Cooper v. StateCooper v. State
- Reporters:
- Before:
- Clopton
Thеre is no error in the chаrge given by the court, nor in the refusals to charge as requested by the defendаnt. The burglary was committed on Saturday night, and the defendаnt was arrested on the following Tuesday, at which time sоme of the articles stolen were found in his possеssion. His attempted flight, upon being informed of the offеnse of which he was aсcused by the person whо was endeavoring to аrrest him, and his recent possession of some of thе stolen articles, werе facts sufficient to authоrize the inference that he was guilty of the burglary with which hе was charged. Though the court might have declared, as *137matter of law, that the possession was recent, its recency was submitted to tbe jury. Without charging upon tbe effect of the еvidence, tbe court instructed the jury, if tbe defendant, rеcently after tbe cоmmission of the.burglary, was found in tbe possession of a part of tbe goods stolеn, this would cast on him tbe burden of explaining bis possession. Tbe settled rule in this State is, tbat tbe possession of gоods, recently after а larceny or burglary, which were stolen in tbe commission of tbe offense, imposes on the possessor tbe onus of explaining bis possession, if be would repel tbe inference of сomplicity in tbe crime. Defendant offered no explanation whatever. Tbe sufficiency of tbe evidence to satisfy tbe jury of defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt was submitted to them. The charge did not invade their province.—Neal v. State, 53 Ala. 465; Ross v. State, 82 Ala. 65; Dodson v. State, 86 Ala. 60.
Affirmed.