State v. Roudybush

686 P.2d 100, 235 Kan. 834, 1984 Kan. LEXIS 362
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJuly 13, 1984
Docket55,832
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 686 P.2d 100 (State v. Roudybush) 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. Roudybush, 686 P.2d 100, 235 Kan. 834, 1984 Kan. LEXIS 362 (kan 1984).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Cook, District Judge Assigned:

This appeal follows defendant’s convictions for sale of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to sell, both in violation of K.S.A. 1983 Supp. 65-4127b(b)(3) and K.S.A. 1983 Supp. 65-4105(d). Defendant’s pretrial motion to suppress evidence was overruled, as were his later objections after trial to alleged Fourth Amendment violations. These same issues are raised on appeal, along with his claim of multiplicity in the two charges.

Howard Roudybush was convicted of possession of marijúana in the District Court of Pottawatomie County in 1980. Two years later his activities again attracted law enforcement attention. During the week of September 17, 1982, while officers from the Pottawatomie County Sheriffs office were conducting visual surveillance of defendant’s property, they observed a number of visitors enter the house, stay a short while and leave with packages. One of the vehicles seen at the Roudybush property was identified as belonging to one Steven Brazzle.

On October 1, 1982, Steven Brazzle reported to the Wamego Police Department for a scheduled meeting with his probation officer. He waited for thirty minutes but after his probation officer failed to arrive, Brazzle started to leave. As he was leaving Brazzle was approached by Gerald Schmidt, an investigator for the sheriff s office, who was previously working on the Roudybush surveillance. Schmidt confronted Brazzle with the allegation Brazzle had “heavy drug traffic” through his apartment. Brazzle denied this and, upon request, consented to a search of his apartment. That search revealed marijuana.

*836 After Brazzle was placed under arrest and read his Miranda rights, Schmidt began questioning him about his acquaintance with Howard Roudybush. Only after Schmidt threatened to book Brazzle on the possession charge did Brazzle agree to cooperate. Schmidt explained they needed help to arrest Roudybush for possession of marijuana because they “knew he was dealing, but they couldn’t prove it.” Brazzle told the officers he knew Roudybush and had been dealing with him since 1979. Brazzle mentioned he had bought marijuana from defendant in the past, knew him to be a large quantity dealer, and had personally seen several pounds of marijuana in Roudybush’s house.

At the officers’ direction, and after being searched, Brazzle made his first trip to defendant’s house to attempt a marijuana buy. Roudybush was not there. Brazzle left a message he would phone at the time Roudybush was expected to return. He joined the officers and returned to the Wamego Police Department. Later, in the presence of the officers, Brazzle phoned Roudybush and asked if he had any “eggs,” a code name for marijuana. Brazzle explained over the phone he was having a party the following evening, and made arrangements to return to Roudybush’s house for a purchase.

Officers then followed Brazzle to a secluded area in Wamego where they searched him and his vehicle. They found no controlled substances. Brazzle was fitted with a bodypack transmitter to transmit his conversations with Roudybush, which would be recorded by the officers receiving the transmission. He was also given two $20.00 bills, the serial numbers of which were noted by the police. Brazzle returned to his own apartment for his dog, and was again searched by the officers. The entourage proceeded to defendant’s house where the officers concealed themselves from view of the house where they could receive Brazzle’s transmissions and observe vehicle traffic to the property.

Brazzle’s meeting with defendant began around 11:15 p.m. and lasted approximately fifteen minutes. The officers waiting outside were acquainted with Roudybush from his prior arrest, and were able to recognize his voice in the electronic transmission as that of the person conversing with Brazzle. Officer Schmidt later summarized the substance of the transmission:

“There was a large amount of conversation about dogs [Brazzle had previously *837 purchased his Doberman pinscher pup from defendant] . . . arid then at a point there was a conversation where I heard the voice I believed to be Howard Roudybush, talking about dealing in drugs, particularly marijuana, and talking of harvest, and that he had recently harvested his own crop, and that he was going to be selling out of state. That he’s now considered one of the bigger dealers in the area. Numerous dealers had been cut out in Manhattan. That although he would be getting some stuff from him that’s not marijuana, I believe he said marijuana, or pot, that he wished that Brazzle not tell anyone that he got it from him. That he was keeping it quiet. That this weekend, his homegrown crop was going to be going out of state, that he was going to be getting rid of it. And then he proceeded to show him something, which I heard Brazzle making statements, ooh’s and ah’s, and then there was talk of how much you want for a fourth. And Roudybush I believe said, $40.00 for an ounce, or something to that effect, and there was more conversation. And there was more conversation about dogs, and shortly thereafter, Brazzle left the residence.”

The police officers followed Brazzle to a location two miles west of defendant’s residence, and there searched him. They did not find the two $20.00 bills Brazzle had earlier been given, but did find a bag of dried green vegetation which they believed to be marijuana. Brazzle told the officers back at the police station that he had given the $20.00 bills to Roudybush in exchange for the bag of marijuana. Brazzle described the location of marijuana in and around defendant’s house.

At approximately 2:00 a.m. on October 2, 1982, Officer Schmidt appeared before District Magistrate O. F. Maskil and requested a search warrant for defendant’s home. The transmitted conversation had not yet been transcribed, and the tape recording itself was not played to the magistrate. Schmidt summarized the foregoing events based on his memory. He requested authority to seize marijuana, other controlled substances, drug paraphernalia and equipment, the two marked $20.00 bills, and any other fruits and instrumentalities of the crime. The magistrate found probable cause and issued the search warrant.

The police officers executed the search warrant at 3:30 a.m. After they knocked on defendant’s front door and identified themselves, Roudybush attempted to burn a quantity of marijuana in a large woodburning stove. The fire was extinguished and the subsequent search revealed a large quantity of marijuana both in the house and growing on the grounds outside. One of the marked $20.00 bills was found in defendant’s billfold.

Defendant was charged with the sale of marijuana occurring *838 on October 1, and with possession of marijuana with intent to sell, occurring on October 2. A preliminary hearing was held on November 15, 1982.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
686 P.2d 100, 235 Kan. 834, 1984 Kan. LEXIS 362, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-roudybush-kan-1984.