Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Robert Davis ANDERSON
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1976-10-06
Citations: 343 So. 2d 135
Docket Number: No. 57987
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Robert Davis ANDERSON.
Judges: DENNIS, J., concurs, except that he disagrees with the treatment of assignments 2 and 3 because the crime of burglary cannot be inferred solely from the possession of recently stolen property. See State v. Searle, La., 339 So.2d 1194.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 343
Pages: 135–142

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Robert Davis ANDERSON.
No. 57987.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
Oct. 6, 1976.
On Rehearing Feb. 28, 1977.
James David Caldwell, Tallulah, for defendant-appellant.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Charles R. Brac-kin, Dist. Atty., Thomas W. Bishop, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.

Opinion:
SUMMERS, Justice.
Appellant Robert D. Anderson was charged in a bill of information with the September 21 or 22,1975 simple burglary of the Osborne Ford Lincoln Mercury garage, in Tallulah, Madison Parish, Louisiana.
He was tried in December of 1975, found guilty as charged and sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor for a term of nine years. Eight assignments of error are relied upon on this appeal for reversal of the conviction and sentence.
Assignments 1 and 4
Prior to his opening statement the State's attorney moved that the jury be retired. When the judge granted the motion, the State's attorney announced that he intended to produce evidence of a prior conviction to show system and intent and to refer to this prior conviction in his opening statement. He explained that the crime charged in the instant case was simple burglary. In this connection, he stated, it was necessary for the State to show that defendant made an unauthorized entry into a garage with intent to commit a felony or theft therein. Accordingly, the State would attempt to show mode of operation by a previous bill of information charging theft on June 1, 1975 of a 1975 Mercury belonging to Tallulah Motor Company, the predecessor of Osborne Ford Lincoln Mercury, Inc. Also the State would show the circumstances upon which the theft charge was based, together with a plea of guilty to that charge. For these reasons, the prosecutor pointed out, the ruling on the evidence of the prior offense outside the presence of the jury was requested before the State made mention thereof in its opening statement.
Defense counsel acknowledged that the State had given him notice that it would introduce evidence of another offense involving auto theft but not of simple burglary. The State's attorney then stated that only evidence of the prior theft offense and the circumstances surrounding that offense would be referred to. As we understand the defense argument, no circumstance surrounding the charge of auto theft which amounted to simple burglary was admissible, and only the facts and circumstances which established theft were admissible. This argument is based upon the contention that as a result of the June 1, 1975 offense two charges were lodged against this defendant, one for simple burglary and one for auto theft. The simple burglary charge was nolle prossed, but defendant pled guilty to auto theft. The objection also seems to be based upon the ground that evidence of a guilty plea is inadmissible.
In establishing the circumstances surrounding the theft charge, the State produced witnesses to show that an unauthorized entry was made into the garage of the Tallulah Motor Company and a 1975 Mercury was taken, which was later found in defendant's possession in Texas.
With regard to the first part of the defense objection, it is noted that intent to commit theft is a necessary element of simple burglary. La.R.S. 14:62. Similar offenses may be shown to establish the elements of a crime charged, as well as the complete crime charged. La.R.S. 15:445-46. To establish the offense of theft it is necessary to show the taking of something of value belonging to another. La.R.S. 14:67. It was, therefore, necessary in establishing the similar offense of theft for the State to show that defendant took an automobile belonging to the Tallulah Motor Company without their consent. To do this it was essential that the evidence show how it was taken. Thus, testimony showing how the car was taken from the garage was relevant in the State's effort to show the circumstances surrounding the plea of guilty to the similar offense of theft, in order to support the theft element of the crime of simple burglary for which defendant was on trial.
The contention is that evidence of criminal activity other than that for which the defendant is on trial is inadmissible, except under specific statutory exceptions permitting evidence which is part of the res gestae, or evidence of criminal acts which are relevant to show intent, knowledge or system under Sections 446, 447 and 495 of Title 15 of the Revised Statutes.
Intention to commit theft is an essential element of the crime of simple burglary. The State is charged with proving this element beyond a reasonable doubt. For this purpose, in proving a similar offense of theft, it was necessary that proof be made that there was a taking of the property of another. To do this it was permissible to show the taking of the automobile from the garage of the Tallulah Ford Motor Co., the identical garage involved in the crime for which defendant was on trial. State v. O'Conner, 320 So.2d 188 (La.1975); State v. Hatch, 305 So.2d 497 (La.1975).
