January v. State

720 S.W.2d 207, 1986 Tex. App. LEXIS 8970
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 6, 1986
DocketC14-84-00539-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 720 S.W.2d 207 (January v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
January v. State, 720 S.W.2d 207, 1986 Tex. App. LEXIS 8970 (Tex. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

OPINION

JUNELL, Justice.

Clayton January appeals a conviction for aggravated manufacture of a controlled substance. The court sentenced appellant to thirty-five years imprisonment. In his three points of error appellant contends (1) the trial court erred in denying appellant discovery of the name of the confidential informant; (2) entrapment was established as a matter of law; and (3) the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction. We affirm.

Appellant does not deny that he committed the offense of aggravated manufacture *208 of methamphetamine. In bringing this appeal, he relies on the defense of entrapment which is a bar against prosecution.

The facts are as follows. Robert Wilkerson, a narcotics investigator with the Department of Public Safety, testified that one day in January, 1984, he received a call from appellant, who left a message he wished to speak to Wilkerson. Wilkerson called appellant, who told the officer he wanted to set up a methamphetamine lab. A meeting was arranged, and on January 13,1984, Officer Wilkerson and his partner, Officer Cooke, met with appellant at his home in Dallas. Appellant testified that the officers were accompanied by a confidential informant who called himself “Keith.” At this meeting appellant told Wilkerson he had a partner with whom appellant would have to discuss everything. He told Wilkerson he needed phenyl-2-pro-poanone (P2P), ether, and hydrogen chloride gas to manufacture the methamphetamine. Wilkerson said he would try to obtain the chemicals. The men discussed the operation of the lab during the meeting, and Wilkerson advised appellant he had no idea how to manufacture the drug. Later in the day Wilkerson called appellant to inform him the chemicals needed could not be obtained. Appellant said he had already gotten them and to return for another meeting that night. At this second meeting the officers were introduced to appellant’s partner, Steve, and were shown the glassware and hydrogen chloride gas necessary for the operation. Wilkerson told appellant that he would furnish the P2P. Appellant said Steve’s brother-in-law would “cook” the methamphetamine at his home, and Wilkerson should go there alone. For safety reasons, Wilkerson refused the plan and also refused to release the P2P to appellant for fear of “losing” him. Upon reaching this impasse the meeting ended. During the next two weeks several phone calls were exchanged between appellant and Wilkerson. The calls were electronically recorded and were played for the jury at trial. In one conversation appellant said he had “everything together” for the lab. In a later call appellant told Wilkerson the P2P could be had for a cheaper price, and his partner wanted to buy it instead of Wilkerson’s P2P. However, appellant wanted to use the P2P and a deer cabin in Brazos County that the officer could furnish and “cook” his own batch of methamphetamine. Calls were made in which the terms were negotiated for the use of the P2P and the division of the final product. On February 3, 1984, Wilkerson received a call from appellant who said he would be in town the next day to start the manufacturing at the officer’s deer cabin.

The appellant arrived in Bryan on February 4, 1984 and called Wilkerson. Officers Wilkerson and Cooke met appellant who said he brought his friends, Roger and Lucy. The officers led the way to the deer cabin outside of town. Appellant commented on what a great place it was to do the “cook.” After unloading the lab equipment from their car, appellant, Roger and Lucy went inside the cabin where Wilkerson set up the lights with a generator he furnished. Officers Cooke and Wilkerson brought in bottled water from their truck, and Roger brought in an M-l carbine and a twelve gauge shotgun.

Appellant then asked for the P2P which Cooke unloaded from the truck. Appellant gave instructions to Roger and the officers on how to prepare for the manufacturing. Later, Lucy, Cooke and appellant made a trip to town to purchase methanol and baking dishes which appellant had forgotten in Dallas and were necessary for the “cook.” After he returned appellant mixed the chemicals in a bottle and began the process of manufacturing the methamphetamine. However, this batch was ruined when the reaction proceeded too vigorously and the bottle cracked and broke. Appellant began another batch, controlling the ingredients and instructing the others on how to assist him. Once this mixture began to cook, appellant watched it for about an hour then said he was going to sleep in the car for a while. He advised Roger to stay with the batch and wake him if it started to react too violently.

*209 A few hours later police rushed the camp area and arrested appellant. The contents of the bottle were analyzed by a D.P.S. chemist who testified the chemicals amounted to 400 grams or more of methamphetamine, including dilutants.

Appellant’s first point of error argues that the trial court erred in denying appellant the discovery of the name of the confidential informant. The informer’s privilege is in reality the Government’s privilege to withhold from disclosure the identity of persons who furnish information of law violations to law enforcement officers. Roviaro v. United States, 353 U.S. 53, 59, 77 S.Ct. 623, 627, 1 L.Ed.2d 639 (1957). The established rule is that disclosure is not required unless the informant (1) participated in the offense; (2) was present at the time of the offense or arrest; or (3) was otherwise shown to be a material witness to the transaction or as to whether appellant knowingly committed the act charged. Rodriquez v. State, 614 S.W.2d 448, 449 (Tex.Crim.App.1981). Appellant has failed to demonstrate that the informant falls into any one of these categories. He did not participate in the offense; he was not present at the time of the offense or the arrest; he was not shown to be a material witness to the transaction. Officer Wilkerson testified he was introduced to appellant by the confidential informant. Officer Cooke testified the informant was present at the meetings in Dallas at appellant’s home on January 13.

Appellant testified he was initially contacted by the informant on January 12, 1984 when he called appellant and introduced himself as “Keith.” Keith did not want to talk over the phone so he made arrangements to meet appellant at a club that evening. At the club appellant talked in the informant’s car where he asked appellant to sell him some amphetamines. Appellant replied he wasn’t in the business of selling drugs. The informant asked appellant if he wanted to make some money, “about $50,000 or $100,000,” by making amphetamines. Appellant said he didn’t actually know anyone who could help the informant but that he would make some calls. The next day, January 13, the informant called and said he and “his friends” were on their way into town to meet with appellant, which they did. Appellant testified he was told that Cooke and Wilkerson were “in over their head from gambling” and were “anxious and insistent” to make some money. After these January 13 meetings the informant called appellant several times during the next two weeks. However, appellant never saw the informant again and made all negotiations and arrangements for the lab operation through Officer Wilkerson.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
720 S.W.2d 207, 1986 Tex. App. LEXIS 8970, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/january-v-state-texapp-1986.