Case Title: Ex parte Ernest James Little. PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS (In re: Ernest James Little v. State of Alabama)

Citation: 

Docket Number: 1081819

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 2010-03-19T00:00:00Z

Document:
REL: 03/19/2010 
Notice: 
T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e 
r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 
((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any 
t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may 
be 
made b e f o r e 
t h e o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 
1081819 
Ex p a r t e E r n e s t James L i t t l e 
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI 
TO THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS 
( I n r e : 
E r n e s t James L i t t l e 
v. 
S t a t e o f Alabama) 
(Mobile C i r c u i t Court, CC-08-2249; 
Court o f C r i m i n a l Appeals, CR-08-0634) 
STUART, 
J u s t i c e . 
1081819 
E r n e s t 
James 
L i t t l e 
was 
c o n v i c t e d 
o f 
s e c o n d - d e g r e e 
r e c e i v i n g 
s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y , 
a v i o l a t i o n o f § 13A-8-18, 
A l a . 
Code 
1975, and t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
s e n t e n c e d 
h i m t o 
l i f e 
i m p r i s o n m e n t .
1 
The 
C o u r t 
o f 
C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s 
a f f i r m e d 
L i t t l e ' s c o n v i c t i o n a n d s e n t e n c e , i n 
an u n p u b l i s h e d memorandum 
f r o m w h i c h 
J u d g e W e l c h 
d i s s e n t e d , 
L i t t l e v. S t a t e , 
[CR-08-
0634, A u g u s t 7, 2009] 
So. 3d 
( A l a . C r i m . App. 2 0 0 9 ) . 
L i t t l e 
p e t i t i o n e d 
t h i s 
C o u r t f o r a w r i t o f c e r t i o r a r i t o 
r e v i e w t h e d e c i s i o n o f t h e C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s . 
We 
g r a n t e d t h e w r i t t o d e t e r m i n e 
w h e t h e r t h e d e c i s i o n o f t h e 
C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s t h a t t h e S t a t e p r e s e n t e d 
s u f f i c i e n t 
e v i d e n c e 
" f r o m 
w h i c h 
t h e j u r y 
c o u l d 
d e t e r m i n e 
b e y o n d 
a 
r e a s o n a b l e 
d o u b t 
t h a t 
L i t t l e 
was 
g u i l t y 
o f 
s e c o n d - d e g r e e 
r e c e i v i n g o f s t o l e n p r o p e r t y " 
c o n f l i c t s 
w i t h Wasp v. 
S t a t e , 
647 So. 2d 81 ( A l a . C r i m . App. 1 9 9 4 ) . 
We r e v e r s e and remand. 
The e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t e d t h a t a l a w - e n f o r c e m e n t 
o f f i c e r on 
p a t r o l 
n o t i c e d 
L i t t l e ' s 
v e h i c l e b e c a u s e i t 
was s i m i l a r t o a 
v e h i c l e d e s c r i b e d i n a " b e - o n - t h e - l o o k o u t " as a v e h i c l e 
t h a t 
had 
b e e n 
u s e d 
i n a r o b b e r y . 
The 
o f f i c e r ' s 
i n v e s t i g a t i o n 
1 L i t t l e 
was 
a l s o 
c o n v i c t e d 
o f f i r s t - d e g r e e 
r o b b e r y , a 
v i o l a t i o n o f § 1 3 A - 8 - 4 1 ( a ) ( 1 ) , A l a . Code 1975, and s e n t e n c e d 
t o 
l i f e 
i m p r i s o n m e n t 
f o r t h a t 
c o n v i c t i o n . 
He a p p a r e n t l y d i d 
n o t a p p e a l as t o t h a t 
c o n v i c t i o n . 
2 
1081819 
r e s u l t e d 
i n L i t t l e ' s r e c e i v i n g two 
t r a f f i c 
c i t a t i o n s and 
h i s 
v e h i c l e 
b e i n g 
i m p o u n d e d . 
B e f o r e 
L i t t l e ' s 
v e h i c l e was 
t o w e d 
f o r 
i m p o u n d , 
t h e 
o f f i c e r s 
c o n d u c t e d 
an 
i n v e n t o r y 
o f 
i t s 
c o n t e n t s 
and 
d i s c o v e r e d 
a 
p i s t o l 
i n s i d e 
a 
b l a c k 
s a t c h e l . 
