Court Opinion

ID: 9627163
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:36:46.552013+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:06:41.150677
License: Public Domain

*165MOORE, P. J.,
concurring. — I concur.
In a case of the conviction of a party for receiving stolen property, it is necessary only that it be proved by competent evidence that the accused had possession, actual or constructive, of the stolen chattels, together with circumstances from which it might be reasonably inferred that the accused knew of his possession. (People v. Juehling, 10 Cal. App. (2d) 527 [52 Pac. (2d) 520].) But in this case, the only approach to proof of possession was the presence of the stolen tires in defendant’s garage of which he had made no use except to store a stock of old tires, tools and household goods. The brother, Vance, had made use of defendant’s place of business as well as of his said garage, but otherwise there is no evidence that defendant in any manner or by any agency knowingly received or sheltered the stolen tires. The only evidence of defendant's possession is the fact of his ownership of the garage; but this was overcome by the large stock of stored tires there and want of proof that he had been inside the garage while the stolen tires were there or that he knew the tires were stolen.
The only accusatory items of evidence are two, viz.: (1) The.testimony of defendant’s wife who heard him, at a time not indicated, tell Vance not to bring his friends around the home; saw Vance and another drive a car to defendant’s home in the latter’s absence when on her inquiry, Vance said he was servicing a car for a customer; told defendant of said visit of which he disapproved. This tends only to arouse suspicion but it shows no knowledge of defendant that the stolen property was on his premises. (2) The accusatory exhibit which was incompetent. It was merely an ex parte statement of a witness, not stenographieally taken. When read in defendant’s presence, he denied the truth of it. Extrajudicial statements of a witness are in themselves incompetent. Only the contemporary response by the accused to them is material. (People v. McCoy, 127 Cal. App. 195 [15 Pac. (2d) 543].)
The evidence failed directly or by inference to show guilty knowledge of defendant.