People v. Crouse

412 P.3d 599
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 19, 2013
DocketCourt of Appeals No. 12CA2298
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 412 P.3d 599 (People v. Crouse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Crouse, 412 P.3d 599 (Colo. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinions

Opinion by JUDGE WEBB

¶ 1 In 2000, Colorado's voters amended our Constitution to allow persons "suffering from debilitating medical conditions" to use "medical marijuana." Colo. Const. art. XVIII, § 14 (MM Amendment). This appeal concerns only section 14(2)(e). As relevant here, it requires the return of marijuana seized from a medical marijuana patient to the patient if, as occurred here, a jury acquits the patient of state criminal drug charges arising from the seized marijuana (return provision). The prosecution contends that the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), 21 U.S.C. § 801 et seq., preempts the return provision.1 It relies on only "obstacle preemption," a subset of the conflict preemption doctrine.

¶ 2 We reject this contention, for three reasons. First, the "positive conflict" phrase in the CSA's preemption section, 21 U.S.C. § 903, precludes applying obstacle preemption. Second, even if obstacle preemption applies, CSA section 885(d), which prevents federal prosecution of "any duly authorized officer of any State ... who shall be lawfully engaged in the enforcement of any law ... relating to controlled substances," would preclude applying prohibitions in other CSA sections to police officers complying with a court order issued under the return provision. Third, and making the same assumption, the recipient patient's involvement in the return process also does not create obstacle preemption because the federal government could not commandeer state officials to seize and hold marijuana, and the MM Amendment does not require patients to either demand return or accept returned marijuana.

¶ 3 Therefore, we affirm the trial court's order requiring police officers to return marijuana and marijuana plants to defendant, Robert Clyde Crouse.

*603I. Background

¶ 4 Colorado Springs police officers searched Crouse's home. They seized marijuana and marijuana plants. The prosecution charged him with one felony count of cultivation of more than thirty marijuana plants and one felony count of possession of between five and one hundred pounds of marijuana with the intent to distribute it.

¶ 5 At trial, Crouse raised only an affirmative defense that MM Amendment section (2)(a) expressly authorizes his possession-he was a medical marijuana patient, and the marijuana that he possessed was medically necessary to treat his condition. The jury acquitted him of both charges.

¶ 6 Relying on MM Amendment section (2)(e), Crouse moved the trial court to order the police to return the seized marijuana plants and marijuana. The prosecution opposed the motion on two grounds: first, if the police returned the marijuana to him, they would violate the CSA by distributing marijuana to Crouse, and he would violate the CSA by receiving the marijuana; and, second, for these reasons, the CSA preempts this part of the MM Amendment.

¶ 7 The trial court ordered the police to return the marijuana and the marijuana plants to Crouse. The prosecution unsuccessfully sought a stay pending appeal from both the trial court and this court. Then the police returned the marijuana and the marijuana plants.

¶ 8 The prosecution appeals the trial court's order, again arguing obstacle preemption because police officers' returning marijuana to a patient would violate the CSA. It does not separately argue preemption because a patient's receipt of such marijuana would also violate the CSA.

II. This Appeal Is Not Moot

¶ 9 Initially, we reject Crouse's contention that this appeal is moot.

¶ 10 Section 16-12-102(1), C.R.S.2013, authorizes the prosecution to "appeal any decision of a court in a criminal case upon any question of law." C.A.R. 4(b)(2) states that, when the prosecution's appeal is authorized by statute, as it is here, this court is required to "issue a written decision answering the issues in the case and shall not dismiss the appeal as without precedential value."

¶ 11 But this court lacks jurisdiction over such an appeal unless the ruling or order that is the subject of the appeal was entered in a case that "produced a final judgment." People v. Gabriesheski, 262 P.3d 653, 657 (Colo.2011). An acquittal or a dismissal of the charges in a case results in a final judgment. Id . And a final judgment "ends the particular action in which it is entered, leaving nothing further for the court pronouncing it to do in order to completely determine the rights of the parties involved in the proceedings." People v. Guatney, 214 P.3d 1049, 1050-51 (Colo.2009) ("[P]rosecution appeals ... are subject to the final judgment requirement of C.A.R. 1.").

¶ 12 After the jury acquitted Crouse, he sought return of the marijuana and marijuana plants. The trial court had jurisdiction to rule on that motion. See People v. Hargrave, 179 P.3d 226, 228 (Colo.App.2007) ; People v. Rautenkranz, 641 P.2d 317, 318 (Colo.App.1982) (" 'We hold that the district court, once its need for the property has terminated, has both the jurisdiction and the duty to return the contested property ... regardless and independently of the validity or invalidity of the underlying search and seizure.' " (quoting United States v. Wilson, 540 F.2d 1100, 1104 (D.C.Cir.1976) )).

¶ 13 We conclude that the order granting Crouse's motion was a final judgment subject to appeal under section 16-12-102(1) because the motion was litigated and the order was entered after Crouse had been acquitted, which resolved all the charges in the case. Once the court granted the motion, nothing remained for the court to do to determine the rights of defendant and the prosecution concerning the motion. See Guatney, 214 P.3d at 1050-51.

¶ 14 Accordingly, we further conclude that this appeal is not moot.

III. Preemption

A. Standard of Review

¶ 15 Whether a federal statute preempts state law is an issue of federal law.

*604Allis-Chalmers Corp. v. Lueck,

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Related

People v. McKnight
2019 CO 36 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2019)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
412 P.3d 599, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-crouse-coloctapp-2013.