State v. Barker, 10678

Decision Date02 October 1978
Docket NumberNo. 10678,10678
Citation572 S.W.2d 185
PartiesSTATE of Missouri, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Ronald Dean BARKER, Defendant-Appellant.
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals

John D. Ashcroft, Atty. Gen., Daniel F. Lyman, Asst. Atty. Gen., Jefferson City, for plaintiff-respondent.

Richard D. Bender, Springfield, for defendant-appellant.

BILLINGS, Chief Judge.

Defendant Ronald Dean Barker was convicted of burglary and stealing and in this appeal questions the sufficiency of the evidence to support the convictions and avers the failure of the state to timely comply with discovery rules tainted his trial. We affirm.

The B. F. Goodrich tire store in Springfield, Missouri, was burglarized at night and 38 new tires stolen. The break-in and theft were discovered by employees the morning of January 21, 1977. Tracks from a vehicle equipped with four mud and snow tires were observed near the freight door of the tire warehouse.

Defendant and Donnie Vinyard went to Richard Trotter's house in Springfield about noon January 22. They wanted Trotter's help in disposing of tires they and Frostie Duncan had stolen from B. F. Goodrich. Trotter accompanied the two men to Lebanon and found a prospective buyer for some of the tires. When the trio returned to Springfield, Trotter contacted police officers who advised him to stall the moving of the tires. The next morning, January 23, defendant and Vinyard came by Trotter's house to discuss transporting the tires to Lebanon. Before meeting defendant and Vinyard at the latter's mother's house, Trotter notified police. The tires were in a garage and defendant, Vinyard and Trotter loaded 13 of them into a pickup truck which was equipped with four mud and snow tires. Officers stopped the truck as it was en route to Lebanon and arrested Vinyard, the driver, and Barker. 1

The evidence was sufficient. Possession of recently stolen goods will support an inference of guilt and this may be a joint possession of a defendant and another. State v. Webb, 432 S.W.2d 218 (Mo.1968). Additionally, the conversations with Trotter provide independent evidence of defendant's participation in the crimes. If defendant made the statements that "they" had stolen the tires this would constitute an admission of criminal participation by the defendant. If we assume that Vinyard made the statements, then defendant by his silence under the circumstances adopted and assented to Vinyard's statement and this would constitute an implied admission against the defendant. State v. Thomas, 440 S.W.2d 467 (Mo.1969). Defendant and Vinyard were together when they went to Trotter's house on both occasions and both accompanied him to Lebanon to find a buyer for the purloined tires. Defendant's admissions, actual or implied, coupled with his participation in finding a buyer for the tires, loading the tires into the truck, and assisting in transporting the stolen merchandise, along with joint possession at time of arrest, demonstrates sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdicts.

Defendant's complaint that the trial court erred in permitting the state to endorse three witnesses the morning of the trial is without merit. True, defendant had filed a request for disclosure of witnesses to be used by the state at trial pursuant to Rule 25.32, V.A.M.R. And, under Rule 25.37, V.A.M.R., the state had a continuing duty to disclose the names of witnesses it intended to call as witnesses. But this does not mean, as defendant suggests, that he was prejudiced by the court's permitting the late endorsement of the three witnesses. 2

When defendant objected to the endorsement of the three witnesses, the trial judge leaned over backwards to accommodate the defendant. He granted the defendant's counsel time to talk to each of the witnesses and repeatedly offered defendant a continuance. The defendant rejected the offers of a continuance and objected to the State's request for a continuance for the purpose of providing defendant with ample time in which to interview the...

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9 cases
  • State v. Smothers, 61299.
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Missouri
    • 15 Octubre 1980
    ...584 S.W.2d 420 (Mo.App.1979); State v. Bebee, 577 S.W.2d 658 (Mo.App.1979); State v. Davis, 572 S.W.2d 243 (Mo.App.1978); State v. Barker, 572 S.W.2d 185 (Mo.App.1978); State v. Flenoid, 572 S.W.2d 179 (Mo.App. 1978); State v. Washington, 570 S.W.2d 838 (Mo.App.1978); State v. Friend, 570 S......
  • State v. Martin
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Missouri (US)
    • 26 Abril 1983
    ...trial court and it too was not preserved for appellate review. State v. Franco, 544 S.W.2d 533, 537 (Mo. banc 1976); State v. Barker, 572 S.W.2d 185, 187 (Mo.App.1978). Under Rule 30.20 this court, exercising its discretion, will review defendant's second point to determine whether the admi......
  • State v. Lockett, WD
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Missouri (US)
    • 20 Julio 1982
    ...of recently stolen property will support an inference of guilt. State v. Webb, 432 S.W.2d 218, 222 (Mo.1968); State v. Barker, 572 S.W.2d 185, 187 (Mo.App.1978); and State v. Powell, 542 S.W.2d 588, 590 (Mo.App.1976). When coupled with other evidence connecting an accused with an offense, j......
  • State v. Cameron, 40971.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Missouri (US)
    • 15 Octubre 1980
    ...v. Jordan, 532 S.W.2d 776, 780 (Mo.App.1975). The mere fact of late endorsement does not in itself show prejudice. See State v. Barker, 572 S.W.2d 185, 187 (Mo.App.1978). Moreover, the trial court has equally broad discretion to control the order of proof at trial, and, unless prejudice is ......
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