D e t e c t i v e 
C h a r l e s 
S a v i a k 
t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t 
he 
had 
c o n d u c t e d 
a 
s e r i a l - n u m b e r c h e c k on t h e p i s t o l and t h a t t h e c h e c k i n d i c a t e d 
t h e gun 
had b e e n " s t o l e n f r o m t h e P r i c h a r d j u r i s d i c t i o n " ; 
t h a t 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
was 
n o t 
r e g i s t e r e d 
t o 
L i t t l e ; 
and 
t h a t 
a 
p o l i c e 
r e p o r t 
had b e e n 
f i l e d 
i n d i c a t i n g t h a t 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
was 
s t o l e n . 
O f f i c e r N a t h a n Y o u n g a l s o 
t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t 
he 
had 
c o n d u c t e d 
a 
r e c o r d 
c h e c k on 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
and 
l e a r n e d 
t h a t 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
had 
b e e n " s t o l e n o u t 
o f P r i c h a r d . " 
The 
t e s t i m o n y i n d i c a t e d 
t h a t 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
was 
w o r t h 
a p p r o x i m a t e l y $ 5 5 0 . 
No 
e v i d e n c e 
was 
p r e s e n t e d 
as 
t o 
how 
L i t t l e 
a c q u i r e d 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
o r when 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
was 
s t o l e n . 
S e c t i o n 
1 3 A - 8 - 1 8 ( a ) ( 1 ) , 
A l a . 
Code 
1975, 
d e f i n e s 
t h e 
o f f e n s e 
o f r e c e i v i n g s t o l e n p r o p e r t y 
i n t h e s e c o n d d e g r e e 
as 
r e c e i v i n g 
s t o l e n p r o p e r t y 
t h a t e x c e e d s 
" f i v e h u n d r e d d o l l a r s 
($500) i n v a l u e 
b u t d o e s n o t e x c e e d two 
t h o u s a n d f i v e h u n d r e d 
d o l l a r s ($2,500) i n v a l u e . " 
S e c t i o n 13A-8-16, A l a . Code 
1975, 
3 
1081819 
d e f i n e s t h e o f f e n s e o f 
r e c e i v i n g s t o l e n p r o p e r t y , s t a t i n g , i n 
p e r t i n e n t 
p a r t : 
" ( a ) 
A p e r s o n c o m m i t s t h e c r i m e o f 
r e c e i v i n g 
s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y 
i f he 
i n t e n t i o n a l l y 
r e c e i v e s , 
r e t a i n s o r d i s p o s e s o f s t o l e n p r o p e r t y k n o w i n g 
t h a t 
i t has b e e n s t o l e n o r h a v i n g r e a s o n a b l e g r o u n d s t o 
b e l i e v e 
i t 
has b e e n s t o l e n , u n l e s s t h e p r o p e r t y i s 
r e c e i v e d , 
r e t a i n e d 
o r d i s p o s e d o f w i t h 
i n t e n t t o 
r e s t o r e i t 
t o t h e owner." 
I n A s h u r s t v. S t a t e , 
462 So. 2d 999, 1004 ( A l a . C r i m . 
App. 
1 9 8 4 ) , 
t h e C o u r t 
o f 
C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s 
e x p l a i n e d 
t h e 
e l e m e n t o f k n o w l e d g e f o r e s t a b l i s h i n g a p r i m a 
f a c i e c a s e o f 
r e c e i v i n g 
s t o l e n p r o p e r t y , 
s t a t i n g : 
"Under an i n d i c t m e n t f o r r e c e i v i n g 
s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y , 
t h e p r o s e c u t i o n 
must p r o v e t h a t t h e a c c u s e d a c t u a l l y 
knew 
t h a t 
t h e p r o p e r t y was 
s t o l e n 
o r t h a t 
he h a d 
r e a s o n a b l e g r o u n d s t o b e l i e v e 
t h a t 
i t was 
s t o l e n . 
