Opinion ID: 297698
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 2 The Record reveals that the appellant failed to move for a judgment of acquittal at the close of the evidence. As a general rule, failure to move for an acquittal prevents a reviewing court from considering the sufficiency of the evidence. Sheffield v. United States, 5th Cir. 1967, 381 F.2d 721. Only in an exceptional case, and to prevent a miscarriage of justice, will a reviewing court consider the sufficiency of the evidence when no motion for acquittal has been made. The instant case presents no such compelling situation. The evidence produced was more than ample to support the verdict. The evidence showed that Bray was arrested in Macon, Georgia, on March 18, 1970, for drunken driving. At the time, he was navigating a new 1970 Ford Pickup around the streets of Macon in a highly inebriated condition, without a proper driver's license. The same Ford Pickup was on the same day reported to the FBI as a stolen vehicle. The owner of the truck, a man named Turner, testified that his vehicle was stolen on March 6, 1970. Turner testified further that the day before his truck was stolen, he had been drinking with Bray (whom he had only met once before) and a lady friend in a Memphis bar. The three decided to take a trip to Jackson, Tennessee that night. They traveled to Jackson in Turner's new Ford Pickup, with Bray driving because Turner had drunk too much. The next day they returned to Memphis and continued to imbibe in another Memphis bar. In the middle of the afternoon, according to Turner's testimony, they parted company, and when Turner went back to the parking lot where he had left his truck, he discovered that the truck had been stolen. Turner testified that he reported the theft to the local police that same day, and the next day he reported the theft, in person, to his insurance company in Memphis. He said that about a week later he received a phone call from certain persons in Georgia, informing him that his truck was in their front yard and that it had been left there by the appellant Bray. Turner then reported the theft to the FBI. There followed several witnesses who corroborated substantially all of Turner's testimony. 3 The appellant Bray then took the stand and presented his side of the story. Bray's story coincided with Turner's insofar as their drinking bouts in Memphis and their trip to Jackson, Tennessee were concerned. Beyond that, however, they differed greatly. Bray testified that Turner had asked him to go to Georgia to help him on a welding job. Bray explained further that by this time each of them had picked up a girl friend, so Turner wanted to make the trip in two vehicles since there was not enough room in the cab of the truck for Bray and Turner and two girls. Thus, according to Bray, the two departed on their trip on Friday, March 6, with Turner in an automobile following Bray in the truck. 4 Bray testified that Turner followed him to Macon, Georgia, where they stopped for more liquor. This was on Saturday night, March 7, according to Bray. Bray stated that at this point he began to think Turner might be up to no good and since he, Bray, had a criminal record, he did not want to become involved in any wrongdoing. Therefore, he informed Turner that he did not want to drive the truck any longer; whereupon, according to Bray, Turner left, telling Bray that he would return with another driver. But Turner never returned, and, since Turner had left Bray with the key to the truck, Bray decided to continue driving the truck to look for Turner. This Bray did, all the while continuing to drink beer and whiskey, until he was arrested for drunken driving on March 18. Bray offered no testimony to corroborate his story. The jury obviously chose not to believe Bray's story, and we think there was ample room for the jury to make this credibility choice. Thus, we reject Bray's contention that the evidence was insufficient.