State v. Moore

353 N.E.2d 866, 47 Ohio App. 2d 181, 1 Ohio Op. 3d 267, 1973 Ohio App. LEXIS 1508
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 12, 1973
Docket7137 and 7138
StatusPublished
Cited by59 cases

This text of 353 N.E.2d 866 (State v. Moore) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Moore, 353 N.E.2d 866, 47 Ohio App. 2d 181, 1 Ohio Op. 3d 267, 1973 Ohio App. LEXIS 1508 (Ohio Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

Mahoney, J.

The defendant (appellant), Barry K. Moore, was convicted of charges in two separate indictments for delivery of a barbiturate, in violation of R. C. 3719.24(A). The jury found that the defendant sold one “hit” on February 26, 1972, and two “hits” on March 8, 1972, to David Moore (no relation of the defendant’s), an undercover agent for the sheriff’s office. Both sales alleg *182 edly took place at the Bowlarama (a bowling alley, with an adjacent bar called the Lion’s Den and, also, a combination pinball and pool room which was frequented by the devotees of rock music).

The defendant has appealed the convictions, setting forth eight assignments of error, the first of which has ten branches.

First Assignment of Error (branches IA, 1C, ID, and IE). These assigned errors deal with the chain of evidence on state’s exhibits 1 and 2, which were the February 26 and March 8 “hits” sold to the undercover agent. We have examined the record and find that within a few hours of receiving the “hits,” which were in white powder form, and wrapped in ordinary kitchen aluminum foil, David Moore delivered them personally to Sergeant Robert Scalise. Scalise, in turn on each occasion, placed them in a plastic vial, after first marking and then sealing them, after enclosing an identifying tag.

On each occasion, the vial was placed into and kept in an evidence locker in the sheriff’s office. The vials were removed, on each occasion, by Sergeant Scalise, and personally taken by him to the state bureau of criminal identification, in Richfield, Ohio. The vials were checked in by a receptionist. Scalise did not see them again until he returned, on separate occasions, to obtain and return each to the sheriff’s evidence locker.

During trial preparation, Scalise was informed that the technician, who had performed the tests, was no longer employed by the state and would not be available to testify. Therefore, on November 21, 1972, Scalise returned both vials to the B. C. I. laboratory, and turned them over to a different receptionist.

Mr. David Kish, a technician at B. C. I., testified that he received both vials from the receptionist on November 21. He further testified that the vials were on his desk, or in the work area, for about a week before he was instructed by Henry Dombrowski, Director of the laboratory, to perform the tests. He further testified that he recognized the handwriting on the seal and markings as that of a tech *183 nieian who was no longer employed at B. C. I. Mr. Bash also testified that he performed the tests on November 28, and resealed the vials. He personally brought the. vials to Akron for this trial, on November 30,1972, and turned them over to Sergeant Scalise, who gave them to the prosecuting attorney.

Neither the receptionists, nor the technician who first performed the tests, testified as to their roles in the case. The burden of establishing a chain of evidence to identify the specimens or exhibits is upon the state. (Columbus v. Marks [1963], 118 Ohio App. 359.) However, the burden is not an absolute one. Where there is no evidence indicating confusion with the identity of the specimnen or of the possibility of tampering with it, then the testimony of the expert should be admitted. (State, v. Myers [1959], 82 Ohio Law Abs. 216.) The practicalities of proof do not require the state to negate all possibilities of substitution or tampering. The state need only establish that it is reasonably certain that substitutions, alteration or tampering did hot occur. (Eisentrager v. State [1963], 79 Nev. 38, 378 P. 2d 526.)

We find that there was sufficient evidence connecting all of the chain of events, and precluding, with reasonable certainty, any substitution, alteration or tampering. Therefore, assignments of error IA, IC, ID, and IH are overruled, as the state has properly shown a chain of evidence, and state’s exhibits “1 and 2,” as well as the testimony of David Kish, were properly admitted.

Assignment of Error IB:

The defendant claims the state failed to prove that the substances in state’s exhibits 1 and 2 were, in fact, substances within the special statutory definition of a barbiturate, as contained in R. C. 3719.23(A), which reads:

“ ‘Barbiturate’ means the salts and derivatives of barbituric acid, also known as maloynl urea, having hypnotic or somnifacient action, and compounds, preparations, and mixtures thereof.”

This claimed error we interpret as being that it was against the manifest weight of the evidence for the jury to *184 find that the substances in state’s exhibits 1 and 2 were, in fact, “salts and derivatives of barbituric acid * * *• having hypnotic or somnifacient action * *

Deputy David Moore testified- that, on the night of February 25-26,1972 (when he met Rodney Baker,, who was in a car with the defendant, Barry Moore, in the Bowlarama parking lot), Baker said to him (David, Moore): “I just did some out of sight seconal.” When asked where he got it, Baker said: “from my friend here” (who was the defendant). Baker introduced David Moore to Barry Moore. David testified that he asked Barry if he had any more left, and Barry replied: “Yes, I have single hits for a dollar and double hits for $2.” David then purchased a “hit” from Barry.

David Moore also testified that, on March 8, 1972, Barry approached him at the pool table in the bowling alley, with the statement: “I have those two hits of seconal for you.” David then purchased a double hit from Barry. David testified also that seconal was a barbiturate.

The technician, David Kish, testified that a barbiturate is a depressant. He further described the testing of the substances that he had done at the B. C. I. laboratory, finding that the substances were, barbiturates. During his direct examination, the trial court read to the jury the statutory definition of barbiturate, as set forth above. Then the prosecuting attorney asked the following question:

“Now, in your expert opinion, do the results of your tests of State’s Exhibit I show the substance that you examined met the statutory definition just given by the court, in-your opinion?”

The answer “Yes.”

The same question and answer was testified to concerning state’s exhibit 2.

After the state had rested its case, the defendant offered the testimony of Doctor Allan F. Krivis, a professor of chemistry at the University of Akron. Dr. Krivis ’ testimony essentially concerned the reliability of the testing devices, and the methods used by the B. C. I laboratory. He had not actually examined or tested state’s exhibits 1 and *185 2. His opinion was that the three tests performed by the state were not individually conclusive of the presence of a barbiturate in the substance. He also felt that those tests (cobalt acetate, copper sulfate and ultraviolet'spectrophotometer), could not determine, even if a barbiturate were present, whether or not it had “hypnotic or somnifacient action.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
353 N.E.2d 866, 47 Ohio App. 2d 181, 1 Ohio Op. 3d 267, 1973 Ohio App. LEXIS 1508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-moore-ohioctapp-1973.