' [ I ] f " r e a s o n a b l e g r o u n d s f o r 
b e l i e v i n g " e x i s t , 
t h a t 
e l e m e n t i s e s t a b l i s h e d , 
a l t h o u g h d e f e n d a n t may h a v e 
had 
no 
" k n o w l e d g e " 
[ I ] f t h e 
j u r y 
b e l i e v e s 
b e y o n d a r e a s o n a b l e 
d o u b t t h e e x i s t e n c e 
o f 
f a c t s 
w h i c h 
were 
known 
t o 
d e f e n d a n t 
and 
w h i c h 
a r e 
s u f f i c i e n t i n t h e o p i n i o n 
o f t h e j u r y t o show t h e 
e x i s t e n c e o f " r e a s o n a b l e g r o u n d s f o r 
b e l i e v i n g " 
t h a t 
t h e goods were s t o l e n , and t h e y were i n f a c t 
s t o l e n , 
no f u r t h e r i n q u i r y i n t h a t r e s p e c t n e e d be p u r s u e d . ' 
F a r z l e y 
v . 
S t a t e , 
231 A l a . 60 
, 61 
, 163 So. 
394 
( 1 9 3 5 ) ; W. 
L a F a v e and A. 
S c o t t , 
C r i m i n a l 
Law 
687 
(19 7 2 ) . " 
A p e r s o n ' s k n o w l e d g e and t h e r e q u i s i t e i n t e n t f o r 
t h e o f f e n s e 
o f 
r e c e i v i n g 
s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y may be 
i n f e r r e d i f t h e p e r s o n 
" p o s s e s s e s goods o r p r o p e r t y w h i c h have b e e n r e c e n t l y 
s t o l e n . " 
4 
1081819 
§ 
1 3 A - 8 - 1 6 ( b ) , A l a . Code 1975. 
A p e r s o n ' s 
p o s s e s s i o n 
o f 
r e c e n t l y 
s t o l e n p r o p e r t y 
i s p r i m a 
f a c i e e v i d e n c e 
t h a t he o r 
she h a s t h e r e q u i s i t e k n o w l e d g e o r b e l i e f . 
C a r l i s l e v . S t a t e , 
465 So. 2d 1205 ( A l a . C r i m . App. 1 9 8 4 ) . 
I n Wasp, t h e C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s 
a d d r e s s e d t h e 
p e r m i s s i b l e 
i n f e r e n c e 
o f k n o w l e d g e 
f r o m t h e f a c t 
t h a t t h e 
goods o r p r o p e r t y were r e c e n t l y s t o l e n , s t a t i n g : 
" ' " I n most 
c a s e s 
t h e r e 
i s no d i r e c t 
t e s t i m o n y o f t h e r e c e i v e r ' s a c t u a l 
b e l i e f . 
P r o o f 
t h e r e o f 
must 
t h e r e f o r e 
be i n f e r r e d 
f r o m 
t h e 
c i r c u m s t a n c e s 
s u r r o u n d i n g 
h i s 
r e c e i p t 
o f t h e s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y . " 
[W.] 
L a F a v e 
[& A. 
S c o t t , 
C r i m i n a l 
Law 
686 
( 1 9 7 2 ) ] . 
G u i l t y k n o w l e d g e may be i n f e r r e d 
f r o m 
a l l t h e 
f a c t s 
and 
c i r c u m s t a n c e s 
s u r r o u n d i n g 
t h e 
e n t i r e 
t r a n s a c t i o n 
c o n c e r n i n g t h e a c c u s e d ' s a c q u i s i t i o n o f 
t h e 
s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y . 
T o m b r e l l o v. S t a t e , 
431 
So. 
2d 1355, 1357 ( A l a . C r . App. 
1 9 8 3 ) ; 
T y r e e v . S t a t e , 407 So. 2d 580, 581 
( A l a . 
C r . App. 1 9 8 1 ) . 
" ' [ G ] u i l t y k n o w l e d g e may 
be i n f e r r e d f r o m t h e f a c t t h a t t h e r e c e i v e r 
p u r c h a s e d t h e goods f o r 
v e r y much l e s s t h a n 
t h e i r v a l u e . ' 
F u l t o n v . S t a t e , 8 A l a . App. 
257, 
2 6 3 , 62 So. 959 ( 1 9 1 3 ) . " 
T y r e e , 407 
So. 
