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People v. Harris, Docket No. 30265 (Mich. Ct. App. Mar. 21, 1978) — Summary

Factual and Procedural Background

Calvin Harris was charged with armed robbery (MCLA 750.529; MSA 28.797). At trial defense counsel timely requested jury instructions on unarmed robbery (MCLA 750.530; MSA 28.798), larceny from a person (MCLA 750.357; MSA 28.589), receiving or concealing stolen property (RCSP) (MCLA 750.535; MSA 28.803), and unlawfully driving away an automobile (UDAA) (MCLA 750.413; MSA 28.645). The trial court refused to instruct on RCSP and UDAA. A jury convicted defendant of larceny from a person. On appeal, the conviction was reversed and the case remanded.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether the trial court erred by refusing to give requested instructions on receiving or concealing stolen property (RCSP) and unlawfully driving away an automobile (UDAA) in an armed robbery prosecution.
  2. Whether the trial court was required to instruct sua sponte on the inherent dangers of accomplice testimony where the record might include testimony by alleged accomplices.

Arguments of the Parties

The opinion does not contain a detailed account of the parties' legal arguments.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
People v Ora Jones, 395 Mich. 379; 236 N.W.2d 461 (1975) Definition and analysis of "cognate offenses" (sharing elements and class; lesser may contain elements not in the greater). Used as the governing test to determine whether RCSP or UDAA are cognate lesser offenses of armed robbery.
People v Matuja, 77 Mich. App. 291, 295; 258 N.W.2d 79 (1977) Statement of the constituent elements of receiving or concealing stolen property (RCSP). Cited to identify RCSP elements and to compare them to the elements of armed robbery; court concluded no overlapping elements.
People v Limon, 4 Mich. App. 440; 145 N.W.2d 287 (1966) Authority for the elements of unlawfully driving away an automobile (UDAA). Cited to set out UDAA elements for comparison with armed robbery; supported the court's conclusion that UDAA is a cognate offense of armed robbery.
People v Chamblis, 395 Mich. 408; 236 N.W.2d 473 (1975) Instruction on a cognate lesser offense is required when the trial evidence would support a conviction of that lesser offense. Applied to conclude that, because the evidence could support a UDAA conviction, the trial court erred in refusing the requested UDAA instruction.
People v McCoy, 392 Mich. 231; 220 N.W.2d 456 (1974) Discussion regarding the necessity of warning juries about the inherent dangers of accomplice testimony. Referenced to support the court's holding that no sua sponte accomplice-witness instruction was required where the record contained no evidence indicating the witnesses were accomplices.
People v Jenkins, 395 Mich. 440; 236 N.W.2d 503 (1975) Related to the general rule that an appellate court should not speculate on what a jury would have done had it been properly instructed. Quoted by way of contrast: although appellate speculation is ordinarily improper, the court found on these facts the jury must have found UDAA elements to convict of larceny from a person and therefore remanded for entry of a UDAA conviction.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The court applied the cognate-offense analysis articulated in People v Ora Jones. It compared the statutory elements of armed robbery with those of RCSP and UDAA:

  • Armed robbery elements were listed (trespassory taking and carrying away personal property of another with intent to permanently deprive from a person or in his presence while armed).
  • RCSP elements were set out (property stolen; value; receiving/possession/concealment with knowledge property was stolen; identity; guilty knowledge). The court found no overlapping elements between armed robbery and RCSP and therefore concluded RCSP was not a cognate lesser offense requiring an instruction on request.
  • UDAA elements were set out (taking possession of an automobile and a willful driving or taking away without authority). The court observed overlap with armed robbery (trespassory taking and asportation of another's property) and found a common statutory purpose (deterrence/punishment of theft). The court concluded UDAA is a cognate offense of armed robbery.
  • Applying People v Chamblis, the court considered whether the trial evidence could have supported a conviction of the cognate lesser offense (UDAA). The factual record (employee in car; two individuals approach; defendant in front seat; back-seat passenger produced a gun and told employee to leave; defendant drove away; later identification of defendant as driver) was deemed sufficient to support a UDAA conviction.
  • Therefore, the trial court erred by refusing the requested UDAA instruction.
  • Regarding accomplice-witness instructions, the court held that a sua sponte instruction was not required because there was no evidence indicating the two witnesses were accomplices, citing People v McCoy.
  • Although appellate courts ordinarily should not speculate about what a properly instructed jury would have done (cf. People v Jenkins), the court concluded on these facts that the jury must have found all elements of UDAA to convict of larceny from a person; accordingly it remanded for entry of judgment for UDAA and resentencing, with a proviso allowing the prosecutor to request a new trial before resentencing.

Holding and Implications

The defendant's conviction of larceny from a person is REVERSED and the case is REMANDED.