Rules of evidence require that a defendant be convicted only upon evidence relevant to the particular crime charged. For that reason evidence of his propensity to commit crimes, and nothing else, is inadmissible because it does not tend to prove that defendant committed the particular crime charged. When, however, relevant and highly probative evidence is necessary to establish the elements of the crime charged, the fact that it involves another crime does not render the evidence objectionable. State v. Bell, 315 So.2d 31 (La.1975); State v. Graves, 301 So.2d 864 (La.1974); State v. McGuffey, 301 So.2d 582 (La.1974); State v. Kinchen, 290 So.2d 860 (La.1974); State v. Cormier, 272 So.2d 686 (La.1973); State v. McLeod, 271 So.2d 45 (La.1973).
There is no merit to these bills.
Assignments 2 and 3
Again defendant urges the argument advanced in connection with Assignments 1 and 4. Here, however, the emphasis is on the fact that in showing the circumstances upon which the prior offense of theft was based, to which defendant pled guilty, there was no showing that defendant was involved in the break-in at the Tallulah Ford Motor Co. garage.
It may be true that no direct evidence was produced to show that defendant broke into the garage on June 1, 1975, however, the circumstantial evidence was strong against him. It was clearly shown that the car was taken from the garage without the consent of the Ford dealer, and defendant was found in possession of the car soon thereafter in Texas. There is, in addition, a strong presumption that the person in the unexplained possession of property recently stolen is the thief. La. R.S. 15:432.
Proof of intention may be based on circumstantial evidence, and defendant's intention may be inferred from the nature and facts of the case. La. R.S. 15:438. State v. Robinson, 315 So.2d 268 (La.1975).
These assignments have no merit.
Assignment 5
A complaint that the trial judge unnecessarily restricted defense counsel's cross-examination of a State witness is the basis of this assignment.
During the trial Officer D'Elmer Williamson was called as a witness for the State. He testified to the facts and circumstances uncovered in his investigation of the burglary of September 21, 1975. According to his investigation a small hole in a window had been broken, through which someone could reach to open the window from inside. To support the testimony Officer Williamson would give relating to fingerprints he lifted at the site, the State sought to have him give an explanation of a latent fingerprint. Defense counsel objected that he had not been qualified as an expert and could not give an opinion on that subject.
Williamson was then questioned by the State concerning his qualifications and experience in raising latent fingerprints. He testified that he had been a deputy sheriff for more than seven years. Prior to this time he had been with the city police. In these capacities he had been lifting fingerprints for fifteen years. As a deputy sheriff he took most of the fingerprints in the sheriff's department of Madison Parish. He had been to numerous schools where he received instructions on the technique. Af ter this predicate he was offered by the State as an expert qualified to give opinion testimony with regard to lifting fingerprints.
He was then cross-examined extensively by defense counsel. When the examination digressed into the witness' ability to read fingerprints as distinguished from lifting them, and it promised to be exceedingly protracted, the trial judge denied defense counsel the right to continue the cross-examination, and ruled that the witness was competent to testify to the lifting of fingerprints. Objection was made and this assignment of error is presented.
This defense objection to the ruling of the trial judge is answered by Section 275 of Title 15 of the Revised Statutes:
"In the discipline of his court, the trial judge is vested with a sound discretion to stop the prolonged, unnecessary and irrelevant examination of a witness, whether such examination be direct or cross, and even though no objection be urged by counsel."
In numerous recent decisions we have affirmed the right of the trial judge to limit and restrict the irrelevant and protracted cross-examination of witnesses. State v. Batiste, 318 So.2d 27 (La.1975); State v. Harris, 308 So.2d 767 (La.1975); State v. Scott, 278 So.2d 121 (La.1973); State v. McCauley, 272 So.2d 335 (La.1973); State v. Clouatre, 262 La. 651, 264 So.2d 595 (1972).
This assignment is without merit.
Assignment 6
Relying upon the right to submit special written charges for the jury to the court, La.Code Crim.Pro. art. 807, defense counsel requested that the trial judge charge the jury that the crime of simple burglary requires the specific intent to commit a felony or any theft therein, not general criminal intent.
