Opinion ID: 2365763
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: the lemons appeal

Text: Lemons was convicted of one count of theft by unlawful taking, one count of knowingly receiving stolen property, and one count of persistent felony offender in the first degree. The jury recommended a five year sentence on each charge which was enhanced to 20 years on each charge as a result of the persistent felony offender conviction. The two 20-year sentences were ordered to run consecutively. He was tried jointly with appellants Jackson and Riggsbee. The charges against Lemons involved the theft of three guns which were taken from the home of Carl Lindsey. Larry Riggsbee was indicted separately for the theft of the same three guns. Lemons was not accused of participating in the theft of any of the other numerous items of which Riggsbee was accused of stealing and was not accused of participating in the theft of any of the items of which Jackson was accused of stealing. Appellant contends he should have been granted a separate trial from Jackson and Riggsbee. We agree. The indictments did not charge a conspiracy. They related to a multitude of separate thefts by two of the defendants. Lemons was not shown to have the slightest connection with the other thefts. He was connected by the evidence with only one of the other defendants in one of the thefts. The volumes of testimony and the veritable arsenal of weapons introduced to prove a ring of thefts by Jackson and Riggsbee with which appellant was not charged could not help but be prejudicial to appellant in his attempt to defend himself on the one charge against him. The prejudice here is much greater than that in Hardin v. Commonwealth, Ky., 437 S.W.2d 931 (1968), wherein we held that the trial of one charged as an habitual criminal with one charged with offenses of lesser magnitude is inherently prejudicial. RCr 6.20 permits joinder of defendants for trial if they are alleged to have participated in the same act or transaction or in the same series of acts or transactions constituting an offense or offenses. It is not authority for joinder of the trial of two or more defendants who are charged with the commission of separate acts or transactions constituting separate offenses. There was no error occasioned by the indictment before the holding of a preliminary hearing. On retrial the appellant Lemons cannot be convicted of both theft by unlawful taking and knowingly receiving stolen property where the charges relate to the same items of property. Other errors alleged by appellant Lemons are unlikely to recur on retrial. The judgment as to appellant Lemons is reversed for further proceedings in conformity with this opinion. STEPHENS, C.J., and VANCE, GANT and STEPHENSON, JJ., concur. LEIBSON, J., concurs by separate opinion in which AKER, J., joins. WINTERSHEIMER, J., dissents by separate opinion.