Huff v. State

443 N.E.2d 1234, 1983 Ind. App. LEXIS 2507
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 11, 1983
Docket1-1082A289
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 443 N.E.2d 1234 (Huff v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Huff v. State, 443 N.E.2d 1234, 1983 Ind. App. LEXIS 2507 (Ind. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

*1236 NEAL, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Defendant-appellant James Huff was charged jointly in the Vanderburgh Superi- or Court with Dennis Schnell and Jerald Breeze as follows: Count I, dealing in cocaine, more than three grams, under Ind. Code 35-48 — 4-1(1); Count II, dealing in a Schedule II controlled substance, methaqua-lone, under Ind.Code 35-48-4-2(1); and Count III, conspiracy to deliver cocaine in an amount over three grams, under Ind. Code 35 — 41-5-2 and Ind.Code 35^8-4-1(1). In a separate trial, Huff was convicted by a jury and sentenced as follows: In Count I he was convicted of the lesser included offense of sale or possession of a legend drug, cocaine, a Class C felony, and received a two year suspended sentence. In Count II he was convicted of the lesser included offense of possession of a legend drug, metha-qualone, a Class D felony, and received a two year suspended sentence; and in Count III he was found guilty as charged upon which the trial court first imposed a sentence of 20 years, and later suspended 14 years, leaving six years to serve under Count III. From these sentences, Huff appeals. 1

We affirm.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

The Evansville Police Department and the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs office solicited and received assistance from the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration in a drug investigation in the Evansville area during the fall and early winter of 1979. Special agents Herman Hogue and Michael L. Jackson were given this assignment, and, in conjunction with local authorities, they entered upon an investigation which culminated in the arrest and conviction of Huff. Posing as a gambler in high stakes poker with a lot of money to spend, Hogue, through a series of users and informants, made contact with Huff for the purpose of purchasing controlled substances from him. After preliminary contacts Ho-gue phoned Huff on October 30, 1979, and offered to buy cocaine. Hogue recorded the telephone conversation as well as numerous other calls which he subsequently made. The phone recordings, Hogue’s testimony and Huff’s own admissions at trial established that Huff knew the street and wholesale value of cocaine and methaqualone (quaaludes) and represented that he knew quality. He sold cocaine to other undercover officers and he sold to users numerous times. He got his supply from Schnell and got into the business because Schnell said “... there is some money to be made in it.” Through Schnell, Huff made contacts in Florida for a source, of cocaine, and he helped organize agent Hogue’s purchase of a larger amount of cocaine. Huff had a supply of cocaine available when Hogue first called him, and, without any encouragement, he offered to sell him an ounce. Clandestine meetings were arranged, and tests were discussed. Other possible future transactions in drugs were also discussed between Hogue and Huff. The two met on November 1, 1979, in a restaurant parking lot in Huff’s car, where Huff delivered an ounce of cocaine in a rice box. Hogue counted out $2,000, the amount which Huff had priced to him, and Huff put it with $6,000 that he had on his person. Hogue took the cocaine, and, upon parting, Huff told him to call when he was ready for more.

On November 15, Hogue purchased another ounce from Huff for $2,000, a price set by Huff, under similar clandestine circumstances as the November 1st sale. Huff volunteered that he had some quaa-ludes which Hogue could buy for $230 per thousand, and the price would be lower if he bought several thousand. Huff also of *1237 fered to sell him “acid” (LSD) and 25 pounds of “weed” (marijuana) at a good price, which Hogue declined, but said he would be interested in one-fourth pound of cocaine and “make two or three ounces more.” Hogue explained that he had asked for that large a quantity to see how much Huff could handle and perhaps get around him to his suppliers.

Prior to December 12,1979, Hogue was in contact with Huff a number of times in arranging the purchase of the one-fourth pound of cocaine and 5,000 quaaludes. Through Huff direct contact was established with Breeze and Sehnell. Much discussion ensued between Hogue and the three defendants concerning safe ways of consummating the transaction. Alternate ways were suggested and counter-suggested. Huff revealed that in the sale of that much cocaine it would have to come from contacts in Florida. As Breeze was apprehensive, many plans were suggested, made, and discarded for exchanging the cocaine and quaaludes and the $17,000 agreed price. Finally, Hogue and Jackson, by prearrangement, picked up Huff at the Great Scot store on the night of December 12. Huff directed them to drive to the Deaconess Hospital, where the “thing would go down.” Huff and Hogue went into the hospital, and Huff led him to Dennis Sehnell, and then returned to Jackson in the car. Sehnell led Hogue to an upper floor waiting room to Breeze who set a gym bag on the floor. Sehnell and Hogue picked it up, took it to the restroom, examined it, found the contraband, and returned to Breeze. Hogue told Breeze and Sehnell he had to go to the car to get the money, which precipitated a quarrel with Breeze. Thereupon Hogue arrested Breeze, and Sehnell fled but was arrested the next day. Huff was arrested by other officers in the car. The gym bag contained 5,000 quaaludes and four ounces of cocaine.

ISSUES

Huff presents the following issues:

I.That he was the victim of entrapment;
II.The verdicts were inconsistent;
III. The trial court committed error in failing to sentence Huff to two years on Count III;
IV. The trial court committed error in granting State’s motion to blank out portions of Huff’s exhibits 1 through 7;
V.The trial court committed error in failing to grant a new trial upon newly discovered evidence and misconduct of counsel; and
VI.The trial court committed reversible error in permitting the introduction of certain evidence.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

Issue I. Entrapment

Entrapment became an issue in the case when agent Hogue participated in the purchase of the controlled substances. A burden then devolved upon the State to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the necessary predisposition on the part of Huff to commit the unlawful act, as predisposition is related to one of the elements, subjective intent. Silva v. State, (1980) Ind.App., 410 N.E.2d 1342. Such a determination is within the exclusive province of the jury. Davila v. State, (1977) 172 Ind.App. 425, 360 N.E.2d 283. We will neither weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of the witnesses. Rather we look to the evidence most favorable to the State, together with all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom. If there is evidence of probative value to support the decision of the trier of fact, the conviction will not be disturbed. Silva, supra.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Polk v. State
683 N.E.2d 567 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1997)
Salone v. State
652 N.E.2d 552 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1995)
Sharp v. State
569 N.E.2d 962 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
Holt v. State
561 N.E.2d 830 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)
Lopez v. State
527 N.E.2d 1119 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1988)
Hossman v. State
482 N.E.2d 1150 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1985)
Carman v. State
473 N.E.2d 618 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1985)
Smith v. State
465 N.E.2d 1105 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1984)
Joy v. State
460 N.E.2d 551 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
443 N.E.2d 1234, 1983 Ind. App. LEXIS 2507, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/huff-v-state-indctapp-1983.