Thompson v. State

563 S.W.2d 247, 1978 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1084
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 22, 1978
Docket54186
StatusPublished
Cited by64 cases

This text of 563 S.W.2d 247 (Thompson v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thompson v. State, 563 S.W.2d 247, 1978 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1084 (Tex. 1978).

Opinion

OPINION

Before ONION, P. J., and DOUGLAS and ODOM, JJ.

DOUGLAS, Judge.

This is an appeal from a conviction for the offense of burglary under Y.T.C.A., Penal Code, Section 30.02(a)(1). The jury, having found that appellant had a previous noncapital felony conviction, assessed his punishment at twenty-five years.

The indictment alleges, in part, that on June 26, 1975, appellant “intentionally and knowingly and without the effective consent of Earnest Oatman, the owner thereof, enter a building not then and there open to the public, with intent to commit theft, to wit: with intent then and there to obtain property unlawfully from Earnest Oatman, without the effective consent of Earnest Oatman, the owner of said property, and with intent to deprive the said owner of said property, and that said building was then and there a habitation occupied by the said Earnest Oatman; . . .”

The jury found that these allegations were true and returned a verdict of guilty. Appellant contends the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict.

Ernest Oatman testified that on June 26, 1975, he lived in a house located at 305 East Temple Street in Terrell. He stated that he was at home for most of that day but at 4:30 or 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon he went to Levi Payne’s house which was located at a distance of about one and one-half blocks from Oatman’s house. Oatman could see his home clearly from Payne’s house. Oatman stated that while he was there he saw appellant leaving the premises of Oatman’s home. Appellant was proceeding across the road into a vacant field directly across the street from Oatman’s house. Oatman related that appellant was carrying something in his hands.

Oatman further testified that he immediately got into his truck and drove home. He saw appellant’s pickup truck on the wrong side of the road. It was parked in the vacant field. Oatman stated that he then observed appellant hiding in the grass by the pickup truck. The grass was high and was capable of camouflaging the truck.

Oatman stated that he went to a friend’s house on the next street and asked some people there whether they had observed appellant in the neighborhood and, if so, whether he was carrying anything. They replied that they had not seen him. At that time appellant got into his truck and drove *249 away at a high rate of speed. Oatman testified that he returned to his house and discovered that someone had kicked in the back door and entered the home. The burglar had taken two shotguns, a rifle, barber clippers and several musical tapes. Oatman then called the police.

Oatman further testified that he had known appellant for seven or eight years and that appellant had occasionally worked for him. Oatman stated that his house was a private dwelling and that it was closed and locked when he left it to go to Payne’s home. Oatman had not given anyone permission to enter his house.

On cross-examination, Oatman testified that he observed appellant leaving the premises of Oatman’s house and walking toward a “weed patch” in the vacant field. Oatman testified that he did not see appellant come out of the house, however. Oat-man reiterated that appellant was carrying something, but Oatman was unable to determine whether it was a gun or a suitcase. Thereafter, while Oatman was talking to some neighbors, appellant “jumped in his truck and left the scene going to town. .” Oatman also stated that Officer Pitts recovered some of the stolen items in the weeds growing in the vacant field.

Oatman testified on re-direct that the tape carrying case taken from his house was designed to hold twelve musical tapes. The case was full when it was stolen. It had the appearance of a small suitcase. He further testified that he was watching his house while he was at Payne’s house from a chair in Payne’s front yard. During that time, Oatman saw no one other than appellant near or around his house or the field across the street.

Martin Pitts testified that he was an administrative officer with the Terrell Police Department on the date in question and that he and Officer Kerry investigated the burglary. Pitts stated that he found a fresh trail in the grass and weeds in the vacant field where someone had recently walked. The trail was plain because the surrounding weeds were “waist high.” During the search of the field Pitts discovered a .22 calibre rifle and two carrying cases. One of the cases contained ten or twelve “eight-track” musical tapes and the other contained hair clippers and other barber tools. The items were laying in close proximity to each other.

Pitts further testified that Ernest Oat-man owned the items and that they were returned to him. Pitts stated that he started searching the field and found the footprints there because Oatman had told Officer Kerry that he (Oatman) had seen someone traversing it.

Pitts confirmed on cross-examination that Levi Payne’s house was not more than one and one-half blocks from Oatman’s house. The Payne home faced west and the Oatman home faced south. Pitts stated on re-direct that the view between the two houses was not obstructed because that area was not densely populated.

Pitts testified that he did not find any type of shotgun. He also stated that he did not see any indication that anyone had been lying or hiding in the weeds where he found the footprints.

Thelma Hardin testified that she lived near the corner of Temple and Delvine Streets, about thirty-five feet from Ernest Oatman’s house. At five o’clock p. m. on the day in question she was working in her garden. As she went to a water hydrant to wash her hands she saw appellant leaving Oatman’s yard. He was walking toward Temple Street and carrying a small “case.” Hardin testified that she knew appellant personally and that she had not seen anyone else near Oatman’s house within the preceding two hours.

Hardin stated on cross-examination that she had not seen appellant go into or come out of the house. She again stated that she had observed him walking through Oat-man’s yard. Hardin further stated that Oatman directed his “car parts” business from his house and that it was not unusual for various people to come to the house.

Levi Payne testified that he was sitting with Oatman on his front lawn when he observed someone leaving the premises *250 where Oatman lived. Payne determined that the person was carrying something or things which Payne believed were tires. Payne stated that Oatman said “that’s James Thompson” and got up and left. Payne admitted on cross-examination that he ordinarily wore glasses but was not wearing them during the incident he described.

William Kerry testified that he was a reserve police officer and that he investigated the burglary. He discovered that Oatman’s back door had been kicked in and that there were several items missing from the home. Kerry related that Oatman had told him that appellant was the burglar.

On cross-examination, Kerry testified that he noticed a distinct path through the vacant field across from Oatman’s house where the grass was knee to waist high. Kerry stated that Pitts found the stolen rifle and carrying cases in the field but did not find the two shotguns. Afterwards, Kerry and Pitts searched the field again but found nothing.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
563 S.W.2d 247, 1978 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1084, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-state-texcrimapp-1978.