Lewis v. State

503 S.W.2d 806, 1974 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1495
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 16, 1974
Docket47278
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 503 S.W.2d 806 (Lewis v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lewis v. State, 503 S.W.2d 806, 1974 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1495 (Tex. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION

DAVIS, Commissioner.

Appeal is taken from a conviction for selling a dangerous drug, to wit: Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. Punishment was assessed by the jury at ten years.

Initially, appellant contends that the court erred in overruling appellant’s motion for instructed verdict.

The thrust of appellant’s contention appears to be that the State has failed to prove that appellant intended to sell Ly-sergic Acid Diethylamide.

It is undisputed that Agent Mull of the Narcotic Section of the Department of Public Safety purchased from appellant in Hockley County on December 7, 1971, a substance represented by appellant to be “green lantern L.S.D.” and paid therefor the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars. Chemist and toxicologist Smith of the Department of Public Safety testified that he made an analysis of the substance identified as having been purchased from the appellant at the time in question and found same to contain Lysergic Acid Diethyla-mide.

Appellant, testifying in his own behalf, admitted that he made the sale, representing to Mull that the substance was L.S.D., and received one-half of the selling price of $150.00. Appellant further testified that he had seen one Sammy Lewis (the record reflects no relation to appellant) mix the substance he sold and that it was comprised of Comet washing powder and lemon-lime Kool-Aid, in spite of the fact that Sammy represented it to be L.S.D. According to appellant, Sammy Lewis received one-half of the money from the sale. Appellant stated that he needed money, figured that the buyer would find out that the substance was not L.S.D. and “I might get a few knots on my head.”

The decision in Reyes v. State, Tex.Cr. App., 480 S.W.2d 373, is adverse to appel *808 lant’s contention that the State failed to prove intent to sell a dangerous drug. In Reyes, this court held:

“Where the accused has represented that he is selling a certain narcotic drug and the substance which he sells is found to contain such narcotic drug, knowledge has been shown.”

Appellant further urges that the court erred in failing to grant his motion for instructed verdict in that the testimony of the chemist leaves a reasonable doubt as to whether the substance in question was Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. Appellant does not specify the deficiency in such testimony. A review of the testimony of chemist Smith negates appellant’s claim.

We find no error in the court overruling appellant’s motion for instructed verdict.

Appellant contends that the court erred in overruling his objections and exceptions to the court’s charge in that nowhere in the charge does the court charge the jury on the question of intent. Appellant points to his testimony about lack of knowledge that the substance sold was L. S.D.

The court instructed the jury:

“You are charged as a part of the law in this case that you must find from all of the evidence presented to you that the defendant, Danny Lewis, knew that the substance sold to Jim Mull was Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, or contained Lyser-gic Acid Diethylamide, beyond a reasonable doubt, and if you do not so find beyond a reasonable doubt, you will find the defendant, Danny Lewis, not guilty, and if you have a reasonable doubt thereof, you will give the defendant the benefit of such doubt and say by your verdict, not guilty.”

We find that the foregoing instruction adequately covered the defense raised by appellant’s testimony.

Appellant contends the court erred in overruling his objection to testimony of initials being placed on a plastic bag out of his presence and hearing.

Texas Ranger Mitchell watched Mull and appellant from across the street at the time the purchase in question was made. Mitchell followed Mull’s car after the purchase to a position outside of Levelland on the Lubbock Highway, having Mull’s car under surveillance from the time of the purchase until the vehicles were stopped. Upon stopping, Mitchell stated that Mull showed him a plastic baggie containing a powdery substance. Mitchell placed his initials on the baggie. Appellant urges that the placing of the initials on the baggie was hearsay since such action was taken outside of appellant’s presence and the court was in error in allowing Mitchell to testify regarding same.

Powdrill v. State, 159 Tex.Cr.R. 618, 266 S.W.2d 879 and Mims v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 378 S.W.2d 318, cited by appellant, are sale of beer in dry area cases where there were notations on the bottles admitted in evidence regarding the persons from whom the purchases were made and the prices paid for such purchases. Patently, the instant case, where only the initials of the officer were placed on the evidence is distinguishable. In Watkins v. State, 165 Tex.Cr.R. 20, 302 S.W.2d 435, this court recommended “that ordinarily the identifying label placed upon evidence seized state no more than the name of the accused, the date, and the officer’s initials.” No error is shown.

Appellant contends that the court erred in admitting State’s exhibits over objection that such exhibits had not been traced from time of inception until they were received by the chemist in Austin.

Appellant argues that a break in the chain of custody occurred when the package containing a baggie of substance was picked up at the post office in Austin *809 by a clerk unknown to chemist Smith and delivered to the Department of Public Safety, where Smith made an analysis of same. This court, in the recent case of Kilburn v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 490 S.W.2d 551, rejected an identical argument that the chain of custody was broken when an unknown mail clerk picked up an exhibit at the post office in Austin and delivered same to the Department of Public Safety. Unlike Easley v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 472 S.W.2d 128, relied on by appellant, the evidence in this case reflects that the officer who placed the exhibits in the mail was able to identify them, the chemist who received the exhibits in Austin testified that the package had not been opened and the evidence was received by the laboratory to which it was addressed. In Easley, the evidence was mailed to the D.P.S. in Austin and ultimately reached a chemist in Dallas who could not testify that the envelope containing the evidence had not been opened. Further, the officer in Easley who mailed the exhibits could not identify the container or its contents.

The evidence shows a chain of custody sufficient for its admission. Kilburn v. State, supra; Mitchell v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 488 S.W.2d 786; Witt v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 475 S.W.2d 259.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
503 S.W.2d 806, 1974 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1495, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lewis-v-state-texcrimapp-1974.