DocketNumber: No. 07CA3142.
Citation Numbers: 2008 Ohio 1007
Judges: KLINE, J.:
Filed Date: 3/4/2008
Status: Non-Precedential
Modified Date: 4/18/2021
{¶ 2} Accordingly, we affirm, in part, and vacate, in part, the judgment of the trial court. We vacate Huckleberry's two sentences involving the possession of drugs and trafficking in drugs and further vacate the part of these two convictions involving the degree of each of the two offenses. We remand this cause to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
{¶ 5} On the same day, Steven Timberlake and Todd Bryant, narcotics investigators with the Portsmouth Police Department, obtained a search warrant for the crack house. Timberlake, Bryant, and officers from the Columbus Drug and Gang Unit went to the crack house to execute the search warrant.
{¶ 6} Knowing that the front entrance of the crack house was blocked by a piece of furniture, the officers knocked on the kitchen door and identified themselves as police officers. When nobody responded to the knock within a reasonable time, the officers used force to enter.
{¶ 7} Timberlake found Peck and Froe in one of the bedrooms. Bryant found Huckleberry in the living room sitting on a chair rolling a marijuana joint. Upon seeing Bryant, Huckleberry threw a bag of marijuana that he had sitting in front of him across the room. Bryant then restrained Huckleberry and found $870 of cash on his person, mostly in twenty-dollar bills.
{¶ 8} A search of the entire apartment revealed a number of crack pipes, chore boy, and marijuana. The officers found individually packaged rocks of crack cocaine on Peck and found crack cocaine on Froe. The officers also discovered cocaine residue on a mirror near where Huckleberry was rolling a marijuana "blunt." *Page 4
{¶ 9} The officers arrested Huckleberry, Peck and Froe. Peck informed Timberlake that Sanyll Brigner was holding crack cocaine for Huckleberry at an apartment on Robinson Avenue in Farley Square.
{¶ 10} Timberlake went to the residence on Robinson Avenue and spoke with Brigner and her mother. Timberlake requested consent to search the home, and the mother consented. In addition, Timberlake asked Brigner to tell him where the drugs were located before the search began. He informed Brigner that a K-9 unit had been contacted and would assist in the search. Brigner's mother told her daughter to give the drugs to Timberlake if she knew where they were.
{¶ 11} Brigner started crying; walked to a closet; pulled out a shirt; and handed it to Timberlake, telling him that the drugs were in the pocket. Upon looking in the shirt pocket, Timberlake discovered a baggy containing a substance that appeared to be crack cocaine. Later, BCI analysis confirmed that it was 27.02 grams of crack cocaine.
{¶ 12} Timberlake arrested and interrogated Brigner. She told him that Huckleberry gave her the crack cocaine the day before and told her to hold the drugs for him until he came back for them later. She further told him that she actually saw Huckleberry sell crack cocaine on two occasions during their brief relationship.
{¶ 13} The state charged Brigner with possession of drugs. She made a deal with prosecutors and agreed to testify against Huckleberry. She pled guilty to a felony of the fourth degree and received five years of probation. Froe also agreed to testify against Huckleberry in exchange for leniency in sentencing. *Page 5
{¶ 16} Huckleberry appeals the possession of drugs and trafficking in drugs convictions and sentences (he does not appeal the tampering with evidence conviction and sentence) and asserts the following four assignments of error: I. "THE TRIAL COURT VIOLATED JERAMY HUCKLEBERRY'S RIGHTS TO DUE PROCESS AND A FAIR TRIAL WHEN IT ENTERED A JUDGMENT OF CONVICTION FOR POSSESSION AND TRAFFICKING IN CRACK COCAINE AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE. II. "THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PLAIN ERROR BY CONVICTING JERAMY HUCKLEBERRY OF TWO FIRST-DEGREE FELONIES, WHEN THE VERDICT FORMS WERE SUFFICIENT ONLY TO SUPPORT CONVICTIONS FOR A *Page 6
THIRD-DEGREE MISDEMEANOR AND A FIFTH-DEGREE FELONY, RESPECTIVELY." III. "THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PLAIN ERROR WHEN IT SENTENCED JERAMY HUCKLEBERRY FOR TWO ALLIED OFFENSES OF SIMILAR IMPORT, IN VIOLATION OF R.C. 2941 25(A) AND (B), WHICH REQUIRE THAT SUCH CHARGES MUST BE MERGED." And IV "TRIAL COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE, IN VIOLATION OF THE
{¶ 18} Huckleberry failed to object to the verdict forms in the trial court. However, a defendant's failure to "raise the inadequacy of the verdict form" does not forfeit this argument on appeal. State v.Pelfrey,
{¶ 19} Here, the wording in issue on the verdict forms provided as follows: Form One: "We the jury, being duly impaneled, hereby find the defendant guilty of Count 1, Possession of Drugs." Form Two: "We the jury, being duly impaneled, hereby find the defendant guilty ofCount 2, Trafficking in Drugs." *Page 7
{¶ 20} Huckleberry maintains that this wording does not meet the requirements for felonies of the first degree. In support, he cites R.C.
