Slone v. State

912 N.E.2d 875, 2009 Ind. App. LEXIS 1480, 2009 WL 2877855
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 9, 2009
Docket57A03-0904-CR-162
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 912 N.E.2d 875 (Slone v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Slone v. State, 912 N.E.2d 875, 2009 Ind. App. LEXIS 1480, 2009 WL 2877855 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

OPINION

RILEY, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Appellant-Defendant, Tabitha Lynn Slone (Slone), appeals her conviction for purchasing drugs containing more than three grams of ephedrine, pseudocephed-rine, or both within one week, a Class C misdemeanor, Ind.Code § 35-48-4-14.7(d), (1), and the finding that she violated her probation.

We reverse.

ISSUES

Slone raises three issues on appeal, which we restate as the following two:

(1) Whether Indiana Code section 35-48-4-14.7 is unconstitutional;
(2) Whether the State presented evidence sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she knowingly or intentionally purchased more than three grams of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or both within one week.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In January 2008, Slone was convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Her sentence for that offense included one year of probation. On January 30, 2008, Slone purchased a 20-count package of cold medicine from a pharmacy in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Six days later, on February 4, 2008, Slone purchased another 20-count package of cold medicine from a pharmacy in Kendallville, Indiana The combined amount of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine contained in the two boxes exceeded three grams.

On March 28, 2008, the State filed an Information charging Slone with knowingly or intentionally purchasing drugs containing more than three grams of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or both within one week, a Class C misdemeanor, 1.C. § 35-48-4-14.7(d), (). On April 1, 2008, the State filed a Probation Violation Report alleging that Slone had violated the terms of her probation by purchasing the drugs within one week. On January 29, 2009, the trial court conducted a bench trial and probation violation hearing simultaneously. Slone conceded that she had purchased drugs containing more than three grams of pseudoephedrine within one week, but contended that she did not know she was doing so at the time. Slone testified that she had asked the pharmacist at the see-ond pharmacy something about the limit on purchases of pseudoephedrine, but the pharmacist explained that the computer at the pharmacy kept track and would not permit a sale in excess of the legal limit. At the close of evidence and arguments, the trial court found Slone guilty as charged and in violation of probation. The trial court then sentenced her to thirty days in the Noble County jail for her conviction, and thirty days in the Noble County jail for her probation violation, with those sentences to be served consecutively.

*878 Slone now appeals. Additional facts will be provided as necessary.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

I. Constitutionality

Slone argues that Indiana Code section 35-48-4-14.7 which prohibits, among other things, the purchase of drugs containing more than three grams of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or both within one week is unconstitutionally vague. Additionally, Slone contends that the statute authorizes or encourages arbitrary or discriminatory enforcement. The State responds by contending that Slone waived this issue by failing to file a motion to dismiss advancing the contentions of unconstitutionality, or by failing to raise the issues at all before the trial court.

Addressing the State's contention of waiver we note that, generally the failure to file a proper motion to dismiss raising a constitutional challenge to a erim-inal statute waives the issue on appeal. Donaldson v. State, 904 N.E.2d 294, 298 (Ind.Ct.App.2009). Nevertheless, Indiana appellate courts have considered the constitutionality of statutes even where the defendant failed to file a motion to dismiss. Baumgartner v. State, 891 N.E.2d 1131, 1136 (Ind.Ct.App.2008). Indeed, our supreme court has even stated that "the constitutionality of a statute may be raised at any stage of the proceeding including raising the issue sua sponte by this Court." Morse v. State, 593 N.E.2d 194, 197 (Ind.1992). Slone contends that we should consider her contention to promote judicial economy, noting that the issue would arise in post-conviction proceedings if not addressed now, and "is likely to arise in subsequent, unrelated appeals" (Appellant's Reply Br. p. 3).

However, Slone asks us to base our decision upon her qualified allegation that "[elonfusion over compliance with I.C. 35-48-4-14.7(d) appears particularly likely because the record suggests the exact total amounts of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine may not be listed in grams on the box of cold medication." (Appellant's Br. p. 10) (emphasis added). Further, Slone states in another section of her brief that "the record in this case is silent as to the nature of the labels on those medications." (Appellant's Br. p. 15). So, short of violating our prohibition of considering items outside of the record, our decision would be based upon speculation as to what information is contained on packaging of drugs that contain ephedrine and pseudocephed-rine. The waiver rule is founded on important policy considerations, including "the preservation of judicial resources, opportunity for full development of the ree-ord, utilization of trial court fact-finding expertise, and assurance of a claim being tested by the adversary process." Hoose v. Doody, 886 N.E.2d 83, 93 (Ind.Ct.App.2008), trans. denied. Therefore, we conclude that Slone has waived her constitutional challenge, and we are unable to consider her challenge notwithstanding that waiver.

IL Sufficiency of the Evidence

A. Standard of Review

Slone contends that the State failed to present sufficient evidence proving: (1) that the drugs she purchased within one week actually contained more than three grams of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or both; and (2) that she knowingly or intentionally purchased drugs containing more than three grams of ephedrine, pseu-doephedrine, or both within one week.

Our standard of review with regard to sufficiency claims is well settled. In reviewing a sufficiency of the evidence claim, this court does not reweigh the *879 evidence or judge the credibility of the witnesses. We will consider only the evidence most favorable to the verdict and the reasonable inferences drawn therefrom and will affirm if the evidence and those inferences constitute substantial evidence of probative value to support the judgment. A conviction may be based upon circumstantial evidence alone. Reversal is appropriate only when reasonable persons would not be able to form inferences as to each material element of the offense.

Perez v. State, 872 N.E.2d 208, 212-13 (Ind.Ct.App.2007), trans. denied (citations omitted).

B. Amount

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
912 N.E.2d 875, 2009 Ind. App. LEXIS 1480, 2009 WL 2877855, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/slone-v-state-indctapp-2009.