Moore v. State

761 S.W.2d 894, 297 Ark. 296, 1988 Ark. LEXIS 541
Supreme Court of Arkansas·Decided December 12, 1988·No. CR 88-58·Published·Cited by 41 cases

Opinions

Jack Holt, Jr. Chief Justice.

Appellants Gary Moore, Jenni Moore, and Kenneth Haskett appeal their convictions on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. Appellants Paula McCray and Nathaniel Billings appeal from their convictions on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia. Trial was by jury; all five appellants were tried jointly and each elected not to testify.

On appeal, the Moores and Kenneth Haskett argue that the court erred: (1) in not granting a motion to sever based upon the introduction of incriminating statements by one or more of the codefendants; (2) in not directing a verdict when the State failed to make an in-court identification of defendants as the individuals having committed the crimes charged; (3) in failing to grant a continuance when the State did not produce its confidential informant; and (4) in not suppressing evidence obtained pursuant to an allegedly unlawful search conducted at the residence occupied by all five appellants. Only Haskett and Jenni Moore argue that the trial court erred in not directing a verdict in their favor based upon insufficiency of the evidence.

In a separate brief, appellants McCray and Billings argue only two issues. They contend that the court erred in not granting a motion to suppress which challenged the validity of the search warrant as to their separately rented room and that the court should have dismissed the charges because the term “paraphernalia” was impermissibly vague.

We find that the evidence was insufficient as to Jenni Moore and therefore reverse and dismiss her convictions. Next, throughout the proceedings below appellants sought a severance and at one point joined in a motion for mistrial (the severance and mistrial motions were renewed at the close of the State’s case) in response to the State’s introduction of testimony concerning incriminating statements by nontestifying codefendants. While the arguments on this issue by the Moores and Haskett tend to focus primarily on the trial court’s failure to sever appellants’ trial, the arguments by their very nature challenge the court’s related failure to grant a mistrial. Because we find that prejudicial error occurred on this point, we reverse and remand as to appellants Gary Moore and Kenneth Haskett. We comment on their remaining arguments only to the extent they are relevant to a retrial.

Notwithstanding that appellants McCray and Billings joined in the severance and mistrial motions, the trial court’s failure to grant those motions has not been raised as an issue by them on appeal. Because we find no merit to the points they have raised, we affirm their convictions and address their arguments separately.

JENNI MOORE AND KENNETH HASKETT SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE

After the State had rested its case, appellant Kenneth Haskett moved for a directed verdict on grounds that there was insufficient evidence to convict him on charges of possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. A similar motion was made by appellant Jenni Moore. The trial court denied both motions.

Where there is a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, we must decide that issue on appeal even though the case is being reversed and remanded on other grounds. Harris v. State, 284 Ark. 247, 681 S.W.2d 334 (1984). In considering the issue, we disregard other possible trial errors. Harris supra; Birchett v. State, 289 Ark. 16, 708 S.W.2d 625 (1986).

The question on appeal is whether the verdict is supported by substantial evidence. Whether direct or circumstantial, the evidence must be of sufficient force that it will, with reasonable and material certainty and precision, compel a conclusion one way or the other. Gardner v. State, 296 Ark. 41, 754 S.W.2d 518 (1988). In determining the sufficiency of the evidence, it is necessary to ascertain only the evidence favorable to the appellee State, and it is permissible to consider only that testimony which supports the verdict of guilt. Id.

At trial, the State introduced testimony that Kenneth Haskett occupied the northeast bedroom of the Moore residence. A search of that bedroom produced a red and black plaque depicting a marijuana leaf, a paper bag with two baggies containing between fifteen and sixteen ounces of marijuana, and a can containing a roach clip with a partial marijuana cigarette, straws and a razor blade. The evidence against Kenneth Haskett was clearly sufficient to support his convictions.

The same cannot be said of appellant Jenni Moore. The search warrant in this case specified that it was for the residence of “Gary Moore . . . also occupied by a Kenneth Haskett.” No mention is made of a Jenni Moore. At trial, one of the State’s witnesses testified that the southwest bedroom of the Moore residence was occupied by appellants McCray and Billings, the northeast bedroom by Gary Moore, and the northwest bedroom by Kenneth Haskett. Again, there is no mention of Jenni Moore. Further testimony revealed that when the warrant was served, a “white female” was sitting in the living room. At times this individual is identified as “she” or the “lady.”

While the record discloses that marijuana and drug paraphernalia were discovered in the living room, nowhere is there any reference to appellant Jenni Moore as the person seated in the living room. In fact, it does not appear that any of the State’s witnesses ever mentioned Jenni Moore’s name in connection with the evidence introduced at trial.

It is axiomatic that substantial evidence must force or induce the mind to pass beyond suspicion or conjecture. Gardner, supra. Where, as here, there is no evidence from which the jury could find the defendant guilty without resorting to surmise or speculation, a directed verdict is proper. We find it inconceivable how appellant Jenni Moore could have been convicted of the crimes charged absent pure conjecture that she was the individual in the living room. Accordingly, we reverse and dismiss her convictions for possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

GARY MOORE AND KENNETH HASKETT SEVERANCE — MISTRIAL

Before trial, appellant Haskett filed a motion to sever because it was expected that the State would try — despite each codefendant’s desire not to testify — to introduce evidence of statements made by one or more of the codefendants which implicated everyone at the Moore residence. The motion was joined by each appellant but was denied by the court.

The State’s intent was to introduce the contents of an oral statement by appellant Paula McCray which implicated Gary Moore and Nathaniel Billings and the contents of another statement by Gary Moore in which the investigating officer quotes Moore as admitting that “they” obtained the marijuana discovered at the residence from some named individual. At trial, Haskett’s counsel renewed the severance motion and cited Rule 22.3(a) of the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure, which provides:

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Moore v. State, 761 S.W.2d 894, 297 Ark. 296, 1988 Ark. LEXIS 541 (Ark. 1988).

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