State v. James

581 So. 2d 349, 1991 WL 88756
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided May 30, 1991·No. 88-KA-1914·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

581 So.2d 349 (1991)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Elizabeth JAMES and Leonidas James.

No. 88-KA-1914.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 30, 1991.

*350 Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., Martin Melton, Asst. Dist. Atty., New Orleans, for plaintiff-appellee State.

M. Craig Colwart, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for defendants-appellants Elizabeth James & Leonidas James.

Before KLEES, CIACCIO and PLOTKIN, JJ.

KLEES, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE:

On October 6, 1987, the appellants were charged with one count each of the possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.[1] On November 17th, a twelve-member jury found them both guilty as charged on both counts. They were each sentenced to serve four years at hard labor on the marijuana count and six years at hard labor on the cocaine count, the sentences to be served concurrently. The court then suspended the sentences, placed each appellant on five years active probation, and ordered that they each pay court costs or serve an additional thirty days in parish prison in default of payment of court costs. This appeal followed.

FACTS:

On August 19, 1987, police officers received information from neighbors and from a confidential informant that a black man with a beard and a black woman with a hairpiece were selling marijuana and cocaine from 1309½ S. Saratoga Street, a second-story apartment. At approximately 9:45 p.m., Officers Bardy and Phillips set up a surveillance of that residence, with other officers stationed nearby as backup. At approximately 10:00 p.m., the officers observed three men approach the residence and knock on the door. A man later identified as the defendant Leonidas James opened the door, came outside, conversed with the men, received currency from one of them, and then reentered the residence. A few minutes later, James reappeared and handed an item to one of the men. The men then left.

At approximately 10:30 p.m., the officers observed a woman knock at the door. The knock was answered by a woman later identified as the defendant Elizabeth James, wife of Leonidas James. Ms. James and the woman talked, and then the woman gave Ms. James some money. Ms. James went back inside and then reemerged a few minutes later. She handed the woman something, and the woman then *351 left. Before the woman disappeared, Ms. James leaned over the balcony and told her to be careful because police officers in a white Ford were in the area. The officers witnessing this exchange radioed to backup officers, who stopped the woman a few blocks from the residence. The woman was found to be in possession of two handrolled marijuana cigarettes.

Between 11:00 and 11:30 p.m., the officers observed other such traffic. In each instance, James or Ms. James (whoever answered the door) would lock the door behind them whenever they exited or entered. This traffic continued until approximately 11:30, when a man dressed in a green scrubtype shirt knocked on the door. James answered the door, and he and Ms. James came out of the residence. The man showed them a large roll of money. A heated discussion ensued, and the officers heard James tell the man that the "shop is closed. We're out." The man left, James left, and Ms. James reentered the apartment and locked the door.

The officers watched the scene for a while longer and then terminated the surveillance. The next day, the officers prepared an application for a search warrant. The warrant was signed on August 21st. At approximately 10:00 p.m. on that date, Officers Bardy and Phillips then set up another surveillance of the residence and observed more transactions, with the defendants locking the door after each transaction. Officer Bardy approached Ms. James, who was standing in front of the residence, and served the warrant on her. He retrieved the keys to the apartment from her and kept her in the front while the other officers used the keys to enter the apartment. Inside, the officers found James and another man talking in a small bedroom located just off the living room. On the bed, the officers found a box containing eight handrolled marijuana cigarettes, a pile of loose marijuana, some $1.00 bills, plastic baggies, and rolling papers. A gun was also found on the bed. On a mantel near the bed, the officers found a pipe and a test tube containing a white powdery residue, and a metal spoon. A large scale and a smaller scale were also found in the bedroom. The officers seized documents and bills in the names of the defendants addressed to the apartment.

Officer Selby, qualified as an expert in the packaging, use, and distribution of controlled dangerous substances including marijuana and cocaine, testified that marijuana was often sold in cigarettes, in small amounts in coin envelopes, and in larger amounts in baggies. He testified that where sales of marijuana were made out of someone's house, it was common to find marijuana both lying loose and rolled in cigarettes. He testified the usual price of a cigarette was $1.00. He testified that many times, those who sell marijuana also sold cocaine. He explained that such dealers generally bought and sold marijuana to help finance the wholesale purchase of cocaine for retail sales. He testified that cocaine was generally packaged in the corners of baggies, which had been cut from the whole baggie and had been heat sealed or tied. He testified that these types of baggies were found in the James's apartment when the warrant was executed. He theorized that the pipe, test tube, and spoon had been used in freebasing cocaine.

Elizabeth James admitted there was marijuana in her apartment, but she denied selling it or selling cocaine. She testified the marijuana found when the search warrant was executed was for the personal use of her and her husband. She identified the pipe and test tube as belonging to another man who sometimes stayed at their apartment, and she insisted they had been seized from under the kitchen sink. She denied selling drugs on either August 19th or August 21st. She testified that if Officers Bardy and Phillips had been positioned as Officer Bardy had testified, they would have been easily observed by anyone leaving the apartment. She also indicated she and her husband had a dog, always kept outside, which would have been barking if the officers had been positioned there.

Leonidas James also denied selling any drugs, maintaining the marijuana was only for their personal use. He also contended that the pipe and test tube, which he insisted were found under the kitchen sink, belonged *352 to the other man who sometimes stayed there. He insisted that only two handrolled cigarettes and a little loose marijuana were found in the box. He denied that the baggies were also found there, and he also denied that any scales were found in the house. He denied having any baggies with the corners cut out. He agreed with his wife that if the officers had been where they indicated they conducted the surveillance, they would have been seen by anyone entering or leaving the apartment, and the dog would have been barking at them.

On rebuttal, Officer Bardy testified he observed a small puppy which was briefly on the porch on August 19th, but it remained in the apartment most of the time the surveillance was conducted. He testified there was evidence that the dog was kept in the bathroom. He maintained he found the pipe and test tube lying on the mantel in the bedroom.

ERRORS PATENT

A review of the record reveals only

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