Following are extracts from the trial judge's general charge to the jury yrhich are pertinent here.
The accused is charged with simple burglary which is defined in the Louisiana Code, Article 62 as follows: 'Simple burglary is the unauthorized entering of any dwelling, vehicle, watercraft, or other structure, moveable or immoveable, with the intent to commit a felony or any theft therein, other than as set forth in Article 60. Whoever commits the crime of simple burglary shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than nine years . . .' Since simple burglary as herein the above defined requires that the accused enter with the intent to commit any felony or theft therein. It is deemed pertinent to read to you Article 10 and 11 of the Louisiana Criminal Code which is as follows: 'Criminal intent may be specific or general. (1) Specific criminal intent is that state of mind which exists when the circumstances indicate that the offender actively desired the prescribed criminal consequences to follow his act or failure to act. (2) General criminal intent is present whenever there is specific intent. And also when the circumstances indicate that the offender in the ordinary course of human experience must have averted to the prescribed criminal consequences as reasonably certain to result from his act or failure to act.' Article 11 with reference to criminal intent reads: 'The definition of some crimes required a specific criminal intent while in others, no intent is required. Some crimes consist merely of criminal negligence that produces criminal consequences. However, in the absence of qualifying provisions, the term intent and intentional have reference to general criminal intent.' In order to show intent, evidence is admissible of similar acts independent of the act charged as a crime in the indictment. For though intent is a question of fact, it need not be proven as a fact. It may be inferred from the circumstances of the transaction . By law attempted simple burglary is a lesser offense to simple burglary and is a possible responsive verdict. Louisiana Criminal Code, Article 27 defines attempt as follows: 'A. Any person who having a specific intent to commit a crime does or omits an act for the purpose of and tending directly toward the accomplishing of his object is guilty of an attempt to commit the offense intended'. And it shall be immaterial whether under the circumstances he would have actually accomplished his purpose."
Article 807 of the Code of Criminal Procedure provides that a requested special charge need not be given if it is included in the general charge. The foregoing quoted portions of the general charge fairly cover the requested charge. There is no error in this assignment.
Assignment 7
It is the defense contention that the trial judge erred in allowing the custodian of the East Carroll Prison Farm to testify on behalf of the State to defendant's bad character.
Defendant had pled guilty to the June 1, 1975 theft of an automobile. On August 21, 1975 he was sentenced to imprisonment for two and one-half years and confined in the East Carroll Parish Prison Farm. The State called Warden Fontenberry who testified that defendant had been granted a week-end pass on September 20, 1975 for the restricted purpose of visiting his immediate family in Lake Providence. The defense contends that since it had been shown that the defendant was apprehended on September 21 in Tallulah in close proximity to the garage where the attempted burglary occurred the jury would undoubtedly draw the inference that defendant had violated his week-end pass.
In effect, according to this contention, the testimony relative to the restriction on the week-end pass amounted to evidence of bad character offered by the State on its case-in-chief when no evidence of defendant's good character had yet been offered by the defense. Relying upon Section 481 of Title 15 of the Revised Statutes, defendant contends the State is permitted to introduce testimony of the bad character of the accused only in rebuttal of the evidence introduced by him to show good character.
The contention is without merit. The evidence was relevant to a material issue of the case. It was necessary for the State to show that defendant's presence near the scene of the crime was not warranted, except insofar as it established his connection with the offense. La. R.S. 15:435. The fact that defendant was not where he was supposed to be, combined with the fact of his apprehension near the scene of the break-in, raised an inference that he may have been involved in the break-in. The testimony, therefore, supports an inference raised by the fact of his presence near the break-in. As such it is relevant and was properly admitted. La. R.S. 15:441.
Assignment 8
Defense arguments in connection with assignments 1 to 7 are advanced in support of defendant's motion for a new trial. The motion was denied and error was assigned to the ruling. Having found the other defense contention without merit, the motion is likewise without merit.
For the reasons assigned, the conviction and sentence are affirmed.
DENNIS, J., concurs, except that he disagrees with the treatment of assignments 2 and 3 because the crime of burglary cannot be inferred solely from the possession of recently stolen property. See State v. Searle, La., 339 So.2d 1194.
DIXON, J., concurs with reasons.
CALOGERO, J., dissents and assigns reasons.
TATE, J., dissents for the reasons assigned by CALOGERO, J.