Carter v. State

1974 OK CR 68, 521 P.2d 85
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 8, 1974
DocketF-73-284
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1974 OK CR 68 (Carter v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carter v. State, 1974 OK CR 68, 521 P.2d 85 (Okla. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION

BLISS, Presiding Judge:

The appellant, Mike Carter, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged, tried, and convicted in the District Court, Bryan County, Oklahoma, for the offense of Unlawful Delivery of Controlled Drug in Case No. CRF-72-121. His punishment was fixed at a term of three (3) years imprisonment in the state penitentiary. From said judgment and sentence a timely appeal has been perfected to this Court.

Briefly stated, the evidence adduced at trial reveals that the State’s first witness, William A. Lilley, a detective with the Durant Police Department, testified that on the evening of September 15, 1972, he, Ed Loffi, and Cary Thurman left the City of Durant and proceeded to Pappy’s Play Pen near Colbert, Oklahoma, in Bryan County. He and Loffi remained in their car while Thurman and a man called Tom went inside. They remained parked there from approximately 10:45 p. m. to shortly after midnight on the 16th. When they saw Thurman leave Pappy’s, they drove to a predetermined location where Thurman gave them some pink tablets which the witness identified as being State’s Exhibit No. l. Lilley also stated that Tom was a youth who assisted the officers on the evening in question and that he was procured through the Grayson County, Texas, sheriff’s office.

Edward Loffi, an agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, testified that on September 15, 1972, he was working with the Narcotics Division. During the evening he and Lilley in one car and Cary Thurman in another vehicle proceeded to Pappy’s Play Pen. Thurman entered Pappy’s at approximately 11:00 p. m. with another individual. When Thurman exited at approximately 1:00 a. m., the witness followed him to the prearranged location and Thurman gave him some pink pills. Loffi identified State’s Exhibit No. 1 as a plastic bag containing said pills and related that he transported the same to the Crime Bureau Laboratory in Oklahoma City. The witness also testified that they were assisted by a youth named Tom because he knew the club and the vicinity and was known by its patrons.

Cary Thurman testified that on the date in question he was working as an undercover narcotics agent and that he and a man named Tom went into Pappy’s Play Pen at approximately 11:00 p. m. Thurman sat at a table while Tom talked to the defendant for approximately fifteen minutes. Tom and the defendant came to the table and Thurman was advised by Tom that the defendant had five hundred (500) *87 “barbs” he wanted to sell. The defendant wanted $100.00 for the entire lot, but Thurman stated he only wanted two hundred fifty (250) pills. The defendant said, “Okay, but I’m going to have to leave and go pick it up.” The defendant then left and returned to the club approximately thirty or forty-five minutes later. Thurman stated that the trio then proceeded into the men’s room wherein the defendant handed Tom the bag full of pink pills and Tom handed the same to Thurman. Thurman then gave the defendant $60.00 and the defendant gave him $10.00 change. He identified State’s Exhibit No. 1 as being the bag of pills he purchased from the defendant and stated that he turned the bag over to agent Loffi in a field a short distance away from Pappy’s.

John McAuliff, Chief Chemist with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, identified State’s Exhibit No. 1 and the pink tablets therein as having been delivered to him for analysis by Loffi on September 18th, and that he analyzed the same. He related that one tablet was taken at random, analyzed and found it contained a barbituric acid derivative, a central nervous system depressant and a controlled dangerous substance.

After the State rested, the defendant testified in his own behalf. He stated that he was a resident of Denison, Texas, and denied selling anything to Cary Thurman on September 15, 1972, at Pappy’s Play Pen, denied handing a package of pills to a person named Tom, denied being present at Pappy’s on the 15th, and denied having anything to do with drugs. The defendant was subsequently recalled to the stand, and related that he was in fact at Pappy’s on the evening in question, but not when the transaction was alleged to have taken place.

The defendant then offered two character witnesses who testified that defendant had a good reputation in his community.

Defendant’s first proposition in error urges that the trial court erred in not granting a mistrial because of a statement made by a prospective juror during voir dire examination. The complained of comment arose as follows:

“BY THE COURT: Well, let me ask you this, then. Is there any reason known to you and unknown to those of us here why you would be unable to sit as a fair and impartial juror in this case?
“BY BOBBIE ALLMAN: Well, I believe if a man’s picked up and goes as far as trial, he’s guilty.
“BY THE COURT: You may be excused.”

The defendant argues that the statement made by Juror Allman was prejudicial and the trial court should have admonished the remainder of the prospective jurors to disregard the statement. However, the record reflects no request by the defendant for an admonishment. In McCormick v. State, Okl.Cr., 464 P.2d 942, this Court held as follows:

“It is noted that no evidence of any kind or at any time was offered in support of the defendant’s claim that this statement of the prospective juror was prejudicial to his right. It is fundamental that in passing on a Motion for Mistrial the finding of the trial court will not be disturbed in the absence of evidence that it abused its discretion. The defendant has the burden of proof to sustain any challenge of the jury panel and should make a proper showing by introducing evidence to sustain the challenge. Rooks v. State, Okl.Cr., 417 P.2d 939 (1966). Accordingly, we find this assignment of error to be without merit.”

In the instant case there is no showing of any prejudice to support the defendant’s claim, and defendant’s first proposition is without merit.

The defendant next contends that the trial court erred in refusing to grant defendant’s motion for mistrial due to certain attempts by the prosecuting attorney to show a change in defendant’s appearance from the night- of the incident. The *88 first complained of comment arises during the cross-examination of the defendant as follows:

“Q: And, Mr. Carter, how were you wearing your hair at the time this alleged transaction took place ?
“BY MR. DUDLEY: Just a minute, your Honor, we object to that as being incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial. Has no bearing on this case.
“BY MR. TUDOR: I think identification, you Honor, is very relevant.
“BY MR. DUDLEY: He’s already identified—
“BY THE COURT: (Interrupting) As to his own appearance?
“BY MR. TUDOR: Yes, sir.
“BY THE COURT: I’ll sustain the objection. Exception allowed.”

The next complained of comment arose during the direct examination of Cary Thurman on rebuttal as follows:

“Q: Very well.

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Collins v. State
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1974 OK CR 68, 521 P.2d 85, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carter-v-state-oklacrimapp-1974.