Lewis v. State

1974 OK CR 206, 528 P.2d 741
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 19, 1974
DocketF-73-418
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 1974 OK CR 206 (Lewis v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lewis v. State, 1974 OK CR 206, 528 P.2d 741 (Okla. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION

BUSSEY Judge:

Clifford Gerald Lewis, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged by Information filed in the District Court, Tulsa County, with the crime of Unlawful Sale and Delivery of Stimulating Drugs, Case No. CRF-70-2074, in violation of 63 O.S., § 2-401. He was tried by a jury who found him guilty, and, in accordance with their verdict, he was sentenced to five (5) years imprisonment and fined in the amount of One Thousand ($1,000.00) Dollars. From said judgment and sentence, a timely appeal has been perfected to this Court.

At trial the State’s first witness was William M. McDonald, a police officer with the City of Tulsa, who was working on undercover narcotics investigations. He testified that at approximately 9:20 p. m. on the 7th day of October, 1970, he and an Officer McMillan went to defendant’s mobile home and that Officer McMillan remained about half a mile from the mobile home while McDonald went up to the front door. He stated that he knocked and the defendant came to the door and told him to go around to the back. He then walked to the back of the mobile home, knocked on the door, and was told to enter.

In the transcript, at page 119 et seq., the following appears:

“Q. (By Mr. Truster) Officer McDonald, what conversation did you have after you made your initial comments to Mr. Lewis upon arriving at the trailer house?
A. Mr. Lewis looked at me and said, ‘Do I know you,’ in a questioning tone. And I said, ‘Sure, I was out last week.’ MR. PAGE: All right. If Your Honor please, again I move for a mistrial.
THE COURT: I will deny and allow an exception and permit you to make a record at the first opportunity.
MR. PAGE: May I approach the bench just a moment, Judge.
THE COURT: I will allow an exception. I will give you an opportunity to make a record.
(A conference was held at the bench and thereafter the following proceedings were had before the jury.)
THE COURT: You may proceed with the examination.
Q. (By Mr. Truster) Officer, what happened next, please, sir ?
A. I asked Mr. Lewis if the price would be the same as before. He said, ‘Yes, $5.00 per cap.’
MR. PAGE: If Your Honor please, again I move for a mistrial.
THE COURT: Motion is denied, exception allowed.
Q. (By Mr. Truster) And what transpired after that, please ?
A. He then turned to his wife and said, ‘June, get two caps.’ The lady, Mrs. Lewis, then went to the back bedroom of the trailer, returned possibly a minute *743 later with two small clear capsules filled with a white powder.
Q. And what happened with the capsules, sir?
A. They were handed to me. I then handed Mrs. Lewis a $10.00 bill.
Q. Did you have further conversation with Mr. Lewis as regards to the particular transaction?
A. Yes, sir, I told him that I would probably be back in a few days. He said, ‘This is all of the caps I have. I will have some liquid, however.’
Q. Have some liquid?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Now, sir, in your training as a narcotics officer have you come across the term liquid before?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What does that mean ?
MR. PAGE: I am going to object to that as having no probative value.
THE COURT: Overruled.
MR. PAGE: He hasn’t qualified him as an expert.
MR. TRUSTER: He is a narcotics officer.
THE COURT: I will permit him to testify.
A. Liquid would be a — this implies a liquid, usually in a hermetically sealed or three cc. jug. It could be anything.
Q. Could be any narcotic drug ?
A. Any drug, yes.
Q. What other conversation did you have with Mr. Lewis ?
A. I left at this point and Mr. Lewis bid the usual goodbyes.
Q. Did you say — -
MR. PAGE: If Your Honor please, again I move for a mistrial.
THE COURT: Motion denied.
* * * »

Officer McDonald testified that he then left the residence, placed the capsules in a cellophane container, left them in his briefcase and two days later delivered them to Joe Norton, chemist with the City-County Health Department laboratory for analysis.

Joe Norton, the State’s other witness, testified that he had examined the two capsules brought to him by Officer McDonald and that his analysis showed that each contained amphetamine sulfate.

The defendant called four witnesses whose testimony essentially established that they had been present in the defendant’s home during the week of October 5th through the 12th, and that the defendant, due to an argument with his wife, had left the home and was not present during that week. Two witnesses testified that at the time in question they had observed the defendant in Langley, Oklahoma.

In defendant’s first proposition of error he asserts that he was prejudiced by the trial court’s admission of the above testimony given by Officer McDonald which contained statements of previous sales made by the defendant and of a plan between defendant and the officer for a future sale, and the same constituted evidence of other crimes and as such, were inadmissible. We disagree.

We first observe that there is nothing in the record to support the defendant’s contention that there was testimony of a prior purchase in the week preceding the offense for which the defendant stands convicted, but the testimony only tends to establish that the parties were acquainted with each other and had discussed the price of the capsules. It is our opinion that the facts in this case are similar to, and fall squarely within the rule enunciated in Bradley v. State, Okl.Cr., 485 P.2d 767, wherein this Court, speaking through Judge Brett, stated:

“ . . . Referring to the February 6th incident, Agent Ryan testified that the first time they came into contact with the defendant was about 10:00 P.M., February 6, 1968, at Leo’s Tavern in Muskogee. He testified that they played pool together and talked, but he did not assert that a sale occurred on that date. *744 With reference to the testimony concerning contact with defendant about 9:30 P.

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Related

Hill v. State
1979 OK CR 2 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1979)
Oliver v. State
1977 OK CR 277 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1977)
Tomlinson v. State
1976 OK CR 206 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1976)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1974 OK CR 206, 528 P.2d 741, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lewis-v-state-oklacrimapp-1974.