State v. Aikins

497 P.2d 835, 17 Ariz. App. 328, 1972 Ariz. App. LEXIS 696
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedJune 1, 1972
Docket1 CA-CR 345
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 497 P.2d 835 (State v. Aikins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Aikins, 497 P.2d 835, 17 Ariz. App. 328, 1972 Ariz. App. LEXIS 696 (Ark. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

DONOFRIO, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment and conviction of possession for sale of heroin and possession for sale of cocaine, both counts in violation of A.R.S. § 36-1002.01, and a sentence imposed thereon of five to fifteen years to run concurrently in the Arizona State Prison.

The virtually uncontested facts are as follows: Defendant had been placed under surveillance by narcotics agents for several months early in 1969. Information had apparently been garnered from many sources, and especially from an informant named A. B. Coleman, that defendant was purchasing quantities of heroin in Mexico and transporting it to Phoenix for sale to three dealers whom he trusted. No suspicious criminal activities were discovered as a result of the investigations even though the scope of the surveillance was extensive. Officers staked out both Aikins’ home and office. On May 21, 1969 Officer Moody received a telephone call from an unidentified confidential informant who had previously conferred with Moody regarding the possibility of providing tips about.Aikins trafficking in narcotics. The informant’s call which was received at 4:30 p. m'. told *330 Moody that at 4:45 p. m. that afternoon Aikins would arrive at 13th Street and McDowell Road in his 1969 Ford with a quantity of heroin. Officer Moody testified th'at the informant had overheard a telephone call which was placed by Aikins at his gas station to a Mr. Jackson. When the police arrived at the designated spot, Aikins arrived shortly thereafter and remained in his car, moving his automobile backward and forward several times in front of a Jaclc-in-the Box Drive-Thru. Soon thereafter the officers arrested defendant, patted him down, searched his trunk and found a green ammunition box in a special built-in compartment of the trunk. Inside the box were quantities of heroin and cocaine contained in two Awake orange juice cans.

On appeal we are called upon to decide the following issues:

1. Was there probable cause to search defendant’s car?
2. Did the trial court’s failure to compel the disclosure of the informant’s identity and the amount he was paid deny the defendant due process of law?
3. Was the trial court in error in presuming that the defendant possessed the quantity of narcotics which was seized from his car for sale rather than for personal use?

The following testimony gleaned from the transcript of the motion to suppress is informative regarding the informant’s reliability and credibility:

“Q Now, in essence what would—would you relate to the Court exactly what that information was ?

A I received a phone call stating that Forest Aikins would be driving his 1969 Ford into the area of 13th Street and McDowell at 4:45 p. m. this date and that he would have in his possession, in the vehicle, a large quantity of heroin.

Q Did this informant tell you how he came by this information?

A Yes, sir.

Q And, how was that?

A He said he had overheard a phone conversation.

Q Is this the only information regarding Mr. Aikens (sic) you had received from this informant?

A No, sir.

Q On how many prior occasions had you received information regarding Mr. Aikins from this informant?

A On several occasions between December of that year up until May when he was arrested.

* * * * * *

Q BY MR. BENNETT: Then approximately how many conversations did you have with your informant prior to May of 1969—excuse me, prior to May 21st of 1969 ?

A BY THE WITNESS: Conversation. I had conversations with him several times. The amount would have to be an estimate. I really don’t keep track, or did not keep track of each conversation.

Q Okay. Then, you said the last conversation prior to Mr. Aikins’ arrest was approximately—was at 4:30 p. m. on May 21st?

Q Do you recall your conversation you last had with him prior to that?

A It would have been in May, once again, I would have to estimate. In days, probably—maybe four or five days prior.

Q And, where did this conversation take place, if you can tell us ?

A This conversation took place on a street corner in Phoenix.

Q And, was anyone present except yourself and the informant?

Q And, did this information relate to Mr. Aikins?

*331 Q Would you relate what that information was?

A The information was that he had—Mr. Aikins had picked back up in his activity and that he was dealing freely again, and that there should be some shipments within the next few days.

Q And, when was your conversation prior to that, if there was in fact another conversation prior to that?

A There were several prior to that between, as I stated, December and up until the month of May, just periodically, as the information came in. And, I do not have a record of the dates, or times that this occurred.

Q Was this information relating to Mr. Aikins ?

Q Did you do any independent work on your own to try to verify this information ?

<: Yes, sir, I did.

a And, have you already related to the Court what that was?

A No, sir, I have not.

Q What work did you do on your own to try to substantiate the information you received ?

A Well, the information I received, when I received it, I checked all facets of the information for verification as to names of individuals named, where they were supposed to be living, their background in the dealing of illicit narcotics, their being in Phoenix on given dates and times, and staying in given motels, as I was informed they had stayed in.

That the automobiles that he had, that Mr. Aikins had access to and had been observed driving, I checked out to see if he did have such cars that did fit that license and description, if he did live in the area that he was purported to live in. All of the areas of information that I had any way of checking out, I checked out.

Q Through your independent investigation, were you able to determine whether the information your informant gave you was in fact true ?

Q And, was it true or was it false?

A It was true, every name that he had gave me, there was such a person in that area and they did have an extensive background in narcotics. There had been—at the motel this person registered in, there had been phone calls placed back to Portland and Seattle, and the other areas and these phone calls were checked and found to be phone calls to large dealers in those specific areas.

Everything that I was able to check out, checked out true. ******

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Bluebook (online)
497 P.2d 835, 17 Ariz. App. 328, 1972 Ariz. App. LEXIS 696, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-aikins-arizctapp-1972.