State v. Newell

597 P.2d 1104, 226 Kan. 295, 1979 Kan. LEXIS 321
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJuly 14, 1979
Docket50,370
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 597 P.2d 1104 (State v. Newell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court 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. Newell, 597 P.2d 1104, 226 Kan. 295, 1979 Kan. LEXIS 321 (kan 1979).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Herd, J.:

Randall Francis Newell was convicted by a jury of possession of heroin with intent to sell and of possession of marijuana. He was sentenced, pursuant to the Habitual Criminal Act (K.S.A. 21-4504), to prison for not less than 10 years nor more than 40 years. The defendant appeals.

In November, 1977, Randall F. Newell lived at 819 East 4th Street, Hutchinson, Kansas, and was suspected by the Hutchinson police of being a drug dealer.

At the same time Brian Collins and Sherrie Davis were arrested in Wichita and charged with possession of heroin. To reduce their potential penalty, they agreed to become informants for the Wichita Police Department narcotic section.

Late in the morning of November 1, 1977, Collins, Davis, and several Wichita narcotics detectives went to Hutchinson and met *296 with detective Earl Baxter where plans were made for a “controlled buy” of narcotics from the appellant.

Shortly after noon of that day, the officers followed the informants to Newell’s residence at 819 East 4th Street, which they entered at 12:21 P.M. and departed at 3:00 P.M. During the time informants were in the defendant’s house there was no apparent activity observed except that one Debra Rogers entered and remained therein.

Upon the informants departing defendant’s residence, they were searched by the officers who had them under surveillance and a packet of white powder was recovered. Later tests proved the powder contained heroin.

Based on these facts, a warrant was obtained from the Reno County District Court authorizing a search for heroin at the Newell residence.

The search warrant was executed at 4:40 P.M. of that day by forcing the front door of the house since no one was home at the time.

While the search was being conducted, Randall Newell and Debra Rogers arrived on the premises. Upon discovering the officers in his house, Newell fled, falling down as he crossed the front yard with the officers in pursuit. He was arrested at that time and a small packet containing brownish powder was discovered at the place defendant had fallen. The contents of the packet were later determined to be partially heroin.

The search of Newell produced $9,344.00 in cash; and a pestle with a small amount of heroin, two boxes of lactose, two baggies containing heroin, and a .22 caliber revolver were seized from a search of the house.

All of the seized items plus the packet of heroin found in the front yard were introduced in evidence at the trial.

Defendant was charged with possession of heroin with intent to sell (K.S.A. 1977 Supp. 65-4127a), possession of marijuana (K.S.A. 1977 Supp. 65-4127b) and unlawful possession of a firearm (K.S.A. 21-4204). He was acquitted of the gun possession charge and convicted of the other two.

Appellant Newell maintains as his first issue of error he was entitled to an instruction on possession of heroin as a lesser included offense of possession of heroin with intent to sell under authority of K.S.A. 21-3107(3).

This is an interesting point. There can be no doubt the in *297 struction on possession of heroin should have been given if it is a lesser included offense of possession with intent to sell. In State v. Collins, 217 Kan. 418, 420, 536 P.2d 1382 (1975), we held:

“While possession of marijuana, which is designated a misdemeanor in K.S.A. 65-4125(o) (now K.S.A. 1974 Supp. 65-4127b[oJ), is not a lesser included offense of sale of marijuana, we have no doubt it is a lesser included offense of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell, which is named in K.S.A. 65-4125(fc) (now K.S.A. 1974 Supp. 65-4127b[fc]), as a class D felony.” Emphasis added.

This court decided in State v. Woods, 214 Kan. 739, 522 P.2d 967 (1974), and reaffirmed in State v. Collins, 217 Kan. 418, that a lesser included offense is when all the elements necessary to prove the lesser offense are present and are required to establish the elements of the greater offense.

Possession of a narcotic drug contains all the required ingredients of a lesser included offense of possession with intent to sell, except one; each offense is of the same dignity; they are equal. Both offenses are contained in the same section of the statutes (K.S.A. 1977 Supp. 65-4127a); they are both class C felonies; and the penalty for violation of each is the same. We hold neither offense is the lesser of the other and it follows an instruction thereon is unnecessary.

Appellant’s first issue of error is without merit.

For his second issue of error, appellant claims the trial court’s limiting instruction on evidence of the commission of other crimes was inadequate.

The State presented evidence without objection of defendant’s prior crimes. The court gave the standard P.I.K. limiting instruction thereon to this effect:

No. 10

“Evidence has been admitted tending to prove that the defendant committed a crime other than the present crime charged. This evidence may be considered solely for the purpose of proving the defendant’s intent.”

Appellant complains the instruction is not sufficiently limiting and cites State v. Rambo, 208 Kan. 929, 495 P.2d 101 (1972), and State v. Roth, 200 Kan. 677, 438 P.2d 58 (1968), in support of his argument. These two cases illustrate situations in which no limiting instruction was given and are thus inapplicable to this case.

This court stated the appropriate rule in State v. Hampton, 215 Kan. 907, 908, 909, 529 P.2d 127 (1974):

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Related

State v. Martin
544 P.3d 820 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2024)
State v. Anthony
749 P.2d 37 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1988)
State v. Long
675 P.2d 832 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1984)
State v. Walter
670 P.2d 1354 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1983)
State v. Brown
613 P.2d 387 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 1980)
State v. Hagan
598 P.2d 550 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
597 P.2d 1104, 226 Kan. 295, 1979 Kan. LEXIS 321, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-newell-kan-1979.