Court Opinion

ID: 9452088
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 17:30:01.272448+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:03.310842
License: Public Domain

J. SKELLY WRIGHT, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
Appellant was charged with robbery1 in the form of purse snatching. Although he was shown to be in possession of the billfold from the alleged victim’s purse, the evidence as to the snatching was entirely circumstantial. Appellant testified that he had found the billfold under a seat on the bus on which both he and the complaining witness were passengers.
The trial judge charged the jury in part as follows:
“But if it raises a doubt in your mind, because you are not required to find without a reasonable doubt on his part how the property came into his possession, he is required only that he raise a question in your mind, because all questions where there is any doubt you must determine those questions in favor of the criminal.
“But the obligation is, if you should find that the property stolen or lost by Charlotte Robinson, where it is in the possession of Robertson shortly after the loss, by the complaining witness, then you may infer if you should so deem it advisable that this defendant was the person who took the property of the complainant.
“I say unless it is very satisfactorily explained to you by this defendant as to how the property was in his possession.”
Since the trial court’s reference to appellant as a criminal may have undermined the presumption of innocence, I think reversal is required. Under the circumstances we should not speculate on the degree of prejudice to appellant resulting from this reference. The presumption of innocence, like the right to counsel, “is too fundamental and absolute to allow courts to indulge in nice calculations as to the amount of prejudice arising from its denial.” Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 76, 62 S.Ct. 457, 467, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942).
It appears to me, too, that the “very satisfactorily” burden of explanation placed on appellant also tended to undermine the presumption of innocence, particularly where, as here, the appellant explained that he had found the billfold, and the complaining witness testified that she had lost her billfold on a prior occasion, having left it on a counter in a store. Although there is some justification in the law for placing the burden of satisfactory explanation on a defendant found in possession of stolen goods, there is none which requires that explanation to be “very satisfactory.” 2
I respectfully dissent.

. 22 D.C.Code § 2901 (1961).

. Compare Inman v. United States, 100 U.S.App.D.C. 150, 243 F.2d 256 (1957), cert. denied, 358 U.S. 888, 79 S.Ct. 132, 3 L.Ed.2d 116 (1958).