Loveday v. State

546 S.W.2d 822, 1976 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 315
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedSeptember 3, 1976
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 546 S.W.2d 822 (Loveday v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Loveday v. State, 546 S.W.2d 822, 1976 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 315 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

[824]*824OPINION

TATUM, Judge.

Appellant was convicted in McMinn County for violation of T.C.A. 52-1432 of the Tennessee Drug Control Act. There are three cases. In case number 67 in this court, appellant was convicted of selling schedule I drugs and sentenced to 10 years in the State Penitentiary. In case number 68 in this court, he was convicted of delivering schedule I drugs and sentenced to 10 years. In case number 69, he was charged and convicted of possession for resale of a schedule II drug, misdemeanor, and he was fined $1,000.00. The Trial Judge ordered the two 10-year sentences to run concurrently and did not impose a jail sentence in the misdemeanor case.

Appellant was a Deputy Sheriff of McMinn County. He worked “undercover” from May of 1973 until July, 1973. While working undercover, he became acquainted with one Gale Toney who was also an “undercover” officer in 1973.

In August, 1975, Toney renewed his acquaintance with appellant and appellant asked Toney if he was interested in making some easy money selling drugs. Toney reported this to T.B.I. agents and ultimately was appointed a deputy sheriff for the sheriff of Monroe County, in order to investigate appellant.

With the assistance of T.B.I. agents, several telephone calls and personal conversations between Toney and appellant were recorded. During these conversations, appellant discussed his plans to procure drugs to sell to Toney.

By prior arrangement, Toney went to appellant’s apartment on September 16, 1975 and purchased drugs classified as schedule I, schedule II and schedule III from appellant, agreeing to pay $230.00 for the same and actually making a payment of $200.00 to appellant with money that had been furnished to him by T.B.I. agents. The denominations of the bills and serial numbers had been previously recorded. To-ney was to pay the remaining $30.00 later.

On September 23, 1975, Toney again met with appellant and procured small quantities of several drugs, including LSD and cocaine for which appellant was to pay when he repaid the $30.00 owing on the first transaction. Appellant and Toney agreed to meet the next day and appellant was going to take Toney to Chattanooga to meet with one Richard Rose about another possible drug transaction.

After appellant’s arrest, he consented that T.B.I. agents search his apartment. A search was conducted that resulted in discovery of additional drugs which was the basis of the misdemeanor (possession) case.

When arrested, appellant admitted to the arresting officers that on two occasions he had given drugs to Toney, but he denied accepting any money from Toney. He told the officers that he in fact had given $30.00 of his own money to Toney.

Appellant did not testify but introduced the Sheriff of McMinn County to testify on his behalf. The Sheriff testified that after July, 1973, appellant did not work as an undercover agent, but continued to work in his department in charge of narcotics. The sheriff testified that appellant told him that Toney was working as an undercover agent and needed drugs and that he told appellant that if Toney needed drugs in connection with his work, to give them to him. The sheriff knew nothing about appellant receiving $200.00 for the drugs.

When Toney first renewed his acquaintance with appellant in August, 1975, Toney was not working as a police officer in any capacity. After the first conversation between appellant and Toney, Toney reported to the T.B.I. appellant’s offer to sell him drugs and was subsequently appointed a deputy sheriff of Monroe County and in this capacity he worked “undercover” in this case. Toney did not advise appellant that he was working undercover as a police officer, but told him that he desired to purchase drugs for resale. There is no evidence that appellant actually knew that Toney was working in an undercover capacity.

[825]*825Appellant charges that he was denied due process and equal protection of the law and a fair and impartial trial.

Appellant explains in his brief that he has reference to evidence in the record relating to “other crimes”. In answer to a question as to why the witness, Toney, was appointed deputy sheriff for Monroe County, the sheriff of Monroe County testified, “We had information that there was a contract out on a Judge—”. Appellant’s counsel objected and the Court sustained the objection. There was nothing here connecting the “contract out on a judge” with appellant. Subsequently, the witness, To-ney, made the statement that he and appellant, “talked about me killing a man”. This referred only to Toney killing a man and not appellant. Appellant objected to this testimony and the objection was promptly sustained by the Trial Judge. The court remarked on sustaining both of these objections that this was not a proper matter to consider and that it did not affect that case. Conversations relating to “other matters” were deleted and not read to the jury. Appellant admits that the Trial Judge did all within his power to prevent the injection of these irrelevant matters and we think the Trial Judge succeeded in doing so and the brief references were insufficient to inform the jury of any other criminal activity on the part of appellant. The Attorney General made references to other matters under investigation. All of these statements were very vague and did not affect the verdict to the prejudice of the appellant. See, Harrington v. State, 215 Tenn. 338, 385 S.W.2d 758 (1965). Assignment Number I is overruled.

Appellant says that he was entitled to a directed verdict based on the provisions of T.C.A. 52-1444(c):

“52-1444. Evidence, burden of proof— Immunity from liability, law enforcement officers in performance of duties.—(c) No liability is imposed by §§ 52-1408—52-1448 upon any authorized state, county or municipal officer, engaged in the lawful performance of his duties.”

T.C.A. 52-1444(a) places the burden of proof on appellant to show that these transactions come within 52—1444(c). Appellant has not born this onus. Appellant must prove that he was an authorized officer and also that he was engaged in the lawful performance of his duties.

Appellant relies upon the testimony of his principal, the sheriff of McMinn County. The sheriff’s testimony does not support appellant’s theory. The sheriff testified that appellant told him that he had an operation going and implied that Mr. Toney was involved as an undercover officer and that he authorized appellant to give drugs to Toney to use in undercover operations. The record reflects that appellant was not aware that Toney was actually operating as an undercover officer, but that he told appellant that the drugs were to be resold. The sheriff was not aware that appellant had actually sold the drugs to Toney. The proceeds of the sale of the drugs were kept by appellant for his own personal use. The evidence is that appellant sold the drugs for personal gain and not in connection with his official duties. The evidence against appellant was very strong and it did not preponderate against the jury verdict. Assignment II is overruled.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
546 S.W.2d 822, 1976 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 315, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/loveday-v-state-tenncrimapp-1976.