{¶ 21} R.C.
{¶ 22} Here, a misdemeanor of the third degree is the least degree of a possession of drugs conviction. See R.C.
{¶ 23} In Pelfrey, the Supreme Court of Ohio interpreted R.C.
{¶ 24} Here, the two verdict forms failed to specify the statutory section of the offense or specifically set forth the degree of the crime charged. In addition, the verdict forms contained nothing regarding any aggravating element, i.e., that the substance was either crack cocaine or that it exceeded a certain weight. While the state presented evidence that the drug involved was crack cocaine, the jury *Page 8 made no specific finding in that regard. Further, although the state presented evidence that the amount of crack cocaine involved exceeded twenty-five grams, the jury made no specific finding in that regard. Therefore, the possession of drugs verdict supports a misdemeanor of the third degree conviction, and the trafficking in drugs supports a felony of the fifth degree conviction. Consequently, the trial court erred when it found Huckleberry guilty of two felonies of the first degree.
{¶ 25} Accordingly, we sustain Huckleberry's second assignment of error; vacate his two sentences and the part of his convictions for possession and trafficking involving the degree of each of the two offenses; and remand this cause to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.1
{¶ 27} We have already addressed this issue in State v. McGhee, Lawrence App. No. 04CA15,
{¶ 28} Accordingly, we overrule Huckleberry's third assignment of error.
{¶ 30} In determining whether a criminal conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence, we must review the entire record, weigh the evidence and all reasonable inferences, consider the credibility of the witnesses, and determine whether, in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the trier of fact clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed and a new trial granted. State v. Garrow (1995),
{¶ 31} The trier of fact is free to believe or disbelieve a witness's testimony in whole or in part. State v. Wagner (Feb. 29, 2000), Pickaway App. No. 99CA23, citing Swanson v. Swanson (1976),
{¶ 33} R.C.
{¶ 34} "Constructive possession exists when an individual knowingly exercises dominion and control over an object, even though that object may not be within the individual's immediate physical possession." Id., citing State v. Hankerson (1982),
{¶ 35} Here, Huckleberry did not have actual possession of the crack cocaine on the date in question. Instead, the drugs were in the possession of Brigner who testified that Huckleberry gave her the drugs the day before to hold for him. Brigner then took the drugs into her apartment and concealed them inside a shirt pocket in a closet.
{¶ 36} There was no evidence that Huckleberry had access to Brigner's apartment or that Huckleberry even knew where Brigner concealed the drugs in the apartment. However, it is not unreasonable for the jury to conclude that Huckleberry was conscious of the existence of the drugs and that he had dominion or control over them when they were concealed in the shirt pocket. Because Brigner was merely holding the drugs for Huckleberry, it is not unreasonable to infer that Huckleberry could take back actual possession of the drugs whenever he came calling upon Brigner. Thus, based on this evidence, the jury could conclude that Huckleberry could exercise dominion or control over the drugs, and thus, was in constructive possession of the drugs.
