Heard v. State
Heard v. State
Opinion of the Court
The conviction is for theft of property of the value of over $5 and under $50; the punishment 10 days in jail.
There are no bills of exception.
The facts are stated in appellant’s brief wherein it is admitted that the testimony of all witnesses is without substantial dispute, except as to appellant’s intentions.
“Appellant was a San Antonio City Policeman assigned to patrol a section in the western part of San Antonio in a squad car. During the early evening of March 13, 1953, Appellant stopped at a housing project under construction by Ball Construction Company. There he saw and talked with Hubert J. Walker, employed as a nightwatchman by Ball Construction Company. Walker reported to Appellant that he had seen someone driving an automobile with.a new hot water heater extend
Though conceding that the issue of appellant’s intentions was resolved against him, appellant contends that the evidence is insufficient because it was not shown that he was present at the time the property was taken; that Walker committed no offense because he had permission to take the property for the purpose of entraping appellant, and had no intent to appropriate it to his own use. Therefore, he says that he could not be guilty of theft unless Walker was guilty of theft and he was associated with Walker in the criminal act.
We believe that appellant’s contention may be answered by the following statement found in Branch’s Ann. P.C., Sec. 2428, quoted with approval in Spivey v. State, 144 Texas Cr. Rep. 432, 164 S.W. 2d 668, at page 672:
“ ‘If defendant fraudulently procured a person innocent of any fraudulent intent to take the property for him, it is a taking through an innocent agent, and a taking by an innocent agent is a taking by defendant. In a legal sense, defendant was present when the act was done if he fraudulently caused that act to be done by an innocent agent although in fact he was in a different county or state. Madison v. State, 16 Texas App. (435) 442; Doss v. State, 21 Texas App. (505) 509, 2 S.W. 814 (57 Am. Rep. 618) ; Dale v. State, 32 Texas Cr. R. 78, 22 S.W. 49; Sikes v. State (Texas Cr. App.) 28 S.W. 688; Lane v. State, 41 Texas Cr. R. 559, 55 S.W. 831; Walls v. State, 43 Texas Cr. R. 70, 63 S.W. 328; Jessup v. State, 44 Texas Cr. R. 83, 68 S.W. 988; Farris v. State, 55 Texas Cr. R. 481, 117 S.W. 798 (131 Am. St. Rep. 824).’
“Many of the cases cited are reviewd in Houston v. State, 98 Texas Cr. R. 280, 265 S.W. 585, and the principle approved. See, also, Strang v. State, 32 Texas Cr. R. 219, 22 S.W. 680.”
If we understand appellant’s remaining contention it is that the evidence shows the property taken to be of the value of more than $50; therefore the evidence is insufficient to establish the offense charged.
On direct examination the witness Zerm testified that the property had a market value of $46.05, but on cross-examination he testified that in the San Antonio stores the property had a retail price of more than $50.
The judgment is affirmed.
070rehearing
ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
Appellant takes us to task, among other things, for the concluding sentence in our original opinion and says that such conclusion is in conflict with our holding in Givens v. State, 143 Texas. Cr. Rep. 277, 158 S.W. 2d 535. In this he is correct. We must now re-examine the holding in the Givens case and determine whether or not we will be bound thereby. So far as we can find, it is the only case in which a conviction for misdemeanor theft was reversed because the evidence which we considered admissible showed a value in excess of $50.00. To adhere to such a holding would be inconsistent with the decisions relating to other offenses.
The court has held that a conviction for assault with intent to rape was supported by proof of a consummated rape. Carr v. State, 158 Texas Cr. Rep. 337, 255 S.W. 2d 870.
In the Carr case we discussed other cases decided by this court involving different offenses, and they will not again be cited here.
Insofar as the Givens case holds contrary to our original opinion herein or to the rule expressed in the Carr case and the cases there cited, it is expressly overruled.
Remaining convinced that we properly disposed of this cause originally, appellant’s motion for rehearing is overruled.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- George Heard v. State
- Cited By
- 10 cases
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- Published