Opinion ID: 867579
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Jury Verdict Was Supported By Substantial Evidence

Text: ¶ 17 The record reflects that at the time Gonzales was indicted, he may have suspected the goods were stolen. Gonzales testified, however, that he acted upon his suspicion by following all protocols set by statute, by the police pawn shop detail, and by the pawn shop. He also testified that he was told by police to sell the clubs because the clubs were not listed as stolen. Importantly, this testimony was corroborated by Finnerty's fellow officer, who testified that Finnerty admitted that he had in fact told Gonzales to sell the clubs. Presumably, this testimony weighed heavily on the no probable cause verdict. Evidence was also presented that during the hold period the clubs were not offered for sale by any employee, that Gonzales refused two different offers to buy them, and that he did not attempt to sell the clubs even after he was told he could do so by Finnerty. ¶ 18 The evidence was also disputed regarding Dovilla's attempted sale of the clubs to the pawn shop. Dovilla had claimed earlier that the employees had a conference behind the counter, quoted the selling price of $160, and then purchased the clubs. In contrast, Gonzales testified that at the time the price was quoted, he did not suspect the clubs were stolen, did not know Dovilla's history, and did not know the true value of the clubs. There was also conflicting evidence regarding Gonzales' knowledge as to whether the golf clubs were stolen, that is, whether Finnerty actually told the store to sell the clubs, whether the employees had a conference before quoting the price, and whether the store would sell the clubs to offset the generator loss. ¶ 19 The jury could reasonably infer from this evidence that while Gonzales may have suspected that the clubs were stolen, he nevertheless did not recklessly traffic or knowingly control stolen goods. In addition, the jury apparently found Gonzales' testimony more credible than Finnerty's. By its verdict, the jury rejected the assertion that there was probable cause to charge Gonzales. Ample evidence supports the jury's determination on this issue. Therefore, applying the correct standard, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to upholding the verdict. So viewed, the evidence was legally sufficient for a jury determination of no probable cause. Accordingly, the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in denying the Motion for JNOV.