Laird v. State

483 N.E.2d 68, 1985 Ind. LEXIS 975
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 3, 1985
Docket684S233
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 483 N.E.2d 68 (Laird v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Laird v. State, 483 N.E.2d 68, 1985 Ind. LEXIS 975 (Ind. 1985).

Opinion

GIVAN, Chief Justice.

Appellant was convicted by a jury of three counts: Count I, Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Count II, Theft and Count III, Possession of a Controlled Substance. The court imposed the following sentence: Twenty (20) years on Count I; four (4) years on Count II; four (4) years on Count III, the sentences to run concurrently.

The facts are: Appellant and another man planned to burglarize a pharmacy in Valparaiso, Indiana. During the evening of May 1 they went to the pharmacy. While the other man served as lookout, appellant climbed to the roof of the structure. There he began to remove the roofing material in an attempt to gain entrance. Before appellant could accomplish this task the other man indicated his desire to withdraw from the project. Appellant left the roof and drove the man home. Later that evening someone gained entrance to the building through a hole which had been opened through an outside wall.

About 5:00 a.m. on May 2, 1983, appellant went to the home of his girlfriend, Lori Siple. He told her to call her employer and arrange to take the day off as they were going to Lafayette. As they drove in appellant's car, Siple noticed her beach bag in *70 the backseat. When she opened the bag she saw pills. Some of the pills were in their marked containers and others were loose in the bag. Appellant told her he had "pulled a job" but would not reveal the location.

Appellant drove to the home of Mike Bugher. Appellant took the bag from the car and gave it to Siple. He instructed her to carry the bag into the home and give it to Bugher. She performed this task. Bugher then took the bag into a bedroom where he, appellant and Siple sorted the drugs and repackaged some for future sales. Appellant received a percentage from the sale of those packaged drugs.

Appellant argues there was a lack of sufficient evidence to support the conviction as to Count I. Ind.Code § 85-48-4-2 provides that anyone who manufactures or delivers a controlled substance, with certain exceptions, or possesses with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, with certain exceptions, is guilty of a crime. The word "delivery" is defined by Ind.Code § 385-48-1-1 as follows: " 'Delivery' means an actual or constructive transfer from one person to another of a controlled substance, whether or not there is an agency relationship." Appellant contends the evidence supports the proposition that he possessed the drugs but not his delivery of them. He argues the evidence demonstrates Siple delivered the drugs to Bugher.

The State correctly contends this is the situation contemplated by the concept of constructive transfer. The State argues the drugs were transferred for appellant and at his request. We find this case to be analogous to Radford v. State (1984), Ind., 468 N.E.2d 219. In Radford a police informant and the defendant discussed the possibility of consummating a drug transaction. After agreeing on a price, the defendant took money from the informant. This money was, in turn, given to a third party who gave the drugs to the informant. We found this evidence was sufficient to support a conviction for dealing in narcotics.

We also find the facts in the case at bar to be similar to those of United States v. Walker (7th Cir.1974), 503 F.2d 1014 where the defendant negotiated a drug transaction and caused her daughter to hand the drugs to the buyer. The defendant was charged under a statute which defined delivery in terms nearly identical to those in Ind.Code § 35-48-1-1. The court found the defendant-mother had adequate control over the drugs to cause them to be delivered and that was all the statute required. We find the evidence supports the verdict in the case at bar.

Appellant contends the trial court erred when it denied his oral motion for a continuance which was sought due to the absence of a defense witness. Appellant's counsel had spoken with the witness, Robert McWairter, Siple's employer, and sought to compel his attendance through the use of a subpoena. The subpoena was returned as undelivered due to the fact MeWairter was on vacation.

Ind.Code § 35-86-7-1 outlines the procedures to be followed when a continuance is sought on these grounds. Among other things, the statute provides that the person asking for the continuance must show due diligence in attempting to obtain the evidence and must state the facts to which he believes the witness will testify. Appellant's motion was not in compliance with the statute. Appellant's failure to comply with the statutory requirements results in the trial court's ruling being reviewed under the abuse of discretion standard. Beal v. State (1983), Ind., 453 N.E.2d 190. An abuse of discretion is demonstrated when appellant shows prejudice resulting from the denial of the continuance. Brewer v. State (1983), Ind., 449 N.E.2d 1091.

Appellant argues the denial of the motion operated to deny him his constitutional right to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his behalf. We do not agree. Appellant was well aware of the date established for trial. He had ample opportunity to serve the subpoena and seek *71 the court's assistance in enforcing it if nee-essary. See Rowe v. State (1983), Ind., 444 N.E.2d 303. We acknowledge appellant did attempt to serve a subpoena; however, his tardiness in making the attempt precluded other efforts to compel the testimony within the time frame of the trial.

Appellant's failure to enunciate the facts to which the witness would testify, prevents this court, as it prevented the trial court, from determining whether appellant was in fact prejudiced by the absence of the witness. We find the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it denied the motion for a continuance.

Appellant contends the trial court erred when it gave the following final instruction:

"You are instructed that under the law of the State of Indiana a person who knowingly or intentionally aids, induces, or causes another person to commit an offense commits that offense, even if the other person:
(1) has not been prosecuted for the offense;
(2) has not been convicted of the offense;
(8) has been acquitted of the offense."

This instruction follows Ind.Code § 35-41-2-4,

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483 N.E.2d 68, 1985 Ind. LEXIS 975, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/laird-v-state-ind-1985.