2d a t 5 8 1 . 
" [ A ] 
v e r y 
i n a d e q u a t e 
p u r c h a s e 
p r i c e i s a 
f a c t o r w h i c h 
p o i n t s 
t o w a r d s 
a p p e l l a n t ' s 
g u i l t . " 
F i l l m o r e v .  
S t a t e , 
647 S.W.2d 300, 303-04 
( T e x . App. 
1 9 8 2 ) . ' 
" A s h u r s t v. S t a t e , 462 So. 2d 999, 1004 
( A l a . C r . 
App. 
1984 
). See a l s o 
S a n k e y v . S t a t e , 
568 So. 2d 
366, 
369 ( A l a . C r . App. 1 9 9 0 ) . 
5 
1081819 
"'The 
t e r m 
" r e c e n t l y 
s t o l e n , " b y 
i t s 
v e r y n a t u r e , i s r e l a t i v e i n c o n c e p t -- b o t h 
as t o t h e p a s s a g e o f t i m e a n d t h e t y p e o f 
p r o p e r t y 
i n v o l v e d . 
I t i s d e t e r m i n e d 
upon 
t h e f a c t s o f e a c h c a s e a n d , d e p e n d i n g 
upon 
t h e p a r t i c u l a r c i r c u m s t a n c e s , may v a r y f r o m 
a 
few d a y s 
t o many 
m o n t h s . 
Haynes v . 
S t a t e , 
A l a . C r . App., 
335 
So. 2d 203 
( 1 9 7 6 ) . 
The 
r e m o t e n e s s 
h a s 
r e g a r d 
a d d i t i o n a l l y t o t h e p a r t i c u l a r 
f a c t o r s and 
c o n s i d e r a t i o n s 
s u r r o u n d i n g 
e a c h 
c a s e . 
Hence, i t 
i s n o t f e a s i b l e t o s t a t e a f i x e d 
r u l e w i t h r e f e r e n c e t o t h e e l e m e n t o f t i m e 
l a p s e . 
S m i t h e r m a n v . S t a t e , 33 A l a . 
App. 
316, 
33 So. 2d 396 
( 1 9 4 8 ) . R e m o t e n e s s o f 
t i m e 
a f f e c t s 
w e i g h t 
r a t h e r 
t h a n 
a d m i s s i b i l i t y . 
Y e t , as S m i t h e r m a n p o i n t s 
o u t , 
e v i d e n c e 
must n o t be so r e m o t e i n 
p o i n t 
o f t i m e 
as t o be 
t o t a l l y 
w i t h o u t 
c a u s a l 
c o n n e c t i o n o r l o g i c a l 
r e l a t i o n t o 
t h e c r i m i n a l a c t i n v o l v e d . ' 
" W a t e r s v. S t a t e , 360 So. 2d 358, 361-62 
( A l a . C r . 
A p p . ) , 
c e r t . 
d e n i e d , 360 So. 2d 367 ( A l a . 1 9 7 8 ) . 
The 
e v i d e n c e 
i n 
t h i s 
c a s e 
i n d i c a t e s 
t h a t 
t h e 
p r o p e r t y was 
s t o l e n , 
s o l d , 
and r e c o v e r e d i n 
l e s s 
t h a n one month." 
Wasp, 647 So. 2d a t 8 2 - 8 3 . 
L i t t l e 
c o n t e n d s 
t h a t 
t h e 
d e c i s i o n 
o f t h e C o u r t 
o f 
C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s h o l d i n g t h a t t h e S t a t e p r e s e n t e d 
s u f f i c i e n t 
e v i d e n c e 
f r o m 
w h i c h 
t h e 
j u r y 
c o u l d 
d e t e r m i n e 
b e y o n d 
a 
r e a s o n a b l e d o u b t t h a t he was g u i l t y o f s e c o n d - d e g r e e 
r e c e i v i n g 
s t o l e n p r o p e r t y c o n f l i c t s w i t h Wasp. 
