Opinion ID: 1817285
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether the trial court erred in denying appellant's jury instruction regarding the lesser offense of petit larceny?

Text: Evidently, the trial judge was convinced this was a case that did not warrant the lesser included offense instruction. Witness his analysis: COURT: The Supreme Court has said in many instances that certainly, where it is supported by the record, the court should, without hesitation grant a lesser included instruction and this court has done that many times. But, on the other hand the Supreme Court has said, unequivocally, that the giving of the lesser included instruction has to be supported by the record. And the record, as I recall the testimony of witnesses are clear and unequivocable regarding how much money they were short, which was $750.00. And as I see it the jury is going to believe either that the money was taken, and if they believe that, the testimony is clear regarding the amount they were short. And on the other hand, if they feel like money was not taken by this defendant or that this defendant is not guilty of the crime of grand larceny, then he will be found not guilty. It, simply, the record would have to support the giving of the lesser included instruction the record does not support that. The teller, Mrs. Matthews stated that she was $750.00 short that she balanced her drawer out, I think she used the word proven, the drawer was proven, and there was $250.00 bait money and $500.00 of bank money missing, for a total of $750.00 and this testimony was collaborated by teller, Linda Crawford and by the bank Vice-President Howard Patterson, so, the jury either believes that, or they don't believe it. This simply is not a case of lesser included instructions so D-1 must be denied for those reasons. Nevertheless, appellant asserts that the trial judge erred by improperly applying the test for determining whether a lesser-included offense instruction should be granted in a criminal prosecution. Said test was recently restated in Armstead v. State, 503 So.2d 281 (Miss. 1987) as follows: [A] lesser included offense instruction should be granted unless the trial judge  and ultimately this Court  can say, taking the evidence in the light most favorable to the accused, and considering all reasonable favorable inferences which may be drawn in favor of the accused from the evidence, that no reasonable jury could find that defendant guilty of the lesser included offense (and conversely not guilty of at least one essential element of the principal charge). Id. at 285; see also Gates v. State, 484 So.2d 1002, 1004 (Miss. 1986); Harper v. State, 478 So.2d 1017, 1021 (Miss. 1985); Harbin v. State, 478 So.2d 796, 799 (Miss. 1985); Lee v. State, 469 So.2d 1225, 1230-31 (Miss. 1985); and Fairchild v. State, 459 So.2d 793, 801 (Miss. 1984). Instead of considering the evidence most favorable to the appellant, appellant contends that the trial judge considered the evidence most favorable to the state. He attempts to persuade this Court by quoting certain cross-examination testimony of Mr. Howard Patterson (Bank VP) and Mrs. Dorothy Matthews (Bank Teller). In that testimony, the plain intent of appellant was to get the witness to admit that (1) she didn't actually see the money taken, and she did not; and (2) that the amount of money in her teller drawer could have been accounted for as missing by some other means than appellant's theft. Simply put, and considering the evidence in the light most favorable to appellant (defendant), appellee asserts that there was no evidence in the record that any sum was stolen which could amount to less than $100.00. In consideration of Miss. Code Ann. § 97-17-43 (1972), and the cases noted above, appellee concludes that there was no rational basis from which the jury could have concluded that the amount taken was less than $100.00., thus, the instruction was properly refused.