State v. Castleberry

293 P.3d 757, 48 Kan. App. 2d 469
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedJanuary 18, 2013
DocketNo. 106,600
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 293 P.3d 757 (State v. Castleberry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Castleberry, 293 P.3d 757, 48 Kan. App. 2d 469 (kanctapp 2013).

Opinion

Standridge, J.:

Brandon Castleberry appeals from convictions against him for obstruction of official duty, distribution of methamphetamine, unlawful use of a communication facility to arrange a drug sale, failure to affix a drug tax stamp, and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. For the reasons stated below, we affirm each of Castleberry’s convictions.

[472]*472Facts

On June 10, 2010, Emporia Police Officer Lance Delgado stopped a vehicle driven by Mark Foltz and discovered that Foltz and his passenger were in possession of methamphetamine. In order to prevent his own prosecution, Foltz agreed to make a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Castleberiy. From the Emporia police station, Foltz used his cell phone to place two calls to Castleberiy, both of which were monitored and recorded by law enforcement. During the course of the first conversation, Foltz and Castleberiy discussed “going fishing,” which Foltz explained to police was code for a methamphetamine purchase. During the second conversation, Foltz and Castleberry agreed to meet at Peter Pan Park in Emporia.

The police set up video camera surveillance at the park, secured a wireless transmitter on Foltz, and provided him with $600 in cash to purchase the metham-phetamine. An officer followed Foltz to the park and, in addition to that officer, several other officers later observed Castleberry pull up next to Foltz. After 3 to 5 minutes, Foltz and Castleberry parted ways and separately left the park. Both Foltz and Castleberry were followed by the police. When Foltz arrived back at the Emporia police station, he turned over a Marlboro cigarette box containing two plastic baggies with a substance that was later confirmed to be methamphetamine. Foltz reported he had given Castleberiy $600 in exchange for the drugs.

When the police officers following Castleberiy attempted to pull him over, he sped up and led the officers on a high-speed chase outside the city limits. The chase lasted approximately 45 minutes, during which Castleberiy ran multiple stop signs and traffic lights. Castleberry eventually came to a stop and exited his vehicle. He ignored officers’ warnings to get down on the ground, put his hands up in what officers believed to be a taunting and aggressive manner, and told the officers to shoot him. Officer Delgado ultimately tased Castleberry and took him into custody.

Castleberiy was charged with one count each of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, obstructing legal process or official duty, distribution of methamphetamine, unlawful use of a [473]*473communication facility to arrange a drag sale, failure to affix a drag tax stamp, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and reckless driving.

At trial, Castleberry denied that he provided methamphetamine to Foltz in exchange for money. Castleberry testified that he and Foltz occasionally went fishing together and that he believed both of their June 10,2010, phone conversations were related to fishing. Castleberry claimed they always met at an agreed upon location before going fishing because they would take Foltz’ car. Castle-berry testified that before meeting Foltz at the park on the day in question, he received a text from Foltz’ girlfriend, Stacy Ragsdale, who said Foltz had been “busted” by police and was in jail. On his way to the park, Castleberry called Ragsdale and told her that Foltz could not be in jail because he was on his way to meet Foltz. When he pulled up beside Foltz in the car, Castleberry gave the phone to Foltz so Foltz could talk to Ragsdale. After Foltz got off the phone, he told Castleberry that he could not go fishing that day and suggested they go another time. Castleberry reported that they each left the park separately.

As Castleberry was leaving the park, he noticed a police officer following him and “panicked” because he just then realized he had associated with someone who allegedly had been caught with drags. Castleberry decided to “take off’ and leave town; he finally stopped his car after talking to his mother and a friend, who convinced him that he needed to pull over. Castleberry testified that after he stopped his car, he found himself surrounded by five or six police cars and could not hear anything due to all the sirens. Castleberry reported that he threw his keys down, put his hands up in the air, and told the officers not to shoot. Castleberry denied resisting arrest aiid claimed that his large size, combined with the stress of being tased, made it hard to get his hands behind his back, which caused the officers difficulties in trying to handcuff him.

After the close of evidence, the State dismissed the reckless driving charge. After deliberation, the juiy acquitted Castleberry of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer but found him guilty of obstructing official duty, distributing methamphetamine, illegal use of a communication facility, failure to affix a drag tax [474]*474stamp, and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. The district court sentenced Castleberry to a controlling prison term of 61 months.

Analysis

On appeal, Castleberry argues: (1) The evidence was insufficient to convict him of unlawful use of a communication facility to arrange a drug sale; (2) the district court erred in failing to instruct the jury on the specific offenses that constitute moving violations for the fleeing and eluding charge; (3) the district court erred in failing to give a unanimity instruction on the obstruction of official duty charge; (4) the State failed to present sufficient evidence on each of the alternative means of committing the crime of distribution of methamphetamine; and (5) the district court erred in enhancing his sentence based on criminal history without proving it to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. We address each of Castle-berry’s arguments in turn.

I. Sufficiency of the Evidence: Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility

Castleberry challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction in Lyon County of unlawfully using a communication facility to distribute methamphet-amine. Specifically, he contends the State failed to prove that he committed this crime in Lyon County, which necessarily renders Lyon County an improper venue for the charge against him.

Venue is a necessary jurisdictional fact that must be proven along with the elements of the actual crime. See State v. Rivera, 42 Kan. App. 2d 1005, 1008-10, 219 P.3d 1231 (2009), rev. denied 290 Kan. 1102 (2010). Because venue is jurisdictional and implicates the district court’s subject matter jurisdiction, our standard of review is de novo. State v. Jackson, 280 Kan. 16, 20, 118 P.3d 1238 (2005), cert. denied 546 U.S. 1184 (2006); see State v. Calderon-Apancio, 44 Kan. App. 2d 830, 836-41, 242 P.3d 1197 (2010), rev. denied 291 Kan. 913 (2011). In this case, resolution of the venue issue also involves interpretation of K.S.A. 2010 Supp. 21-36a07, which [475]*475is subject to de novo review. See State v. Arnett, 290 Kan. 41, 47, 223 P.3d 780 (2010).

We begin our discussion of venue with K.S.A.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Duncan
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2020
State v. Crossett
332 P.3d 840 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2014)
State v. Castleberry
298 Kan. 1204 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
293 P.3d 757, 48 Kan. App. 2d 469, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-castleberry-kanctapp-2013.