California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Darneal, C053245 (Cal. App. 8/15/2007), C053245 (Cal. App. 2007):
Thus the "record as a whole" (People v. Carpenter, supra, 15 Cal.4th at p. 387) shows that defendant possessed a large number of items in their original packages at the same time that he possessed similar items that he personally stole from Walgreens. Defendant had no credit cards, change, or receipts, and reasonable jurors could find that his explanation for his possession of the items was not credible. On this record, the jury could deduce that the disputed items came from Rite Aid and that they were stolen. Defendant's conviction is supported by substantial evidence.
Defendant contends his upper term sentence must be vacated and the case remanded for a new sentencing hearing in light of Cunningham v. California, supra, 549 U.S. ___ [166 L.Ed.2d 856].
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.