Title: State v. Coats

State: north-carolina

Issuer: North Carolina Supreme Court

Document:

270 S.E.2d 422 (1980) 301 N.C. 216 STATE of North Carolina v. Reuben Isaac COATS. No. 32. Supreme Court of North Carolina. October 7, 1980. *423 Rufus L. Edmisten, Atty. Gen., Dennis P. Myers, Asst. Atty. Gen., Raleigh, for the State. Daniel T. Perry, III, Fayetteville, for defendant-appellant. HUSKINS, Justice: The trial judge submitted two, and only two, permissible verdicts, viz: guilty of armed robbery as charged or not guilty. Defendant's first assignment of error is based on the contention that the court erred in failing to submit common law robbery as a permissible verdict. The Court of Appeals found no merit in this assignment and neither do we. "The essential difference between armed robbery and common law robbery is that the former is accomplished by the use or threatened use of a firearm or other dangerous weapon whereby the life of a person is endangered or threatened. In a prosecution for armed robbery, the court is not required to submit the lesser included offense of common law robbery unless there is evidence of defendant's guilt of that crime. If the State's evidence shows an armed robbery as charged in the indictment and there is no conflicting evidence relating to the elements of the crime charged an instruction on common law robbery is not required." State v. Lee, 282 N.C. 566, 569-70, 193 S.E.2d 705, 707 (1973) (citations omitted); accord, State v. Carnes, 279 N.C. 549, 184 S.E.2d 235 (1971). In the instant case, Smith testified that he saw the barrel, handles and cylinder of a silver-colored heavy gun. The gun was pointed at Smith by Hoot when the robbery commenced, and its persuasive influence was still present when defendant removed Smith's watch and wallet. Thus, *424 the State's evidence shows an armed robbery as charged in the bill of indictment. The mere fact that defendant swore he did not see a weapon is of insufficient probative value to warrant or require the submission to the jury of the lesser included offense of common law robbery. Compare State v. Thompson, 297 N.C. 285, 254 S.E.2d 526 (1979). His statement to that effect is not in conflict with the State's evidence. He explained why he could not see the gun, saying, "It was dark in the car and it was dark and it was dark in the area. I was in the back seat and I never saw no gun." Obviously, an instruction on common law robbery was not required. Defendant's testimony that he did not participate in the robbery and did not see a gun constitutes no evidence of his guilt of common law robbery. Defendant's first assignment of error is overruled. Defendant contends the verdict of the jury was not unanimous and the court erred in accepting it. This constitutes his second assignment of error. When the verdict was returned in open court, defendant requested that the jurors be polled and this was done. During that inquiry, the following colloquy occurred: It is quite obvious that the comment of the juror refers to the quoted instruction that it was not necessary for defendant himself to do all the acts necessary to constitute the crime and that if several persons acted together with a common purpose to commit robbery with a firearm, then each of them was in law responsible for the acts of the others. That is what Mrs. Bailey was talking about when she said, "We understood it acting in concert." It is therefore equally obvious that the verdict of the jury was unanimous and the court properly accepted it. Defendant's second and final assignment of error is overruled. Defendant has shown no prejudicial error in his trial and conviction. The verdict and judgment must therefore be upheld. NO ERROR. BROCK, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.