State v. Reyes

408 P.2d 400, 99 Ariz. 256
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 8, 1965
Docket1504
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 408 P.2d 400 (State v. Reyes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Reyes, 408 P.2d 400, 99 Ariz. 256 (Ark. 1965).

Opinion

99 Ariz. 256 (1965)
408 P.2d 400

The STATE of Arizona, Appellee,
v.
Moises REYES, Appellant.

No. 1504.

Supreme Court of Arizona. En Banc.

December 8, 1965.

*258 Darrell F. Smith, Atty. Gen., Gary K. Nelson, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

Chris T. Johnson, Phoenix, for appellant.

McFARLAND, Justice.

Moises Reyes, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was tried, convicted, and sentenced to serve not less than six nor more than eight years in the Arizona state prison on each of two counts for the unlawful sale of narcotics, in violation of A.R.S. § 36-1002.02, as amended, the terms to be served consecutively. From the conviction and sentence he appeals.

*259 At approximately 12:15 a.m., December 9, 1963, Albert Dominguez, special employee of the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, accompanied by an unidentified woman, left a tavern located at 3d Street and Jefferson in Phoenix, Arizona. He met defendant outside the tavern, and defendant agreed to sell Dominguez a paper of heroin. The three then drove in Dominguez's car to a parking lot across from defendant's hotel, located at 7th Street and Madison, also in Phoenix. Defendant went into the hotel, and returned shortly with the "paper," for which Dominguez gave him ten dollars. A.F. Barrios, agent of the narcotics division of the state liquor control, observed the meeting of defendant and Dominguez, and followed them to the parking lot, but did not see the actual exchange of money for heroin. After leaving defendant, Dominguez met agent Barrios, and handed him the paper of heroin later introduced in evidence.

On January 5, 1964, at approximately 3:10 p.m., Dominguez went to defendant's room in the vicinity of 7th Street and Buckeye Road, Phoenix, and again agreed to buy heroin from defendant. Dominguez drove defendant to 3d Street between Washington and Jefferson Streets, in Phoenix, and gave him ten dollars. Defendant was gone a short time, and returned with a paper of heroin. Dominguez drove defendant to his room, and then went home. Captain George Dowell of the narcotics division of the state liquor control went to Dominguez's home the same night and obtained the paper of heroin from Dominguez which "paper" was introduced later in evidence.

Defendant first claims prejudicial error based on the following cross-examination of Dominguez:

"Q Have you ever taken heroin yourself?
"MR. MARTIN: Objection, Your Honor.
"THE COURT: Sustained.
* * * * * *
"MR. JOHNSON: I would like to make an offer of proof, then, Your Honor.
"THE COURT: With this witness?
"MR. JOHNSON: Yes, sir.
"MR. MARTIN: I would object to that, Your Honor. This man is not a Defendant.
"THE COURT: The objection will be sustained. * * *
* * * * * *
"Q Are you now a narcotic addict?
"MR. MARTIN: Objection, Your Honor. No foundation has been laid for that whatsoever. This is a witness. Not a Defendant.
"THE COURT: Sustained.
* * * * * *
"Q Mr. Dominguez, have you ever sold narcotics to the Defendant before?
*260 "A Never, sir.
"MR. MARTIN: Object to that.
* * * * * *
"(At the bench.) THE COURT: The witness is not on trial. Your question, that last one, `Have you ever sold narcotics to the Defendant before' — there is no evidence before this Jury that he has ever sold narcotics to this Defendant before or after.
"MR. JOHNSON: There will be.
"THE COURT: When you ask a question like this, it is completely improper and the Court admonishes you not to examine a witness in this manner. If you have evidence that this man has sold narcotics to this Defendant, you put on your evidence to that effect, but don't leap to the conclusion that it is a accomplished. [Sic] Do you understand?"

The trial court did not err in sustaining the objection to the question "Have you ever taken heroin yourself?". The question is too broad. Generally a witness may be cross-examined as to whether he is under the influence of drugs at the time of testifying. People v. Buono, 191 Cal. App.2d 203, 12 Cal. Rptr. 604; and 52 A.L.R.2d 848. In the instant case the court did permit testimony as to the witness being under the influence of drugs at the time of his testimony:

"Q Are you under the influence of drugs right now?
"A No, sir."

The rule is well settled in Arizona that a witness may not be impeached by showing specific acts for which he has not received a felony conviction. State v. Johnson, 94 Ariz. 303, 383 P.2d 862; State v. Harris, 73 Ariz. 138, 238 P.2d 957. Under this rule the trial court did not err in admonishing defense counsel for asking the witness if he had ever sold narcotics to defendant before. Defendant's first and second assignments of error are unfounded.

Next, defendant contends the lower court erred in allowing narcotics agent Barrios to testify over objection as to a field test to find heroin content when he had not been qualified as an expert. We have held many times that it is in the discretion of the trial court whether a witness, designated expert or not, is competent to testify on a given matter. Hadley v. State, 25 Ariz. 23, 212 P. 458. However, this could not have been prejudicial error for the reason that an expert testified the paper contained heroin, and there was no evidence on the part of defendant to contradict this testimony.

Defendant assigns as error the trial court's refusal to give his requested instruction on entrapment. Such an instruction is properly refused where the *261 trial court finds no evidence to support this theory. State v. Akin, 75 N.M. 308, 404 P.2d 134; Jones v. State (Okl.Cr.), 321 P.2d 432. The defense of entrapment requires that the intent to commit the crime must not arise in the mind of the accused. State v. Saenz, 98 Ariz. 181, 403 P.2d 280; State v. Hernandez, 96 Ariz. 28, 391 P.2d 586. In State v. Chavez, 98 Ariz. 236, 403 P.2d 545, we said:

"`"* * * the defense of entrapment does not arise where one is ready to commit the offense given but the opportunity, * * *."'
"`Entrapment occurs only when there is undue persuasion, deceitful representation, or inducement to commit a crime which a defendant had not contemplated and would not otherwise have committed. * * *'" 98 Ariz. at 240, 403 P.2d at 548.

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

Related

State v. Soule
791 P.2d 1048 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1989)
State v. Cash
532 N.E.2d 111 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1988)
State v. Delashmutt
676 P.2d 383 (Utah Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. Jeffers
661 P.2d 1105 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. Crumley
625 P.2d 891 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1981)
State v. Blodgette
590 P.2d 931 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1979)
State v. Ege
274 N.W.2d 350 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1979)
State v. Lopez
587 P.2d 1184 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. Tuzon
575 P.2d 1231 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. Ahumada
542 P.2d 828 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1975)
State v. Mason
530 P.2d 795 (Utah Supreme Court, 1975)
State v. Kevil
527 P.2d 285 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1974)
State v. Renneberg
522 P.2d 835 (Washington Supreme Court, 1974)
State v. Petralia
521 P.2d 617 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1974)
State v. Van Beek
211 N.W.2d 355 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1973)
State v. Mendoza
511 P.2d 627 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1973)
Dickie R. O'Clair v. United States
470 F.2d 1199 (First Circuit, 1972)
State v. Digiallonardo
503 P.2d 43 (Montana Supreme Court, 1972)
United States v. Charles Edwin Canaday
466 F.2d 1191 (Ninth Circuit, 1972)
State v. Chudy
492 P.2d 402 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
408 P.2d 400, 99 Ariz. 256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-reyes-ariz-1965.