Powell v. State

502 S.W.2d 705, 1973 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1925
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided October 3, 1973·No. 46209·Published·Cited by 84 cases

Opinion

OPINION

ODOM, Judge.

This appeal is from a conviction for the offense of unlawful possession of a narcotic drug, to-wit: marihuana. Punishment was assessed by the jury at forty-five years.

About a week prior to the appellant’s arrest, Narcotics Agent Howell, of the Texas Department of Public Safety, received information from a confidential source that David Curlee was putting a narcotics deal together and that the source would stay in touch if he was able to find out any other information. The informer again contacted Agent Howell on January 27, 1971, and stated that Curlee was still trying to put a narcotics deal together, that he lived at *708 2202 La Casa Street in Austin, and that he had a 1963 gray Ford stepside pickup with an aluminum camper on the back, bearing 1970 Texas license plate number 3F6252. This same informer again contacted Howell on January 30, 1971, at approximately 3:00 P.M., and advised him that David Curlee and the appellant were supposed to unload some narcotics from an aircraft on the Powell ranch near Pettus, Texas, between 3:00 P.M. and 4:15 P.M. that same day. Howell was advised at this time that Curlee’s pickup would be used to transport the narcotics to Austin for the purpose of selling them.

Agent Howell immediately contacted the dispatcher of the Department of Public Safety in Austin and advised him to contact the D.P.S. dispatchers in San Antonio and Corpus Christi. The Corpus Christi dispatcher contacted Officer Bagwell who was patrolling in the vicinity of the Powell ranch. Officer Bagwell was informed that a 1963 Ford step-side pickup, Texas license number 3F6252, would meet an airplane at the Powell ranch and unload some narcotics from the plane to the pickup. Bagwell and his partner then proceeded to the Powell ranch and set up surveillance on top of a nearby hill where they could watch any activities occurring on the ranch. At approximately 4:05 P.M., Bagwell observed a small plane land. A pickup truck answering the description of Curlee’s pickup pulled up to the airplane immediately after it had landed. Officer Bagwell then observed through his binoculars three persons, whom he could not identify, hauling bundles out of the airplane and putting them in the back of the pickup. After approximately fifteen minutes, the airplane took off and the pickup proceeded to the ranch house where it stopped for another ten minutes before departing. 1 Officer Bagwell was unable to observe whether anyone got in or out of the pickup while it was stopped at the ranch house.

After the pickup left the ranch, Officer Bagwell and his partner followed it on Highway 239, staying one-half to one-quarter mile behind it for approximately twelve miles. The D.P.S. dispatcher then radioed Bagwell to stop the vehicle, which he did. Appellant was a passenger in the pickup and David Curlee was the driver. The two officers frisked appellant and Curlee,. finding nothing at that time. Officer Bag-well then went to the back of the pickup and raised the door to the camper. He saw eight large bundles wrapped in bright colored cloth, the contents of which were later confirmed as being approximately three hundred pounds of marihuana and fifty pounds of hashish. A small amount of marihuana was later discovered in appellant’s pants and coat pocket.

By his fourth ground of error, appellant contends that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction. We will consider this ground of error first. He argues that there is no direct evidence Jinking him to the alleged marihuana in the camper.

When an accused is charged with the unlawful possession of a narcotic or dangerous drug, two elements must be proven: (1) that he exercised care, control, and management over the contraband; and (2) that he knew the object he possessed was contraband. Payne v. State, 480 S.W.2d 732 (Tex.Cr.App.1972); Ramos v. State, 478 S.W.2d 102 (Tex.Cr.App.1972); Rodriguez v. State, 372 S.W.2d 541 (Tex.Cr.App.1963). The evidence must af firmatively link the accused to the narcotics in such a manner and to such an extent that a reasonable inference may arise that the accused knew of the narcotic’s existence and of its whereabouts. Harvey v. State, 487 S.W.2d 75 (Tex.Cr.App.1972); Shortnacy v. State, 474 S.W.2d 713 (Tex.Cr.App.1972); Carroll v. State, 90 Ariz. 411, 368 P.2d 649 (1962). An affirmative *709 link may be established by the showing of additional independent facts and circumstances which indicate the accused’s knowledge of the narcotic as well as his control over such. Williams v. State, 498 S.W.2d 340 (Tex.Cr.App.1972).

In the case at bar, we find that the following facts establish an affirmative link between the appellant and the marihuana and hashish found in the back of Curlee’s pickup: (1) three people were seen at the Powell ranch where the airplane and the pickup met; (2) the three people appeared to be unloading bundles from the plane into the back of the pickup; (3) one person took off in the airplane and two people left in the pickup and were later found in it when it was stopped on the highway; (4) appellant was in the pickup after it was stopped; (5) a small quantity of marihuana was found on appellant’s person; (6) there was testimony that appellant appeared to be under the influence of narcotics at the time of arrest. The evidence is sufficient to _ sustain the conviction. 2

By his first ground of error appellant contends that the trial court erred in refusing his request to require the state to elect which one of the two offenses in evidence upon which to seek a conviction. His view is that the evidence showed two distinct offenses, i.e., possession of marihuana in the camper and possession of marihuana in the appellant’s pockets. We regard the proof as showing not two distinct possessions but only one. The offense committed was a continuous one and the evidence introduced is so related in point of time and place as to show one continuous possession by appellant. See Juarez v. State, 479 S.W.2d 945 (Tex.Cr.App.1972); Sikes v. State, 169 Tex.Cr.R. 443, 334 S.W.2d 440 (1960); Glaze v. State, 165 Tex.Cr.R. 626, 310 S.W.2d 88 (1958); Long v. State, 158 Tex.Cr.R. 651, 258 S.W.2d 818 (1953); Jenkins v. State, 114 Tex.Cr.R. 320, 24 S.W.2d 1092 (1930). This also disposes of appellant’s contention that the marihuana particles found in his pockets were discovered by an illegal search and were an insufficient amount to sustain a conviction. Compare Rubin v. State, 164 Tex.Cr.R. 42, 296 S.W.2d 548 (1956) with Pelham v. State, 164 Tex.Cr.R. 226, 298 S.W.2d 171 (1957). See also Reyes v. State, 480 S.W.2d 373 (Tex.Cr.App.).

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Powell v. State, 502 S.W.2d 705, 1973 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1925 (Tex. 1973).

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