State v. Bigsby

40 S.W.3d 87, 2000 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 484, 2000 WL 775580
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJune 16, 2000
DocketM1999-01887-CCA-R3-CD
StatusPublished
Cited by83 cases

This text of 40 S.W.3d 87 (State v. Bigsby) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Bigsby, 40 S.W.3d 87, 2000 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 484, 2000 WL 775580 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

OPINION

RILEY, J.

delivered the opinion of the court,

in which WADE, P.J. and OGLE, J. joined.

Defendant appeals his jury conviction for possession of crack cocaine over 26 grams with intent to deliver, a Class B felony. The sole issue in this appeal as of right is the sufficiency of the convicting evidence. Upon careful consideration of the record, we hold the evidence was sufficient to sustain the defendant’s conviction. Thus, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

FACTS

The defendant and co-defendant Willie Martin were first cousins. The defendant and his three co-defendants went to a house owned by Martin’s brother, who was also the defendant’s first cousin. Following a tip from a confidential informant concerning drug activity, patrol officer John Jones proceeded to the location at approximately 11:00 p.m. and witnessed a large number of persons entering and exiting the house over a period of fifteen minutes. Due to their prior arrests, he knew some of these individuals were drug users. Jones stopped one of the individu- *89 ais and noticed he had a small rock of crack cocaine in his hand. Thereafter, he called for police assistance and knocked on the door.

When Martin answered the door, Jones informed him of his suspicions and asked if there was anyone else in the residence other than the people he could observe in the living room. Martin stated there was no one else in the house and invited the officer to search the other rooms. Jones searched the house for additional suspects. Upon his return to the living room, he noticed there was a small rock of crack cocaine on the table in front of where the defendant and two others were seated and a slightly larger rock on top of the television. When Jones began to question the suspects about the drugs, Martin revoked his consent to search the premises.

Thereafter, a search warrant was obtained. In addition to the .3 grams Jones observed in the living room, officers discovered 55.5 grams of cocaine under the bed in the purse of April Blivens, defendant’s live-in girlfriend, and 3.9 grams of cocaine in Blivens’ undergarments. However, a search of the defendant revealed no drugs, money or anything of value. The police also recovered from under the couch cushion in the living room some Tanitz scales, commonly used in the drug trade, and $1,914.00 in cash in a bedroom. The defendant and the three co-defendants were arrested.

At trial Martin testified that he had been living in Nashville for several months with the defendant and Blivens. He stated that they all came to Murfreesboro for the purpose of using his brother’s home to sell drugs. When Martin was asked if he made the arrangements to secure his brother’s home, he replied that the defendant, his brother’s first cousin, did so. 1 He subsequently reiterated that he (Martin) was not the one who asked his brother for the use of the house.

Martin further testified that the defendant and Blivens made their living selling drugs, although the defendant also received disability payments. He stated further that Blivens was the one actually selling the drugs on the date in question. Martin testified he did not see the defendant selling any drugs or receive any money from Blivens. According to Martin, the defendant was “just there.”

The defendant was convicted of possession of 26 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to deliver. The defendant appeals, asserting the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

In determining the sufficiency of the evidence, this Court does not reweigh or reevaluate the evidence. State v. Cabbage, 571 S.W.2d 832, 835 (Tenn.1978). A jury verdict approved by the trial judge accredits the state’s witnesses and resolves all conflicts in favor of the state. State v. Bigbee, 885 S.W.2d 797, 803 (Tenn.1994). On appeal, the state is entitled to the strongest legitimate view of the evidence and all legitimate or reasonable inferences which may be drawn therefrom. Id. This Court will not disturb a verdict of guilt due to the sufficiency of the evidence unless the defendant demonstrates that the facts contained in the record and the inferences which may be drawn therefrom are insufficient, as a matter of law, for a rational trier of fact to find the accused guilty *90 beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Brewer, 932 S.W.2d 1, 19 (Tenn.Crim.App.1996). Accordingly, it is the appellate court’s duty to affirm the conviction if the evidence, viewed under these standards, was sufficient for any rational trier of fact to have found the essential elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Tenn.R.App.P. 13(e); Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Cazes, 875 S.W.2d 253, 259 (Tenn.1994).

Although the evidence of the defendant’s guilt is circumstantial in nature, circumstantial evidence alone may be sufficient to support a conviction. State v. Tharpe, 726 S.W.2d 896, 899-900 (Tenn.1987); State v. Gregory, 862 S.W.2d 574, 577 (Tenn.Crim.App.1993). However, in order for this to occur, the circumstantial evidence must be not only consistent with the guilt of the accused but it must also be inconsistent with innocence and must exclude every other reasonable theory or hypothesis except that of guilt. Tharpe, 726 S.W.2d at 900. In addition, “it must establish such a certainty of guilt of the accused as to convince the mind beyond a reasonable doubt that [the defendant] is the one who committed the crime.” Id. (quoting Pruitt v. State, 3 Tenn.Crim.App. 256, 460 S.W.2d 385, 390 (1970)).

LAW RELATING TO POSSESSION

The defendant argues that the State failed to prove either actual or constructive possession. He contends that the residence in which the drugs were found did not belong to him or his co-defendants. Thus, he asserts his mere presence at the scene and association with those in possession of the cocaine is not sufficient for his conviction.

In order to convict the defendant, the state was required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant (a) knowingly possessed crack cocaine, (b) with the intent to deliver, and '(c) the amount of cocaine possessed was 26 grams or more. Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 39-17-417(a)(4) and (i)(5).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
40 S.W.3d 87, 2000 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 484, 2000 WL 775580, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bigsby-tenncrimapp-2000.