Direct consequences ordered by the court:

  • The trial court erred by refusing the requested instruction on UDAA; UDAA was held to be a cognate lesser offense of armed robbery and the evidence at trial would have supported a UDAA conviction.
  • The conviction of larceny from a person is reversed; the case is remanded for entry of a judgment of conviction of UDAA and for resentencing.
  • Alternatively, the prosecutor may, before resentencing and upon notifying the trial court, have the trial court vacate the judgment of conviction and grant a new trial on the larceny-from-a-person charge if the prosecutor concludes that is in the interests of justice.

No broader precedent was announced beyond the court's application of existing cognate-offense principles and the remedial step of entering a conviction on the cognate lesser offense where the record compels that result.

PEOPLE v. HARRIS

PER CURIAM.

Defendant was charged with armed robbery. MCLA 750.529; MSA 28.797. Defense counsel timely requested instructions on unarmed robbery, MCLA 750.530; MSA 28.798; larceny from a person, MCLA 750.357; MSA 28.589; receiving or concealing stolen property (RCSP), MCLA 750.535; MSA 28.803, and unlawfully driving away an automobile (UDAA), MCLA 750.413; MSA 28.645. The trial court refused to instruct on RCSP or UDAA. Defendant was convicted by a jury of larceny from a person and appeals of right, raising two issues.

Defendant first contends that it was error for the trial court to refuse to give requested instructions on RCSP and UDAA in an armed robbery prosecution. This issue requires an examination of People v Ora Jones, 395 Mich. 379; 236 N.W.2d 461 (1975).

Neither side contends nor do we find that RCSP or UDAA are necessarily included offenses.

Ora Jones described cognate offenses as sharing several elements and being of the same class or category, but the lesser may contain some elements not found in the higher offense. In determining whether RCSP or UDAA are cognate offenses of armed robbery, we must analyze the elements of each crime.

The elements of armed robbery are: 1) the trespassory, 2) taking and 3) carrying away of the 4) personal property 5) of another 6) with intent to permanently deprive 7) from a person or in his presence 8) while armed. See MCLA 750.529; MSA 28.797; LaFave Scott, Criminal Law, 692.

The elements of RCSP are:

"(1) that the property was stolen; (2) the value of the property; (3) the receiving, possession or concealment of such property by the defendant with the knowledge of the defendant that the property had been stolen; (4) the identity of the property as being that previously stolen; and (5) the guilty constructive or actual knowledge of the defendant that the property received or concealed had been stolen."

People v Matuja, 77 Mich. App. 291, 295; 258 N.W.2d 79 (1977).

We find no overlapping elements between armed robbery and RCSP. Therefore, even assuming a common statutory purpose, we hold that RCSP was not a cognate lesser offense on which the trial court was required to instruct upon request.

The elements of UDAA are: 1) taking possession 2) of an automobile 3) and a willful 4) driving or taking away 5) without authority. See MCLA 750.413; MSA 28.645, People v Limon, 4 Mich. App. 440; 145 N.W.2d 287 (1966).

Some overlap between the elements of armed robbery and UDAA is apparent. Both require the trespassory (without authority) taking and asportation (driving away) of the property (automobile) of another. While UDAA does not require a specific intent to steal, the taking must be willful. In addition to the overlap of several elements, the offenses share a common statutory purpose: the deterrence and punishment of the theft of property. We hold that UDAA is a cognate offense of armed robbery.

A requested instruction on a cognate offense need be given only when the evidence adduced at trial would support a conviction of the lesser offense. People v Chamblis, 395 Mich. 408; 236 N.W.2d 473 (1975). In the case at bar, testimony at trial established that an employee of a Cadillac dealership was in an automobile. Two individuals approached the car. Defendant-appellant was identified as the one who got into the front seat; his companion entered the back seat. Defendant asked the employee to leave the car, stating that the back seat passenger had a gun. The employee saw a gun and exited the car. The back seat passenger also got out; the front seat passenger drove away. Three days later two occupants of the stolen car were arrested and identified defendant-appellant as the driver. This evidence would have supported a conviction of UDAA. Therefore, the trial court erred in refusing to instruct upon request on UDAA.

We also hold that the trial court was not required to instruct sua sponte on the inherent dangers of accomplice testimony where there was no evidence indicating that the two witnesses were accomplices.

See People v McCoy, 392 Mich. 231; 220 N.W.2d 456 (1974).

Defendant's conviction of larceny from a person is reversed. While ordinarily it would be improper for this Court to speculate on the verdict a jury would have returned had it been properly instructed on cognate offenses, on the particular facts of this case, the jury must have found defendant guilty of all elements of UDAA to convict him of larceny from a person. Cf. People v Jenkins, 395 Mich. 440; 236 N.W.2d 503 (1975). This case therefore is remanded for entry of a judgment of conviction of UDAA and resentencing. If, however, the prosecutor is persuaded that the ends of justice would be better served, upon notification to the trial court before resentencing, the trial court shall vacate the judgment of conviction and grant a new trial on the charge of larceny from a person.

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PEOPLE v. HARRIS
(Mar 21, 1978)