Villani v. State

116 S.W.3d 297, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 7050, 2003 WL 21959752
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 19, 2003
Docket14-02-00075-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by52 cases

This text of 116 S.W.3d 297 (Villani v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Villani v. State, 116 S.W.3d 297, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 7050, 2003 WL 21959752 (Tex. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

OPINION

KEM THOMPSON FROST, Justice.

Appellant Alfred Stephen Villani appeals his felony theft conviction, arguing that: (1) the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to prove the complainant’s ownership of the stolen goods and to prove the value of the goods exceeded $20,000; (2) the evidence is factually insufficient to prove appellant unlawfully appropriated the goods; and (3) the trial court erroneously charged the jury on venue. We affirm.

I. Factual and Procedural Background

Cliff Anderson, a fraud investigator employed by Intel Corporation, became suspicious of appellant when he discovered appellant selling Intel Confidential computer processors on an internet auction site. Appellant’s activity drew suspicion because the computer parts were Intel’s intellectual property and were not intended for sale. Although the company loaned its Intel Confidential products to its “high-end” clients, such as Compaq Computer Corporation, for use in engineering new products, these items remained the property of Intel and were to be returned to Intel or destroyed after use.

As part of his investigation, Anderson contacted Lisa McPherson, a security agent at Compaq, who informed Anderson that appellant had worked at a Compaq facility in the recent past. Anderson then contacted appellant, and without disclosing his role at Intel, agreed to purchase a *301 processor from him. Anderson told appellant to deliver the processor to McPherson. Acting in an undercover role, McPherson purchased an Intel Confidential Xeon 667 processor from appellant in a mall parking lot in Harris County. McPherson was wearing a wire, and after she confirmed that appellant sold her an Intel Confidential processor, Houston police arrested appellant at the scene. Appellant had five more Intel Confidential Xeon 667 processors and four Intel Confidential Pentium III 750 processors in his vehicle, which was parked in the mall parking lot.

After appellant’s arrest, police searched his apartment in Fort Bend County and discovered 29 Intel Confidential Xeon processors and 29 Intel Confidential Pentium III 750 processors. 1 Appellant was charged with the theft of 68 computer processors with a total value in excess of $20,000. The theft was alleged to have occurred in Harris County.

A jury found appellant guilty as charged. The trial court assessed punishment at eight years’ community supervision and imposed a fine of $1,000.

II. Issues Presented

Appellant presents the following issues for review:

(1) Is the evidence factually sufficient to prove appellant unlawfully appropriated the computer processors?
(2) Is the evidence legally and factually sufficient to prove Anderson (Intel’s fraud investigator) owned the computer processors found in appellant’s possession?
(3) Is the evidence legally and factually sufficient to prove the value of the computer processors exceeded $20,000?
(4)Did the trial court reversibly err by denying appellant’s requested jury instructions on venue?

III. Legal and Factual Sufficiency

In evaluating a legal-sufficiency challenge, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict. Wesbrook v. State, 29 S.W.3d 103, 111 (Tex.Crim.App.2000). The verdict may not be overturned unless it is irrational or unsupported by proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Matson v. State, 819 S.W.2d 839, 846 (Tex.Crim.App.1991). The jury, as the trier of fact, “is the sole judge of the credibility of the witnesses and of the strength of the evidence.” Fuentes v. State, 991 S.W.2d 267, 271 (Tex.Crim.App.1999). If any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, we must affirm. McDuff v. State, 939 S.W.2d 607, 614 (Tex.Crim.App.1997). The question is not whether a rational jury could have entertained a reasonable doubt of guilt, but whether it necessarily would have done so. Swearingen v. State, 101 S.W.3d 89, 96 (Tex.Crim.App.2003).

When evaluating a challenge to the factual sufficiency of the evidence, we view all the evidence without the prism of “in the light most favorable to the prosecution” and set aside the verdict only if it is “so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence as to be clearly wrong and unjust.” Johnson v. State, 23 S.W.3d 1, 6-7 (Tex.Crim.App.2000). This concept embraces both “formulations utilized in civil jurisprudence, i.e., that evidence can be factually insufficient if (1) it is so weak as to be clearly wrong and manifestly unjust or (2) the adverse finding is against the great weight and preponderance of the available evidence.” Id. at 11. Under this formulation, we essentially compare the *302 evidence which tends to prove the existence of a fact with the evidence that tends to disprove that fact. Jones v. State, 944 S.W.2d 642, 647 (Tex.Crim.App.1996). We must employ appropriate deference so that we do not substitute our judgment for that of the fact finder. Id. at 648. Our evaluation should not intrude upon the fact finder’s role as the sole judge of the weight and credibility given to any witness’s testimony. Cain v. State, 958 S.W.2d 404, 407 (Tex.Crim.App.1997). In conducting a factual-sufficiency review, we must consider and address the appellant’s main argument for a finding of insufficiency. Sims v. State, 99 S.W.3d 600, 603 (Tex.Crim.App.2003). This practice benefits the parties, maintains the integrity of the justice system, and improves appellate practice. Id. We find the evidence factually insufficient only when necessary to prevent manifest injustice. Cain, 958 S.W.2d at 407.

When reviewing the legal and factual sufficiency of the evidence, the standards of review are the same for circumstantial and direct evidence. Kutzner v. State, 994 S.W.2d 180, 184 (Tex.Crim.App.1999). Circumstantial evidence alone may be sufficient to support the jury’s verdict. Id.

A. Is the evidence factually sufficient to prove appellant unlawfully appropriated the computer processors?

In his third issue, appellant argues the evidence is factually insufficient to prove that he unlawfully appropriated the computer processors from Compaq’s Houston campus in Harris County.

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Bluebook (online)
116 S.W.3d 297, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 7050, 2003 WL 21959752, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/villani-v-state-texapp-2003.