A c c o r d i n g t o L i t t l e , t h e 
6 
1081819 
S t a t e ' s e v i d e n c e d i d 
n o t e s t a b l i s h t h a t he knew o r s h o u l d h a v e 
known t h a t t h e p i s t o l was s t o l e n b e c a u s e t h e e v i d e n c e d i d n o t 
i n d i c a t e 
t h a t t h e p i s t o l was r e c e n t l y 
s t o l e n .
2 
I n 
i t s r e s p o n d e n t ' s 
b r i e f , 
t h e S t a t e 
c o n t e n d s 
t h a t t h e 
e v i d e n c e was s u f f i c i e n t 
t o s u p p o r t a f i n d i n g t h a t 
L i t t l e knew 
o r 
s h o u l d 
h a v e 
known 
t h a t 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
h a d b e e n 
s t o l e n 
c o n s i d e r i n g t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s s u r r o u n d i n g 
L i t t l e ' s 
p o s s e s s i o n 
and u s e o f t h e p i s t o l . 
U n e q u i v o c a l l y , 
t h e S t a t e 
p r e s e n t e d 
e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g 
t h a t t h e p i s t o l i n L i t t l e ' s 
p o s s e s s i o n 
was s t o l e n . 
O f f i c e r 
Young t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t he " r a n 
a c h e c k on [ t h e 
p i s t o l ] 
... t h e 
gun 
a c t u a l l y came b a c k 
s t o l e n o u t o f P r i c h a r d . " 
D e t e c t i v e 
S a v i a k 
t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t h i s c h e c k on t h e p i s t o l 
i n d i c a t e d 
t h a t 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
h a d b e e n 
r e p o r t e d 
s t o l e n 
f r o m 
t h e 
P r i c h a r d 
j u r i s d i c t i o n , 
t h a t a r e p o r t h a d b e e n 
f i l e d 
s t a t i n g t h a t t h e 
p i s t o l h a d b e e n s t o l e n , and t h a t t h e p i s t o l was n o t r e g i s t e r e d 
i n 
L i t t l e ' s 
name. 
H o w e v e r , 
n e i t h e r 
O f f i c e r 
Young n o r 
2The C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s d i d 
n o t c i t e Wasp i n i t s 
u n p u b l i s h e d memorandum. 
I n s t e a d , t h e c o u r t q u o t e d f r o m K . J . 
 
v. S t a t e , 690 So. 2d 5 4 1 , 545-46 ( A l a . C r i m . App. 1 9 9 7 ) , w h i c h 
p r o v i d e s t h e same p r i n c i p l e s as s e t f o r t h i n 
Wasp w i t h 
r e g a r d 
t o t h e p e r m i s s i b l e 
i n f e r e n c e o f t h e e l e m e n t o f k n o w l e d g e when 
t h e 
e v i d e n c e 
e s t a b l i s h e s 
t h a t 
t h e goods o r p r o p e r t y 
were 
r e c e n t l y 
s t o l e n . 
7 
1081819 
D e t e c t i v e 
S a v i a k p r e s e n t e d e v i d e n c e as t o when t h e p i s t o l was 
s t o l e n . 
We c a n n o t a g r e e w i t h t h e S t a t e ' s 
c o n c l u s i o n 
t h a t t h e 
t e s t i m o n y o f O f f i c e r Young and D e t e c t i v e S a v i a k s u g g e s t e d t h a t 
t h e 
t h e f t was 
r e c e n t . 
T h e i r 
t e s t i m o n y 
i s d e v o i d 
o f any 
r e f e r e n c e 
as t o when t h e p i s t o l was s t o l e n ; t h e r e f o r e , 
t h e i r 
t e s t i m o n y 
does n o t e s t a b l i s h t h a t 
t h e p i s t o l 
was 
r e c e n t l y 
s t o l e n and does n o t c r e a t e an i n f e r e n c e , p u r s u a n t t o § 13A-8-
1 6 ( b ) , A l a . Code 1975, t h a t 
L i t t l e knew o r h a d r e a s o n t o know 
t h a t t h e p i s t o l was 
s t o l e n . 
T h e r e f o r e , 
t o t h e e x t e n t t h e 
C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s r e l i e d upon a p e r m i s s i b l e 
i n f e r e n c e 
o f 
k n o w l e d g e 
u n d e r 
§ 
1 3 A - 8 - 1 6 ( b ) ( 2 ) , 
A l a . Code 1975, t o 
s u p p o r t a f i n d i n g o f k n o w l e d g e 
t h a t 
h o l d i n g 
c o n f l i c t s 
w i t h 
Wasp. 
