Court Opinion

ID: 7820599
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:53:12.188634+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:43.784760
License: Public Domain

Darrell Hickman, Justice, dissenting. I would affirm the judgment of the trial court in view of two standards we apply on review of trial judgments. First, we will not reverse if there is substantial evidence to support the trial court’s finding. Second, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the appellee. One of the appellants, Carl David Wilburn, was identified as an armed robber of the Texarkana Sheraton Inn. Both Wilburn and Jennings pleaded guilty to the charge of aggravated robbery of the Fort Smith Sheraton Inn which occurred several days after the Texarkana robbery. Apparently the appellants favor Sheraton Inns. These gentlemen were apprehended near Fayetteville with over $1,000.00 in the trunk of the vehicle. The description given by an employee of the Sheraton Inn at Texarkana of the vehicle used by Wilburn is similar to that of the vehicle the appellants were driving in Fayetteville. Wilburn refused to open the trunk and, in fact, ran and threw the keys away. The trial judge ordered a return of some $650.00 to the Fort Smith Sheraton Inn in a separate proceeding, and in this proceeding ordered $750.00 turned over to the Texarkana Sheraton Inn. The majority finds that the money could not be identified as belonging to the Texarkana Sheraton Inn. Rarely can money which is taken from merchants be identified. However, this is a civil case, not a criminal case, and I feel that the appellee has made a prima facie showing that these gentlemen robbed it and still had some of the money. The fact that it was not in the exact denominations several days later does not impress me. The appellants put on no evidence whatsoever to indicate their occupation nor the source of the money, and I suppose we can assume they are in the business of robbing people for money. At least that is what the record indicates. I would affirm the judgment of the trial court.