Sanchez v. State

825 S.W.2d 761, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 406, 1992 WL 27358
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 20, 1992
DocketNos. B14-90-00683-CR, B14-90-00690-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 825 S.W.2d 761 (Sanchez v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanchez v. State, 825 S.W.2d 761, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 406, 1992 WL 27358 (Tex. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

JUNELL, Justice.

Gerardo Concepcion Sanchez and Maria Elena Sanchez, husband and wife, are appealing from their judgments of conviction for the offense of possession of more than two hundred and less than two thousand pounds of marijuana. Gerardo Sanchez was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison and assessed a fine of thirty-five thousand dollars. Maria Elena Sanchez was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and assessed a fine of five thousand dollars.

In their separate appeals, appellants raise two points of error in common. These include the following points: (1) that the trial court erred in overruling appellants’ motions to suppress evidence and (2) that the evidence was insufficient to support their convictions. On these latter points of error we reverse the convictions and order the trial court to acquit both appellants.

Gerardo Sanchez asserts two additional points of error including the assertion that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction since the state failed to prove that Gerardo possessed the marijuana and that the trial court erred in overruling his objection to the improper argument by the prosecutor. We overrule Gerardo’s two additional points of error.

The underlying facts which control both appeals focus on a surveillance operation which was undertaken by the combined law enforcement efforts of Texas and Federal officers. The officers received a tip from a confidential informant regarding a large quantity of marijuana. Based on this information the officers began surveillance on February 4, 1990 of a brown Ford pickup truck and horse trailer parked at a west Houston hotel and a residence at 16135 Queensdale. The informant told the officers that an unknown person was to pick up the truck and trailer and take it to an unknown location. At 11:40 a.m. the Cast-ras, two of the appellants’ co-defendants in the trial court, driving a red Chevrolet pickup arrived at the hotel, left the Chevrolet pickup there, and drove the Ford pickup and trailer to 16135 Queensdale. Before the Ford pickup and horse trailer arrived at the residence, Gerardo Sanchez left the house. Maria Sanchez remained at the house while Gerardo was gone. Before Gerardo Sanchez returned to the house, the Castras and Maria Sanchez had unloaded several blue bags from the trailer. After [763]*763the trailer was unloaded, the Castros drove the brown truck and trailer back to the west Houston hotel. Then they drove back to the Queensdale house in the red pickup. Two hours later Mr. Sanchez returned and entered the house. The next activity observed was Mrs. Sanchez moving the car her husband was driving so the Castros could leave. Shortly after the Castros left, Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez got in their car and drove to a nearby barbecue restaurant. At this restaurant appellants were arrested and detained while the officers executed the search warrant at the Queensdale residence. The officers searched the premises and found seven hundred pounds of marijuana, scales commonly used to weigh marijuana, and torn discarded blue bags. The officers testified that the marijuana had been placed in large dark-colored garbage bags, and that there was a strong odor of marijuana in the entire house.

Each appellant’s first point of error alleges that the trial court erred in denying their respective motions to suppress the contraband found during the search. The appellants claim that there was not sufficient probable cause to support the issuance of the search warrant. The issuance of the warrant was based on the affidavit filed by Officer M.E. Tandy of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Appellants attack the affidavit because it failed to state the basis for the informant’s belief that the marijuana could be found at the residence. Affidavits in support of search warrants are to be tested and interpreted in a commonsense and realistic fashion and interpretations of a hypertechnical nature should be avoided. Cassanova v. State, 707 S.W.2d 708 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1986, no pet.); United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102, 85 S.Ct. 741, 13 L.Ed.2d 684 (1965). The totality of the circumstances standard is applied to test the finding of probable cause by a magistrate prior to the issuance of a search warrant. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983). In Gates, the affidavit did not recite the basis for the informant’s belief. Based on the corroboration by the officer’s independent investigation and all of the circumstances involved there was enough evidence to support a finding of probable cause. In this case, the officer’s surveillance and investigation corroborated the information given by the informant. The officers also trusted this informant and received reliable information from him on several occasions. The court of criminal appeals has explained that reasonable inferences may be drawn from the facts and circumstances contained within the four corners of an affidavit. Cassias v. State, 719 S.W.2d 585, 587 (Tex.Crim.App.1986). The Supreme Court has made it clear that when it is difficult to determine whether probable cause exists in an affidavit, doubtful or marginal cases should be determined by the preference accorded to warrants. United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. at 109, 85 S.Ct. at 746. Under the totality of circumstances presented here the affidavit in combination with the investigative corroboration present sufficient evidence to support the finding of probable cause.

The trial court’s findings of fact regarding the motion to suppress will not be disturbed on appeal absent an abuse of discretion. Freeman v. State, 723 S.W.2d 727 (Tex.Crim.App.1986). The appellants have not shown that the trial court abused its discretion in failing to grant the motion to suppress. The only grounds given in support of the motion focus on the fact that the fruits of the search of the house are inadmissible. Appellants assert that the contraband found in the house is inadmissible because the affidavit considered in the finding of probable cause was defective. It has already been found that under the totality of the circumstances test there is enough evidence to establish probable cause for the issuance of the search warrant. The trial court would be justified in denying the motion to suppress based on this ground. Thus if the search warrant was valid the fruits of the search are admissible in evidence. Appellants have failed to demonstrate any abuse of discretion by the trial court. The first point of error of each appellant is overruled.

Appellants assert as their second point of error that there is insufficient evidence to [764]*764support the jury’s verdict. This is based on the charge given to the jury. The wording required the jury to find that the state introduced marijuana at trial. The state did not do this. We agree with appellant and on this point reverse the judgment of conviction.

The State presented Carolyn King Gamble, a drug section supervisor for the Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory, to testify about the marijuana recovered from 15135 Queensdale.

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Bluebook (online)
825 S.W.2d 761, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 406, 1992 WL 27358, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanchez-v-state-texapp-1992.