Fulton v. Commonwealth

849 S.W.2d 553, 1992 Ky. App. LEXIS 203, 1992 WL 246138
Court of Appeals of Kentucky·Decided October 2, 1992·No. Nos. 91-CA-907-MR, 91-CA-908-MR·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

HOWERTON, Judge.

Rebecca R. Fulton and her husband, Charles Anthony Fulton, each appeal from a conviction in the Mason Circuit Court for promoting contraband in the first degree by complicity. Each was given a sentence of five years. Their appeals present the same issues, and their cases have been consolidated for our review. We will refer to Rebecca as Becky and to Charles Anthony as Tony, or to both as the Fultons.

The facts are generally undisputed. Tony had been incarcerated at the Mason County Detention Center, along with two co-defendants, Ron Allen Reed and William Ray “Billy” Highfield. These three, along with Becky and Angel Reed, conspired to smuggle drugs into the Detention Center. The final arrangement was to have Billy Highfield’s grandmother, Dorothy Both-man, bring clothes and cassette tapes to the facility. On June 14, 1990, Ms. Both-man did as requested and brought the clothing and cassette tapes to the jail.

Upon arrival, Ms. Bothman was escorted to the “booking area” and instructed by a guard to “put the clothes over on the chair.” She did so and then left. The deputy jailers proceeded to check the clothing and inspect the tapes. Hidden in the tapes were seven Percodan tablets and one marijuana joint. The indictment against Becky and Tony read as follows:

The Grand Jury Charges:

That on or about the 14th day of June, 1990, in Mason County, Kentucky, the above named defendants committed the offense of Promoting Contraband in the First Degree by conspiring to cause Dorothy Bothman to introduce dangerous contraband into the Mason County Jail, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

On appeal, Becky and Tony present three primary allegations for reversal. They argue that the indictment did not charge them with a felony, claiming that conspiracy to commit a Class D felony is a Class A misdemeanor. They further argue that the Commonwealth failed to prove that illegal contraband was actually brought into a “detention facility” in violation of any statute. Finally, they argue that the court erred in failing to grant a directed verdict [555] of acquittal on any felony charge. We find no reversible error and affirm.

While it is true that mere criminal conspiracy to commit a Class C or D felony constitutes a Class A misdemeanor (KRS 506.040), when the actual crime is committed, the co-conspirators are guilty of the committed offense by complicity. KRS 502.020 is entitled “Liability for conduct of another — Complicity.” It reads in pertinent part as follows:

(1) A person is guilty of an offense committed by another person when, with the intention of promoting ... the commission of the offense, he:
(a) Solicits, commands, or engages in a conspiracy with such other person to commit the offense; or
(b) Aids, counsels, or attempts to aid such person in planning or committing the offense
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If the offense of promoting contraband in the first degree was committed by another person, Becky and Tony Fulton could properly be convicted of committing the same offense by complicity. That was the precise charge for which the jury found each to be guilty.

Becky and Tony each argue that the indictment was insufficient. The Commonwealth claims that this issue was not preserved for review on appeal since it was not raised before the trial court. The Ful-tons, however, contend that they are claiming the offense charged was, at best, a misdemeanor and therefore the circuit court did not have jurisdiction to even try the case. KRS 24A.110. They should therefore be entitled to challenge the validity of the indictment on jurisdictional grounds which may be raised at any time. Although we determine that the indictment did charge the parties with a felony, we will nevertheless briefly consider the sufficiency of the indictment.

RCr 6.10(2) provides that an indictment “shall contain, and shall be sufficient if it contains, a plain, concise and definite statement of the essential facts constituting the specific offense with which the defendant is charged.” Wylie v. Commonwealth, Ky., 556 S.W.2d 1, 2 (1977) held, “[a]n indictment under this section is sufficient if it informs the accused of the specific offense with which he is charged and does not mislead him.” The case of Howard v. Commonwealth, Ky., 554 S.W.2d 375, 377 (1977), also provided that, “[ujnder our Rules of Criminal Procedure, which embrace the principle of notice pleading, an indictment is sufficient if it fairly informs the defendant of the nature of the crime with which he is charged, without detailing the 'essential factual elements.'”

We can only conclude that the indictment was sufficient to charge the felony offense of promoting contraband in the first degree. It indicated that it was accomplished by conspiring to cause Ms. Bothman to introduce dangerous contraband into the Mason County Jail. If in fact the offense was completed, this would indeed amount to promoting contraband in the first degree by complicity. The “essential facts” necessary to constitute the offense of promoting contraband in the first degree are found in KRS 520.050, which reads as follows:

(1) A person is guilty of promoting contraband in' the first degree when:
(a) He knowingly introduces dangerous contraband into a detention facility or a 'penitentiary;
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(2) Promoting contraband in the first degree is a Class D felony. (Emphasis added.)

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Fulton v. Commonwealth, 849 S.W.2d 553, 1992 Ky. App. LEXIS 203, 1992 WL 246138 (Ky. Ct. App. 1992).

849 S.W.2d 553 (Fulton v. Commonwealth) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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