Bromley v. State

2007 WY 20, 150 P.3d 1202, 2007 Wyo. LEXIS 20, 2007 WL 268235
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 1, 2007
Docket05-229
StatusPublished
Cited by55 cases

This text of 2007 WY 20 (Bromley v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bromley v. State, 2007 WY 20, 150 P.3d 1202, 2007 Wyo. LEXIS 20, 2007 WL 268235 (Wyo. 2007).

Opinion

KITE, Justice.

[T1] Robert E. Bromley was convicted by a jury of three felonies involving methamphetamine: delivery in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 35-7-1081(a)(i) (LexisNexis 2005); possession with intent to deliver also in violation of § and possession in violation of § 85-7-1081(c)(ii). He appeals, claiming: 1) the district court erred in admitting uncharged misconduct evidence; 2) the district court gave the jury an erroneous limiting instruction concerning the uncharged misconduct evidence; 3) the State presented insufficient evidence to support conviction of possession with intent to deliver and possession; and, 4) the district court imposed an illegal sentence because the sentences for the latter two convictions should have merged. We find no error and affirm.

ISSUES

[12] Mr. Bromley presents the following issues for this Court's consideration:

ISSUE I
Did the trial court err in admitting uncharged misconduct evidence?
ISSUE II
Did the trial court give an erroneous limiting instruction to the jury regarding the uncharged misconduct evidence?
ISSUE III
Does sufficient evidence exist in the record to support appellant's convictions for counts 2 and 8?
ISSUE IV
Is appellant's sentence illegal because counts 2 and 3 should have merged for sentencing purposes?

The State re-phrases the issues presented as follows:

I. Did the district court abuse its discretion when it admitted the testimony of Ms. Huntley, Mr. DuFresne and Ms. Vigil?
II. Did the district court commit plain error or abuse its discretion when it gave the limiting instruction proffered by appellant?
TIL. Were appellant's convictions on counts II and III supported by sufficient evidence?
IV. Did the district court commit plain error when it failed to merge appellant's possession and possession with intent to deliver convictions for sentencing purposes?

FACTS

[13] In the early morning hours of June 10, 2004, a deputy from the Albany County Sheriff's Office responded to a call for help on Osprey Lane in Laramie, Wyoming. As the deputy approached the area, he observed someone waving a light along the road. He rolled down his window and heard a woman's voice sereaming for help. He approached the woman and she identified herself as Sadie Huntley. She appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance. The officer called for an ambulance to transport Ms. Huntley to Ivinson Memorial Hospital where she was treated for a possible overdose. At the hospital, blood tests were performed which showed methamphetamine in Ms. Huntley's system. Ms. Huntley told police she had purchased methamphetamine from Mr. Bromley the night before and smoked *1206 what she purchased at his residence that night and the following morning.

[14] The State filed a felony information alleging one count of delivery of a controlled substance against Mr. Bromley. The information alleged the facts concerning Ms. Huntley and also stated the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) had received reports from three other individuals that Mr. Bromley had been selling methamphetamine from his home on Osprey Lane. The State obtained an arrest warrant and arrested Mr. Bromley. After the arrest, the State obtained a warrant to search Mr. Bromley's residence. DCI agents found packaged bags of methamphetamine, U.S. currency, seales and other drug paraphernalia inside Mr. Bromley's residence. They also found bags containing methamphetamine and paraphernalia secreted in several locations in the yard outside his residence. On the basis of the evidence found in the search, the State filed an amended information alleging the additional counts of possession and possession with intent to deliver.

[T5] Prior to trial, defense counsel filed a motion to exclude evidence of prior bad acts. The defense sought an order prohibiting the admission of: 1) Ms. Huntley's testimony concerning her history of purchasing methamphetamine from and using the drug with Mr. Bromley; 2) Vince DuFresne's testimony concerning admissions Mr. Bromley made to him in jail after his arrest; 3) a baggie containing marijuana and Mr. Bromley's fingerprint; and 4) evidence of Mr. Bromley's prior convictions involving controlled substances. After a hearing, the district court denied the motion except with respect to Mr. Bromley's prior convictions. The district court concluded Ms. Huntley's and Mr. Du-Fresne's testimony and the baggie and fingerprint were admissible under W.R.E. 404(b) to show identity, lack of mistake, knowledge, and a pattern of conduct. The district court also concluded the probative value of the evidence outweighed the potential for unfair prejudice. Addressing Mr. Bromley's prior convictions, however, the district court concluded the risk was too great that the jury might convict Mr. Bromley on the current charges based on evidence that he was convicted of similar offenses in the past and ruled the evidence was not admissible.

[16] Several days after the 404(b) hearing, the State notified the defense it would be calling Belle Moree Vigil to testify that she helped Mr. Bromley put drug paraphernalia into bags and take them outside into the backyard the night before his arrest; Mr. Bromley kept methamphetamine in a black fanny pack he wore around his neck; and after Mr. Bromley's arrest, she and others found methamphetamine not discovered by law enforcement at his residence. Defense counsel did not move for exclusion of Ms. Vigil's testimony prior to trial, but objected to its admission during trial. The district court overruled the objection based upon the mistaken belief it had considered the testimony and ruled it admissible at the 404(b) hearing.

[17] -On March 25, 2005, after three days of trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict against Mr. Bromley on all three counts. Defense counsel stipulated to Mr. Bromley's prior controlled substance convictions for purposes of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 35-7-1088 (LexisNexis 2005), which allows imprisonment of a person convicted of a second or subsequent controlled substances offense for a term up to twice the term otherwise authorized. The district court sentenced Mr. Bromley to consecutive prison terms of thirty-five to forty years on the delivery and possession with intent to deliver convictions and another consecutive term of six to seven years for possession of methamphetamine.

DISCUSSION

1. Admission of Uncharged Misconduct Evidence

[T8] Mr. Bromley contends the district court erred in admitting evidence of uncharged misconduct. We review claims of error concerning the improper admission of W.R.E. 404(b) evidence for abuse of discretion and will not reverse the trial court's decision absent a clear abuse. Thomas v. State, 2006 WY 34, ¶ 10, 181 P.3d 348, 852 (Wyo.2006). A trial court abuses its discretion when it could not have reasonably con *1207

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Bluebook (online)
2007 WY 20, 150 P.3d 1202, 2007 Wyo. LEXIS 20, 2007 WL 268235, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bromley-v-state-wyo-2007.