State v. Smith

850 S.W.2d 934, 1993 Mo. App. LEXIS 465, 1993 WL 95854
Missouri Court of Appeals·Decided March 31, 1993·No. 18139·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

SHRUM, Judge.

A jury convicted the defendant, John Wayne Smith, of the misdemeanor of possessing less than 35 grams of marijuana. In accordance with the jury’s verdict, the trial court imposed a sentence of one year in the Jasper County jail. He appeals from the judgment.

The defendant challenges, as erroneous, the following trial court actions: (a) rulings on for-cause challenges to certain veniremen; (b) refusal to suppress the marijuana seized as the result of an alleged unlawful search; (c) refusal to give the circumstantial evidence instruction, MAI-CR3d 310.02, and (d) overruling the defendant’s motion for acquittal that was based on lack of sufficient evidence to support the verdict.

We affirm the judgment.

FACTS

On August 24,1991, Carthage police officers Poe and Evans responded to a call concerning a domestic disturbance at an apartment house. Upon their arrival, before going into the apartment house, they saw the defendant and his wife Anita in the area of their second story apartment arguing and cursing at one another. The officers then went to the second floor where they found the door to apartment no. 3 open. Inside were the defendant and his wife, still arguing. The officers tried to restore order by separating them and by attempting to determine what had taken place.

As Poe talked to the couple, Evans was standing just inside the doorway to the apartment. To his left, on top of a chest, Evans saw a medicine bottle. The name on the prescription label, clearly visible, was Randai Berryhill. Aware that Berryhill did not live in apartment no. 3, as she had previously moved to Kansas City, Evans asked Anita Smith who owned the medicine bottle. She replied that Randai left the bottle when she moved. Anita also told Evans that neither she nor the defendant had touched it since.

Evans picked up the bottle. He saw tablets and other unidentifiable substances in it. Opening the bottle, Evans found that it contained a clear plastic bag with what appeared to him to be marijuana. As he picked up the bottle, he also noticed another plastic bag lying behind it on the dresser also containing what appeared to be marijuana. When Evans asked Anita who it belonged to, she answered that she didn’t know. Anita told Evans that she now lived in the apartment, having married the defendant “several days before.” Evans then asked if there were any more controlled substances in the house, to which Anita replied, “ ‘No, and you can search if you would like.’ ”

Thereupon Evans called a fellow officer for a consent search form. When that was produced, Anita signed the form and a search of the apartment was conducted. Marijuana, in various forms, weighing nearly 500 grams, was found and seized from several locations in the apartment. 1

Earlier, when the marijuana was first discovered, Evans gave it to Poe for transport to the police station. Poe then left with the defendant (who had been placed under arrest for domestic disturbance) before the consent form was signed by Anita.

At trial the defendant denied any knowledge of marijuana being in his apartment. His explanation for its possible presence was that it could have belonged to any number of other people because on August 24 a large number of people were in and out of the apartment attending an informal birthday party for him. The party started early in the day and continued throughout the day and evening with ongoing drinking by many people who came and went from the apartment freely.

Included in the parade of party participants was a hispanic, known only as Mar *938 tin, who had marijuana in his possession. The defendant testified that while the party was going on at his apartment, he saw Martin carry a paper grocery bag in. Later, when the defendant’s mother brought him the envelope containing marijuana, he told the crowd to leave if they had anything (presumably drugs). Thereupon, Martin stood up, took the marijuana and left the apartment, although he was later seen by the defendant and others around the apartment building. The defendant further testified that when the party got rowdy, he left for an hour and a half during which time many people had access to his apartment. Upon his return, the defendant went to bed, only to be awakened when Anita returned without a key to get in. Their argument then led to the calling of the police and their ultimate arrest.

Benjamin Harder, occupant of one of the apartments in the building, saw “Martin” with a plastic garbage bag from which he produced a plastic sandwich bag containing marijuana.

The defendant’s mother, Vera Beard, came by for her son’s birthday party. While at his apartment she saw 10 to 12 people in the apartment. She also saw marijuana in an envelope lying on a table in front of the divan. She confronted her son with the marijuana, whereupon Martin (the hispanic) took the marijuana, saying it was his, and put it in his pocket. She testified that her son then asked Martin to leave the apartment. The defendant’s wife, Anita, testified she saw Martin in their apartment during the party, as well as many other uninvited guests.

The jury convicted the defendant of misdemeanor possession of marijuana (less than 35 grams). 2 This appeal followed.

Striking Veniremen For Cause

In his first and second points the defendant charges that the trial court erred in striking veniremen Cupp and Lauener over his objection.

During voir dire both Cupp and Lauener stated they did not believe that possession of marijuana should be a crime. Upon further questioning, however, both testified they could be impartial jurors and could follow the law as given them in instructions. Thereafter, the state’s for-cause challenges to Cupp and Lauener as jurors were sustained with the following comments by the trial judge:

I realize we’re getting more and more of those type answers in these type cases, but the jurors aren’t a judge of their own qualifications, and if they don’t believe that it’s a crime, I don’t think, regardless of the lip service they give, that they can really be a fair and impartial juror.

From the foregoing, the defendant argues that the trial court impaneled “a prosecution prone jury to hear his case” thereby prejudicing his rights to a fair trial. We disagree.

A criminal defendant is entitled to a full panel of qualified jurors before he must use his peremptory challenges. State v. Wheat, 775 S.W.2d 155, 158[2] (Mo.banc 1989), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 1030, 110 S.Ct. 744, 107 L.Ed.2d 762 (1990); State v. Gray, 812 S.W.2d 935, 938[1] (Mo.App.1991). However, with one exception, 3 a full panel of qualified jurors is the only requirement — an accused has no right to a specific juror or to representation on the jury of particular view points. Lockhart, 476 U.S. at 177-184, 106 S.Ct. at 1767-70, 90 L.Ed.2d at 150-155. The usual rule is that error may not be predicated on the sustaining of a challenge for cause if a full panel of qualified jurors is tendered for peremptory challenge. State v. Jones,

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

State v. Smith, 850 S.W.2d 934, 1993 Mo. App. LEXIS 465, 1993 WL 95854 (Mo. Ct. App. 1993).

850 S.W.2d 934 (State v. Smith) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

State v. Shigemura
552 S.W.3d 734 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2018)
State v. Jackson
304 S.W.3d 791 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2010)
White v. State
192 S.W.3d 487 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2006)
State v. Cromer
186 S.W.3d 333 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2005)
State v. Tilley
104 S.W.3d 814 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2003)
State v. Hampton
50 S.W.3d 298 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2001)
Hightower v. State
43 S.W.3d 472 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2001)
State v. Lewis
17 S.W.3d 168 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2000)
State v. West
929 S.W.2d 239 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1996)
State v. Taylor
917 S.W.2d 222 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1996)
State v. Shaw
915 S.W.2d 775 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1996)
State v. Hopson
891 S.W.2d 851 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1995)