Albert Bell This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. BRIGGS v. COMMONWEALTH

   www.virginialaw.com/vacoa/2917 - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/30/2001   Last Visited: 7/16/2001

   Here , the Commonwealth presented evidence of the value of the goods through the testimony of Albert Bell , the security manager at the Hecht's store where the theft occurred. Bell , who had the stolen merchandise with him in court , testified to the value of the five items stolen based on the store's price tags affixed to those items. They ranged in price from $31.99 to $49.99 and totaled $212.95 in value. A photograph of the stolen goods was admitted into evidence in substitution for the items themselves so that they could be returned to the store.
   
   On cross-examination , Bell admitted that , if any of the items were on sale at the time of the theft , their values would have been less than the prices marked on the tags. The sale prices would have rung up on the register and would not have been reflected on the tags themselves. Bell , however , was not asked by the defense , and thus did not indicate , whether or not the stolen items were on sale when the theft occurred.
   ...
   Bell , the store's security manager , observed via closed-circuit television Battle and the accused interacting in the young men's department of the store. He saw Briggs take a red shirt off a rack and hand it to Battle.
   ...
   Bell further observed Briggs selecting or handling other items which Battle then placed in the Sears bag. Soon thereafter , Bell observed Battle and Briggs leave the store without paying for the merchandise.
   ...
   Briggs exited the store soon afterwards and was also detained by Bell.
   ...
   Between Bell's testimony and the videotape , there is ample evidence to support the reasonable inference by the trial court that all of the merchandise recovered by Bell from the Sears bag was stolen by both Battle and Briggs.