Harden v. State

521 S.E.2d 829, 239 Ga. App. 700, 99 Fulton County D. Rep. 3216, 1999 Ga. App. LEXIS 1114
Court of Appeals of Georgia·Decided August 24, 1999·No. A99A1340·Published·Cited by 15 cases

Opinion

Ruffin, Judge.

A jury found Odell Harden guilty of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act by selling cocaine. The trial court sentenced him to thirty years, with five years to serve and twenty-five years on probation. Harden appeals, asserting multiple errors. As Harden’s assertions lack merit, we affirm.

1. In his first enumeration of error, Harden challenges the sufficiency of the evidence. Following his criminal conviction, Harden no longer enjoys a presumption of innocence, and we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict. Reviere v. State, 231 Ga. App. 329, 333 (6) (498 SE2d 332) (1998). In so doing, we neither weigh the evidence nor determine witness credibility, but merely determine whether the evidence was sufficient under the standard of Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U. S. 307 (99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560) (1979). Reviere, supra.

Viewed in a light most favorable to the jury’s verdict, the evidence shows that on October 23, 1996, Police Officer Don Chapman was working as an undercover officer in an area known for drug sales. While driving a truck slowly through the neighborhood, Chapman made eye contact with a pedestrian, Carolyn Rowe. According to Chapman, he had a hunch that Rowe was a “bladerunner” — a person with a drug habit who facilitates drug sales for dealers in exchange for drugs.

Chapman stopped his truck, and Rowe approached him. Chapman told Rowe that he was looking for a “forty,” which, in street terms, means $40 worth of cocaine. Rowe directed Chapman to another location where he could obtain the drugs.

After Chapman drove to the location specified by Rowe, Rowe arrived on foot. Rowe indicated that she would return shortly, and she walked toward a house. Approximately five minutes later, Rowe returned to the truck with Harden. Rowe handed Chapman crack cocaine. Harden then said “Let me — let me hold it. . . . Let me hold the money. Come on man.” Chapman handed the money to Rowe, who was standing closer to him. As Rowe and Harden walked away, the two were arrested.

This evidence was sufficient to support the jury’s determination that Harden participated in the sale of cocaine to Chapman. Rowe told Chapman that she would have to get the crack cocaine else *701 where. When Rowe returned with the crack cocaine, she was accompanied by Harden, which supports an inference that Harden supplied the drugs. After Rowe, gave Chapman the cocaine, Harden demanded the money. Even if Harden was not treated as the actual seller, the jury was authorized under these circumstances to find Harden guilty of being a party to the sale of cocaine. See Clay v. State, 232 Ga. App. 541-542 (1) (502 SE2d 267) (1998).

At trial, Harden testified that he had loaned Rowe $10 and that he went with her to Chapman’s truck to get the money he was owed. He denied participating in the drug deal and claimed that he never saw Rowe hand Chapman the drugs. Although Harden denied any participation, “the credibility of witnesses and the resolution of such conflicts are for the jury.” (Punctuation omitted.) Al-Beti v. State, 210 Ga. App. 312 (1) (436 SE2d 50) (1993). The jury clearly found Harden’s testimony incredible, and we will not disturb this finding on appeal.

2. Harden contends that, during the sentencing phase, the trial court erred in admitting a copy of his prior conviction for armed robbery absent a showing that he had voluntarily pled guilty. Thus, Harden maintains that the prior conviction should not have been considered as a basis for enhanced sentencing under OCGA § 17-10-7. “However, [Harden] failed to object to the use of [this] conviction! ] in the sentencing portion of the trial. As a result, we cannot review this alleged error on appeal.” McKay v. State, 234 Ga. App. 556, 560 (3) (507 SE2d 484) (1998).

3. Harden asserts that the trial court erred in sentencing him to the maximum penalty prescribed in OCGA § 16-13-30 based upon the sentencing mandate contained in OCGA § 17-10-7. Under OCGA § 16-13-30 (d), a person may be “punished by imprisonment for not less than five years nor more than 30 years” for a first conviction of selling cocaine. OCGA § 17-10-7 (a) provides, in pertinent part, that

any person convicted of a felony offense in this state . . . , who shall afterwards commit a felony punishable by confinement in a penal institution, shall be sentenced to undergo the longest period of time prescribed for the punishment of the subsequent offense of which he or she stands convicted, provided that, unless otherwise provided by law, the trial judge may, in his or her discretion, probate or suspend the maximum sentence prescribed for the offense.

According to Harden, the lack of discretion in OCGA § 17-10-7 (a) “emasculates” the discretion contained in OCGA § 16-13-30 (d), thus creating a conflict. Harden argues that OCGA § 17-10-7 (a) should not apply to OCGA § 16-13-30 absent express instruction from the *702 legislature. This argument has no merit.

Initially, we see no conflict between OCGA § 16-13-30 (d) and OCGA § 17-10-7 (a). “OCGA § 17-10-7 provide[s] for enhanced sentencing of repeat offenders where no other sentencing provision con-trolfs].” Mikell v..State, 270 Ga. 467, 468 (510 SE2d 523) (1999). In Mikell, the Supreme Court noted that OCGA § 16-13-32.5 (c) (2) provides specific sentencing provisions for repeat convictions under OCGA § 16-13-32.5 (b). Id. at 467-468. Here, however, OCGA § 17-10-7 is the only recidivist provision that governs the situation where a defendant, who has a prior felony conviction for armed robbery, is subsequently convicted of a felony for selling cocaine.

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Harden v. State, 521 S.E.2d 829, 239 Ga. App. 700, 99 Fulton County D. Rep. 3216, 1999 Ga. App. LEXIS 1114 (Ga. Ct. App. 1999).

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