LAW.coLAW.co

State of Kansas, Appellee, v. Warren Smith, Appellant

Kansas Supreme Court1972-06-10No. No. 46,597
209 Kan. 664498 P.2d 78

Summary

Holding. The trial court's judgment convicting Smith of grand larceny was affirmed. The court held that substantial competent evidence supported the jury's verdict, including the owner's credible testimony establishing the stolen property's value exceeded $50.

Warren Smith was convicted by jury of grand larceny after three calves, two saddles, and two bridles worth more than $50 were stolen from a farm in Elk County, Kansas. Co-conspirator William Atkins pleaded guilty and testified that Smith, Atkins, and a third person loaded the calves into a truck and took them to another location, though the calves and saddles were later returned to the farm. Smith maintained he was not present during the theft and offered alibi testimony, but the jury found him guilty.

Smith challenged his conviction on two grounds. First, he argued the complaint and arrest warrant lacked probable cause, but the court declined to consider this issue because he failed to raise it at the preliminary hearing or in district court. The court noted that even an unlawful arrest does not invalidate a conviction. Second, Smith argued insufficient evidence supported the verdict, particularly regarding the property's value. The owner testified the three calves were worth approximately $50 each and the saddles $75 each, establishing the total value exceeded $50. The court held that owner testimony of property value is competent evidence, and the jury's credibility determinations and weighing of evidence are not subject to appellate disturbance when supported by substantial competent evidence.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether a warrant issued without probable cause invalidates a subsequent conviction
  • Whether owner testimony of property value is competent evidence to establish grand larceny
  • Whether substantial evidence supported the jury's finding of guilt

Procedural posture

Smith appealed his jury conviction for grand larceny from the district court.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Schroeder, J.:

This is a criminal action in which Warren Smith (defendant-appellant) was tried to a Jury and convicted of grand larceny pursuant to K. S. A. 21-533, and sentenced in accordance with K. S. A. 21-534. Appeal has been duly perfected.

The appellant raises two points:

“I. The complaint was signed and the warrant issued without probable-cause.

“II. There was insufficient evidence to support the jury’s verdict.”

Evidence presented during the trial showed three calves, two-saddles and two bridles, all of which totaled more than $50 in value, were taken from the Robert Knox farm in northern Elk County, Kansas, on or about June 2, 1970.

A search of the premises uncovered a Boeing tool check bearing the name of William Atkins, one of the participants in the crime. When confronted with this evidence by the sheriff, Atkins talked. Eefore the trial Atkins pleaded guilty to the theft of the calves and the bridles, but not the saddles. Atkins testified at the appellant’s trial that he and the appellant and one Robert Lawhon loaded the calves into his pickup and took them to Lawhon’s place.

After the implication of the three participants in the crime, Atkins said the three of them returned the calves and the saddles to the Knox farm, where Mr. Knox later discovered them. The bridles were not returned, but Atkins admitted he had them and would return them to Mr. Knox.

The appellant steadfastly maintained he was not present when the theft occurred and that he was not involved in the theft at any later time. He introduced alibi testimony which would have placed him somewhere else when the larceny occurred.

The appellant first contends the complaint was signed and the warrant issued without probable cause.

No objection to the sufficiency of the complaint and warrant was made at the preliminary hearing and the question was not presented to the district court. Consequently, we will not consider the matter for the first time on appeal. (Tate v. State, 196 Kan. 435, 411 P. 2d 661; and State v. Blair, 197 Kan. 693, 421 P. 2d 32.) Even if the point were properly before us, it has no merit. An unlawful arrest does not deprive a court of jurisdiction to try the accused or accept his plea of guilty, nor does it alone invalidate a subsequent conviction. (Williams v. State, 197 Kan. 708, 421 P. 2d 194; State v. Addington, 205 Kan. 640, 472 P. 2d 225; Young v. State, 206 Kan. 318, 478 P. 2d 194; and State v. Theus, 207 Kan. 571, 485 P. 2d 1327.)

The appellant next contends there was insufficient evidence presented at the trial to support the jury’s verdict.

The appellant argues primarily that the evidence was insufficient to establish the value of the property taken to be $50 or more.

The owner of the property, Mr. Robert Knox, testified the calves taken included a black white-faced heifer calf, two Hereford bull calves, a Veach saddle and a Buck Steiner saddle. He further described the calves as weighing between 100 to 110 pounds and estimated their value to be somewhere around $50 apiece. He estimated the saddles to be worth $75 apiece.

It has long been established that value testimony of the owner whose property was taken is competent. (State v. Ireton, 193 Kan. 206, 392 P. 2d 883, and cases cited therein.)

The only purpose of proving value in a case such as this is to distinguish between the two crimes, grand larceny and petty larceny, and if the evidence showed an actual or market value of more than $50 for all of the articles proved to have been taken, the crime would be grand larceny. (State v. Handler, 142 Kan. 455, 50 P. 2d 977.)

It is the function of the jury, not of an appellate court, to weigh the evidence and pass upon the credibility of the witnesses; and a verdict based on substantial competent evidence will not be disturbed on appellate review. (State v. Theus, supra, and cases cited therein.)

An examination of the record shows substantial competent evidence to support the jury’s verdict that the appellant was guilty of grand larceny.

Other points asserted by the appellant in the record on appeal have not been briefed and are therefore deemed to have been abandoned.

The judgment of the lower court is affirmed.