Robinson v. State

428 So. 2d 148
Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama·Decided November 2, 1982·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinion

428 So.2d 148 (1982)

Aubrey Lee ROBINSON
v.
STATE.

7 Div. 992.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama.

November 2, 1982.
Rehearing Denied December 28, 1982.
Certiorari Denied March 4, 1983.

*150 Arthur Parker, Birmingham, for appellant.

Charles A. Graddick, Atty. Gen. and J. Anthony McLain and James F. Hampton, Sp. Asst. Attys. Gen., for appellee.

Alabama Supreme Court 82-358.

BARRON, Judge.

On the trial on an indictment charging appellant with trafficking in cannabis, an Etowah County Circuit Court jury found him guilty and assessed a fine of $25,000 and 15 years' imprisonment. Hence this appeal.

On May 16, 1981, Captain Kirby Johnson and Major Charles Tinsley of the Etowah County Sheriff's Department were patrolling on Littleton cut-off, a public road on Sand Mountain, when they came upon a stopped pickup truck and an automobile. The vehicles were facing in opposite directions, with the pickup being on the roadway and the automobile being partially on and partially off the roadway; there was not enough room to drive between the two vehicles. The pickup was headed in the same direction as the officers were traveling, and the automobile, which belonged to appellant, was headed in the opposite direction.

When the stopped vehicles first came into the view of the officers, they noticed that the trunk lid of the automobile was raised, and that two individuals were standing at the rear corner of the automobile. Captain Johnson testified that as the vehicles first came into view, he saw the owner of the pickup truck carrying a box, which he threw on the ground.

As the officers' vehicle approached the parked vehicles, the pickup truck, driven by the wife of the owner, began moving forward. The officers activated the blue light, and the pickup stopped after traveling approximately 25 feet.

Upon stopping at the scene, the officers noticed a cardboard box approximately two feet square and eighteen inches high, partially on the roadway and partially off the roadway, about two feet to the rear and slightly to the right of the parked automobile. The officers opened a feed sack, which the box contained, and found a quantity of a substance which they recognized as being marijuana and which was later identified as being five pounds of marijuana. The officers inquired of the appellant and his companion as to the ownership of the box, and both stated that they did not know. Both the appellant and his companion were then arrested. A search of the individuals at the scene revealed that appellant had seventeen $100 bills in his possession. The State put on evidence that the street value of the marijuana in question was between $1,500 and $2,000. Appellant offered no witnesses or evidence.

I

The indictment, which was returned and filed in Etowah County Circuit Court on June 8, 1981, provided:

"The Grand Jury of said County charges that before the finding of this indictment Aubrey Lee Robinson, whose name to the Grand Jury is otherwise unknown than as stated did knowingly sell, manufacture, deliver or bring into this state, or was knowingly in actual or constructive possession of in excess of one kilo or 2.2 pounds of cannabis, to-wit: 5 pounds of marijuana, in violation of the provisions of Title 20-2-80 of the 1975 Code of Alabama, contrary to law and against the peace and dignity of the State of Alabama."

Appellant demurred to the indictment or, alternatively, moved to quash the indictment on the ground that it did not allege the date of the offense or that it did not allege that the offense occurred after May 28, 1980, the effective date of the trafficking statute. The trial court overruled the demurrer and denied the motion.

The issue involved is whether time is a material ingredient of the offense. If so, it is necessary that the precise time be alleged in the indictment, and if not, time need not be alleged in the indictment. Ala.Code 1975, § 15-8-30.

*151 The statute of limitations for violation of § 20-2-80 is three years. Ala.Code 1975, § 15-3-1. Inasmuch as the indictment was returned on June 8, 1981, the period covered by the indictment related back to June 8, 1978.

The Alabama legislature enacted § 20-2-80, effective on May 28, 1980, wherein by express provision all laws or parts of laws in conflict therewith were expressly repealed. Section 20-2-80 provided that on and after May 28, 1980, possession of more than 2.2 pounds of marijuana, whether for personal use or for sale, and whether by a first offender or by a repeat offender, constitutes a felony. Section 20-2-80 superseded § 20-2-70, which provided that possession of any quantity of certain enumerated controlled substances (one being marijuana) was a felony. An exception was that possession for personal use only by a first offender was a misdemeanor.

The net effect of the enactment of § 20-2-80 was to provide that on and after May 28, 1980 (the effective date of the act), possession of over 2.2 pounds of marijuana, whether for personal use and whether by a first offender or by a repeat offender, constituted a felony. Section 20-2-70 became limited in application to offenders possessing 2.2 pounds or less. Beasley v. State, 408 So.2d 173 (Ala.Cr.App.1981), cert. denied, 408 So.2d 180 (Ala.1982).

Appellant complains that time is a material ingredient of the offense in view of the fact that the statute of limitations for the misdemeanor provision of § 20-2-70 did not expire until May 28, 1981 (one year from the enactment of § 20-2-80), a time after the occurrence of the offense in this case. The thrust of appellant's contention appears to be that the offense, i.e., possession of more than 2.2 pounds, was raised from a misdemeanor (assuming first offender status and "personal use only" proof) to a felony, and that the offense could have constituted a misdemeanor if the event had occurred prior to May 28, 1980, or a felony if it took place after May 28, 1980.

Appellant contends that time is a material ingredient of an offense when either (1) the offense was raised from a misdemeanor to a felony and during the limitations period covered by the indictment the offense was both a misdemeanor and a felony, or (2) the indictment is for a new offense and the limitations period covers both times during which the occurrence would not have constituted an offense and when the events would have constituted an offense. Appellant relies on Howard v. State, 17 Ala.App. 464, 86 So. 172 (1920), and Jinright v. State, 24 Ala.App. 277, 134 So. 456 (1931).

We agree that when an indictment is so vague, uncertain, or ambiguous that the trial court would be unable to pronounce judgment upon a plea or finding of guilt, then time would be a material ingredient to the offense and must be alleged in the indictment. However, we are not persuaded that Howard and Jinright are controlling in this instance.

Section 20-2-80, which became effective on May 28, 1980, did not create a new offense in that possession of any quantity of marijuana (either more or less than 2.2 pounds) prior to May 28, 1980, constituted a felony under § 20-2-70; the only manner in which such possession could have been reduced to a misdemeanor would have been proof by the accused that the marijuana was for his personal use only and that he was a first offender. The record does not bear out any suggestion of either of these conditions.

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Robinson v. State, 428 So. 2d 148 (Ala. Ct. App. 1982).

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