Opinion ID: 1430326
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the felony-theft charges and the majority disposition

Text: Defendant was charged with two counts of felony theft  counts III and V. Count III charged theft of personal property taken from the McLean ranch. This charge included theft of three rifles, two shotguns, and three horses. Count V charged theft of personal property after the commission of the homicides. This charge included theft of a pickup truck, a pistol, a rifle, a woman's purse, and $150 in cash. As the majority has stated, there was no direct evidence presented on the value of the items and the trial court totally failed to instruct the jury that value is an element of the offense. In this appeal, defendant attacked only count V, contending that value was not proved. In relation to this contention, the majority held that value is an essential element of the offense of theft and that this Court will not take judicial notice of value because it is an essential element to be proved. With this I agree. Accordingly, the majority reversed the conviction on count V and ordered the charge dismissed. With this I also agree. I fail to understand, however, why, on the same basis, the majority did not also order reversal and dismissal of the theft conviction on count III. The same law applies to each count, and the State failed to prove value and the jury was not instructed the value was an essential element to be proved with relation to each count of theft. How, under these circumstances, can a reversal and dismissal be ordered on count V and an affirmance be ordered with relation to count III? Although the defendant did not raise any issue with relation to count III, this Court, under the plain error doctrine, can reach the same result with relation to count III as it has reached with relation to count V. Based on the majority rationale that value is an essential element of the crime which must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and that we will not take judicial notice of the value of the items involved in order to uphold a conviction, I would also reverse and dismiss the theft conviction under count III.