guilty verdict for inconsistency.

The only direct evidence that a conspiracy had been formed came from Sullivan’s co-conspirator, Harold Wayne Dorsey. Dorsey testi *680 fied that on the night of June 14, 1972, he and Sullivan agreed to burglarize the residence of Robert Hunsecker to steal a stereo unit and a television set. Part of their agreement was that they would share the proceeds received from any sale of the stolen goods. Dorsey further testified that he accompanied Sullivan to Hunsecker’s residence. Dorsey then broke and entered the residence and removed the stereo unit which he and defendant subsequently sold.

Assuming, without deciding, that the two verdicts were inconsistent, we find no error in the refusal of the trial court to set aside the guilty verdict. Consistency in verdicts under facts such as we have here is not required. Dunn v. United States, 284 U.S. 390, 394 (1932).

Affirmed.

1

Code § 18.1-15.2 has since been repealed and superseded by Code § 18.1-15.3. Acts 1972, c. 484, Acts 1973, c. 399.

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Per Curiam.

The defendant, John Sullivan, Jr., was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit grand larceny, Code § 18.1-15.2, 1 and his punishment was fixed at a term of three years imprisonment. The same jury returned a verdict of not guilty on a jointly tried indictment charging Sullivan with conspiracy to commit burglary arising from the same transaction.

We granted a writ of error limited to defendant’s claim that the trial court erred in not setting aside the guilty verdict for inconsistency.

The only direct evidence that a conspiracy had been formed came from Sullivan’s co-conspirator, Harold Wayne Dorsey. Dorsey testi *680 fied that on the night of June 14, 1972, he and Sullivan agreed to burglarize the residence of Robert Hunsecker to steal a stereo unit and a television set. Part of their agreement was that they would share the proceeds received from any sale of the stolen goods. Dorsey further testified that he accompanied Sullivan to Hunsecker’s residence. Dorsey then broke and entered the residence and removed the stereo unit which he and defendant subsequently sold.

Assuming, without deciding, that the two verdicts were inconsistent, we find no error in the refusal of the trial court to set aside the guilty verdict. Consistency in verdicts under facts such as we have here is not required. Dunn v. United States, 284 U.S. 390, 394 (1932).

Affirmed.

1

Code § 18.1-15.2 has since been repealed and superseded by Code § 18.1-15.3. Acts 1972, c. 484, Acts 1973, c. 399.

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204 S.E.2d 264, 214 Va. 679, 1974 Va. LEXIS 199, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sullivan-v-commonwealth-va-1974.

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