Opinion ID: 1903504
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Second Indictment Larceny or Receiving?

Text: The trial court entered a general verdict of guilty of the larceny and receiving of the license plate. On the theory  by virtue of the decision in Berger v. State, 179 Md. 410, 20 A.2d 146 (1941)  that the more serious offense in the instant case was the receiving [of goods under the value of $100] since it carried a maximum penalty of three years while larceny [of goods worth less than $100] carried only a penalty of eighteen months, the defendant contends that he was sentenced for receiving stolen property. As to this offense, he further contends that the State failed to prove that he received the license plate knowing it to have been stolen, which is one of the essential elements of the crime of receiving. Apparently the defendant concedes that his conviction of larceny was sustainable since he recognized, as was held in Debinski v. State, 194 Md. 355, 71 A.2d 460 (1950), that possession of recently stolen property constitutes prima facie proof that the possessor was the thief. We also observe that in Heinze v. State, 184 Md. 613, 42 A.2d 128 (1945), [1] we recognized that a general verdict of guilty on two inconsistent counts, such as larceny and receiving, is defective. This is so because a defendant cannot be both a thief and a receiver when it is apparent that the property alleged to have been stolen is the same as that alleged to have been received. When a verdict of guilty is rendered on inconsistent counts, the defendant has a right to require the trier of facts to specify on which of the counts he is guilty, but it is a right which may be waived. Since the question was not raised below in any manner, it may be that the defendant waived the inconsistency. In any event, the court passed but one sentence [2] of a year's duration and then provided that it should run concurrently with the previous sentence of three years for the receiving and unauthorized use of the automobile referred to in the first indictment. Since it does not appear that the defendant has been prejudiced [ Heinze v. State, supra ] by the rendition of inconsistent verdicts under the second indictment, we see no reason to make such inconsistency the basis for a remand of the case for further proceedings or a new trial. Novak v. State, 139 Md. 538, 115 A. 853 (1921). Instead we think we should decide the issue raised by the defendant as to the absence of guilty knowledge. When, however, we assume  and we expressly do not decide for which offense the defendant was sentenced  that the conviction should be treated as one of receiving instead of larceny for the purpose of deciding whether the defendant knew or should have suspected that the license plate was stolen property, we think it is clear there was sufficient evidence to support a conclusion that guilty knowledge was present. The record shows that the defendant had a measure of control or dominion over the custody of the stolen property. Polansky v. State, 205 Md. 362, 109 A.2d 52 (1954). Moreover, the trial judge was not obliged to accept the explanation of the defendant, or his co-defendant, that they did not know the license plate was in the automobile in which they were riding. Berry v. State, 202 Md. 62, 95 A.2d 319 (1953); Jordan v. State, 219 Md. 36, 148 A.2d 292 (1959). The very fact that the stolen license plate was in the constructive or potential possession of the defendant  who had received the stolen automobile in which the license plate was found  was in and of itself enough to justify an inference by the trial judge that the defendant had also received the license plate knowing it to have been stolen. See Hayette v. State, 199 Md. 140, 85 A.2d 790 (1952); Jordan v. State, supra . Guilty knowledge may be found in a rational inference deduced from circumstantial evidence when such evidence clearly indicates that the defendant knew or could have reasonably suspected from the circumstances that the property in his possession or under his control had been stolen. Lloyd v. State, 219 Md. 343, 149 A.2d 369 (1959). For the reasons stated both judgments will be affirmed. Judgments affirmed.