People v. Poe

2012 COA 166, 316 P.3d 13, 2012 WL 4829493, 2012 Colo. App. LEXIS 1645
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 11, 2012
DocketNo. 10CA2541
StatusPublished
Cited by545 cases

This text of 2012 COA 166 (People v. Poe) 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. Poe, 2012 COA 166, 316 P.3d 13, 2012 WL 4829493, 2012 Colo. App. LEXIS 1645 (Colo. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

Opinion by

Judge LOEB.

11 While defendant, Alexander G. Poe, was out with a female friend, his parole officer and two other parole officers searched his apartment. They found drugs and drug paraphernalia - He returned during the search and was arrested.

T 2 Defendant was charged with possession of a schedule II controlled substance-methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His defense relied on statements and testimony by the friend, in which she claimed to have been a houseguest, and to have brought the drugs and drug paraphernalia to defendant's apartment without his knowledge. A jury conviet-ed him as charged. Defendant now appeals, arguing improper jury instructions and insufficiency of the evidence. We affirm.

I. Jury Instructions

13 Defendant contends the trial court erred when it gave the jury an instruction with suggestions on how deliberations should be conducted. We disagree.

A. Preservation and Standard of Review

14 Initially, we do not agree with the People's argument that defendant failed to preserve the alleged error with an adequate [15]*15objection. During discussion of the jury instructions, defendant's counsel stated:

And then, Your Honor, like I said, fairly simple. The only other thing I have, the final instruction-which, again, I'm going to object to. It's not pattern. I know the Court gives that anyway-there are a number of typos in that instruction. I just thought we might as well resolve it....

We conclude that counsel's statement, "It's not pattern," was sufficient to alert the court and prosecution to the basis for his objection.

15 Additionally, we need not address defendant's assertion that the alleged error is structural error, because we conclude that there was no error, structural or otherwise.

16 Whether to give an instruction concerning the jury's deliberations is within the sound discretion of the trial court, whose decision is subject to review under an abuse of discretion standard. People v. Schwartz, 678 P.2d 1000, 1012 (Colo.1984) (considering a modified-Allen instruction); People v. Watson, 53 P.3d 707, 713-14 (Colo.App.2001) (same).

B. Analysis

17 The trial court gave Instruction 19, which the court referred to as its "closing instruction." - That instruction, which is approximately two and a half pages in length, provided the jury with "a few pointers regarding the process of deliberation," and notes, "These are only suggestions, and you are free to proceed in whatever manner you wish." 1 The instruction offered suggestions that the court thought helpful to facilitate a productive and openminded deliberation, for example, "Consider not taking a 'straw' vote at the beginning of deliberations"; "Be open to persuasion"; and "Be patient with one another."

¶8 There is no dispute that the trial court correctly instructed the jury on the substantive law of the charges against defendant. Rather, defendant argues that the court's closing instruction improperly invaded the province of the jury and the sanctity of the deliberation process by instructing the jury on how to conduct deliberations.

T9 Contrary to defendant's claim that the closing instruction was a directive by the court, it merely suggested how to conduct deliberations. As stated at the top of the instruction, "These are only suggestions." The court did not express an intent to impose its will or bind the jury in any way. Rather, the suggestions were given to facilitate the very same open and honest deliberation of which defendant now claims he was deprived.

1 10 We discern nothing in the court's closing instruction that is inconsistent with the Colorado Model Jury Instructions. To the contrary, the closing instruction merely expanded on the model instructions, which instruct jurors to keep an open mind and reach a considered decision during final deliberations. See CJI-Crim. 1:04, 88:04 (1983); see also, COLJI-Crim. C-10, E-20 (2008). In other contexts, Colorado courts have indicated that a trial court may instruct the jury with regard to the deliberative process. Seq, e.g., People v. Raglin, 21 P.3d 419, 428 (Colo.App.2000) (considering the modified-Allen instruction).

1 11 Thus, we conclude that the trial court did not err in giving Instruction 19.

II. Sufficiency of the Evidence

¶ 12 Defendant contends the evidence presented to the jury was insufficient to convict him of the possession charges. Specifically, he argues that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he had "knowing possession" of the drugs and drug paraphernalia. We disagree.

A. Standard of Review

113 We review de novo whether there is sufficient evidence to support a jury verdict. See Dempsey v. People, 117 P.3d 800, 807 (Colo.2005).

114 In our review, we view the evidence, both direct and cireumstantial, in the light most favorable to the prosecution to determine if it is substantial and sufficient to support the defendant's conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. See id.; see also Clark v. [16]*16People, 232 P.3d 1287, 1291 (Colo.2010). In so doing, we give the prosecution the benefit of every reasonable inference that might fairly be drawn from the evidence. See People v. Sprouse, 983 P.2d 771, 778 (Colo.1999); People v. McIntier, 184 P.3d 467, 471 (Colo.App.2005). It is the fact finder's role to weigh the credibility of witnesses, to determine the weight to give all parts of the evidence, and to resolve conflicts, inconsistencies, and disputes in the evidence. See People v. Crawford, 280 P.3d 1282, 1287 (Colo.App.2009); People v. (Graybeal, 155 P.3d 614, 619-20 (Colo.App.2007). We may not "substitute [our] judgment for that of the jury and reweigh the evidence or the eredi-bility of witnesses." People v. Sharp, 104 P.3d 252, 256 (Colo.App.2004); see also McIntier, 134 P.3d at 471-72 ("An appellate court is not permitted to act as a thirteenth juror and set aside a verdict because it might have drawn a different conclusion had it been the trier of fact.").

{$15 The People have the burden of proving that defendant had "immediate and knowing control over" the drugs and paraphernalia. Patton v. People, 85 P.3d 124, 181 (Colo.2001); see also People v. Villapando, 984 P.2d 51, 54 (Colo.1999) (a defendant possesses a controlled substance when he or she knows of its presence, the substance is immediately accessible, and the defendant exercises dominion and control over it). To support a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, the prosecution must show that the defendant knew he or she was in possession of the controlled substance and that he or she knowingly intended to possess the substance. People v. Stark,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2012 COA 166, 316 P.3d 13, 2012 WL 4829493, 2012 Colo. App. LEXIS 1645, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-poe-coloctapp-2012.