{¶ 37} In addition, the jury, as the trier of fact, was free to believe or disbelieve Brigner's testimony in whole or in part. *Page 12
{¶ 38} Therefore, we cannot say, in resolving conflicts in the evidence, that the jury clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the possession of drugs conviction must be reversed and a new trial granted.
{¶ 40} R.C.
{¶ 41} Here, the evidence supports a finding that Huckleberry knowingly transported crack cocaine to his girlfriend, when he knew that he intended to sell the crack cocaine in the future. Brigner testified about Huckleberry transporting the large "rock" of crack cocaine (27 grams), which was inside a plastic baggie, to her. He told her to hold it for him, and that he would come back to retrieve it from her.
{¶ 42} In addition, Brigner further testified that she actually saw Huckleberry sell crack cocaine to others on two different occasions. Officer Bryant testified that the officers found $870 in cash, mostly twenty-dollar bills, on Huckleberry. Officers Timberlake and Bryant testified and explained that drug dealers break a large crack "rock" into smaller rocks with each smaller rock having a street value *Page 13 of twenty dollars. The smaller twenty-dollar "rocks" are then placed into the corner of a sandwich baggy and the baggy is then twisted at the corner where the "rock" is stored and then tied. Any excess portion of the sandwich baggy is then ripped off. Officer Timberlake testified that he found a number of these ripped sandwich bags at the Fifth Street crack house. He also testified that a twenty-dollar "rock" of crack cocaine is considered a personal use amount while a large "rock" of 27-28 grams "is usually considered to be for resale." Therefore, based on this evidence, the jury could reasonably infer that Huckleberry intended to sell the crack cocaine that he transported to his girlfriend for safekeeping.
{¶ 43} Again, Huckleberry maintains that the jury should not have believed Brigner's testimony. However, as we stated earlier, the jury, as the trier of fact, is free to believe or disbelieve a witness's testimony in whole or in part.
{¶ 44} Therefore, we cannot say, in resolving conflicts in the evidence, that the jury clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction of trafficking in drugs must be reversed and a new trial granted.
{¶ 46} Accordingly, we overrule Huckleberry's first assignment of error.
{¶ 48} The United States Supreme Court holds that "the
{¶ 49} In showing his attorney's ineffectiveness, Huckleberry must show two things: (1) "that counsel's performance was deficient[,]" which "requires showing that counsel made errors so serious that counsel was not functioning as the `counsel' guaranteed the defendant by the
{¶ 50} Here, based on our resolution of Huckleberry's second and third assignments of error, Huckleberry cannot show that he was prejudiced. That is, his counsel's failure to object to the inadequacy of the jury verdict forms did not forfeit the argument for appeal. Pelfrey at ¶ 14. In addition, we found that possession of drugs and trafficking in drugs are not allied offenses of similar import.
{¶ 51} Accordingly, we overrule Huckleberry's fourth assignment of error.
{¶ 53} Accordingly, we affirm, in part, and vacate, in part, the judgment of the trial court. We vacate Huckleberry's two sentences involving the possession of drugs and trafficking in drugs and further vacate the part of these two convictions involving the degree of each of the two offenses. We remand this cause to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
*Page 16JUDGMENT AFFIRMED, IN PART; VACATED, IN PART; AND CAUSE REMANDED.
The Court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this Court directing the Scioto County Common Pleas Court to carry this judgment into execution.
If a stay of execution of sentence and release upon bail has been previously granted by the trial court or this court, it is continued for a period of sixty days upon the bail previously posted. The purpose of said stay is to allow appellant to file with the Ohio Supreme Court an application for a stay during the pendency of proceedings in that court. The stay as herein continued will terminate in any event at the expiration of the sixty day period.
The stay shall terminate earlier if the appellant fails to file a notice of appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court in the forty-five day appeal period pursuant to Rule II, Sec.2 of the Rules of Practice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Additionally, if the Ohio Supreme Court dismisses the appeal prior to expiration of said sixty days, the stay will terminate as of the date of such dismissal.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 for the Rules of Appellate Procedure. Exceptions.
Abele, P.J. and McFarland, J.: Concur in Judgment and Opinion.