People v. Codding

Defendant was found guilty of felony theft 1 in a trial to the court. He was accused of shoplifting two saws and a drill set from a large department store. A store detective testified that she apprehended the defendant with the merchandise after she observed him walk out of the store without paying for them.

Defendant now asserts on appeal that the evidence was insufficient to prove that the value of the stolen goods was over $100, a necessary element of the crime of felony theft, and therefore that his conviction on that charge should be reversed. We agree that the evidence was insufficient…