Our 
r e v i e w 
o f t h e r e c o r d 
e s t a b l i s h e s 
t h a t 
t h e 
S t a t e 
f a i l e d 
t o p r e s e n t 
a p r i m a 
f a c i e 
c a s e o f r e c e i v i n g 
s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y , 
b e c a u s e t h e r e c o r d 
does n o t c o n t a i n 
any e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g t h a t 
L i t t l e knew o r h a d r e a s o n a b l e g r o u n d s t o know 
t h a t t h e p i s t o l was s t o l e n . 
We 
r e j e c t t h e S t a t e ' s 
a r g u m e n t 
t h a t 
L i t t l e ' s 
k n o w l e d g e 
t h a t t h e p i s t o l 
was 
s t o l e n c a n be 
i n f e r r e d f r o m t h e f a c t t h a t he u s e d t h e p i s t o l i n a r o b b e r y . 
The 
i n f e r e n c e 
o f 
L i t t l e ' s 
k n o w l e d g e 
t h a t 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
was 
s t o l e n , t o s u p p o r t a c o n v i c t i o n f o r 
r e c e i v i n g s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y , 
8 
1081819 
must be 
c r e a t e d 
f r o m t h e 
f a c t s and 
c i r c u m s t a n c e s 
s u r r o u n d i n g 
L i t t l e ' s 
a c q u i s i t i o n o f t h e 
p i s t o l , 
n o t f r o m t h e 
f a c t t h a t 
he 
u s e d 
t h e 
p i s t o l 
i n a n o t h e r 
o f f e n s e . 
See Wasp, s u p r a . 
The 
r e c o r d 
i s 
d e v o i d 
o f 
any 
e v i d e n c e 
c o n c e r n i n g 
L i t t l e ' s 
a c q u i s i t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
p i s t o l . 
B e c a u s e 
t h e 
r e c o r d 
d o e s 
n o t 
c o n t a i n any 
f a c t s i n d i c a t i n g t h a t L i t t l e knew o r had r e a s o n t o 
know t h a t 
t h e 
p i s t o l was 
s t o l e n , t h e 
S t a t e 
d i d n o t p r e s e n t 
a 
p r i m a f a c i e c a s e o f r e c e i v i n g s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y . 
L i t t l e has 
e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t t h e d e c i s i o n o f t h e C o u r t 
o f 
C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s i s i n c o n f l i c t w i t h Wasp and 
t h a t 
t h e 
S t a t e 
f a i l e d 
t o 
p r e s e n t 
s u f f i c i e n t 
e v i d e n c e 
o f 
t h e 
e l e m e n t 
o f 
k n o w l e d g e 
t o 
s u s t a i n 
h i s 
c o n v i c t i o n 
f o r 
s e c o n d - d e g r e e 
r e c e i v i n g s t o l e n p r o p e r t y . 
T h e r e f o r e , 
t h e C o u r t o f 
C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s 
e r r e d 
i n 
a f f i r m i n g 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
d e n i a l 
o f 
L i t t l e ' s m o t i o n f o r a j u d g m e n t o f a c q u i t t a l w i t h r e g a r d 
t o 
t h e 
s e c o n d - d e g r e e 
r e c e i v i n g - s t o l e n - p r o p e r t y 
c o n v i c t i o n . 
The 
j u d g m e n t o f t h e C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s i s r e v e r s e d , 
and 
t h e 
c a s e i s remanded f o r t h a t c o u r t , 
i n t u r n , 
t o remand t h e 
c a s e 
t o t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
t o v a c a t e 
L i t t l e ' s 
c o n v i c t i o n f o r s e c o n d -
d e g r e e r e c e i v i n g s t o l e n 
p r o p e r t y . 
REVERSED AND 
REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS. 
Cobb, 
C . J . , 
and 
L y o n s , 
W o o d a l l , 
S m i t h , 
B o l i n , 
P a r k e r , 
M u r d o c k , and Shaw, J J . , c o n c u r . 
9