State v. Stone

629 P.2d 442, 1981 Utah LEXIS 800
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedMay 6, 1981
DocketNo. 16956
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 629 P.2d 442 (State v. Stone) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah 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. Stone, 629 P.2d 442, 1981 Utah LEXIS 800 (Utah 1981).

Opinions

HALL, Justice:

Defendant appeals a jury verdict and judgment which found him guilty of the crime of unlawful distribution for value of a controlled substance.1

Trial was held on January 15 and 16, 1980. The state first called as a witness Officer James Burns of the Salt Lake City Police Department. Burns testified that he worked with narcotics investigations in the Special Investigations Division of the Department. He further testified that on the morning of June 13,1979, he was informed by Detective Ron Nelson that a person was coming to the station who claimed to know of a man who engaged in the sale of marijuana. Shortly thereafter, the “informant” (hereinafter referred to as “Morgan”) arrived at the station and talked with Burns. They then proceeded together in Bums’ vehicle to defendant’s home located at 1310 East 5600 South. When they arrived at the address, there were several other people outside the house who indicated that defendant was not there but that he would be back shortly. After about ten minutes, defendant drove up in a van. Morgan introduced Burns as a friend from Arizona who could help defendant restore some of the old ears on defendant’s lot. After talking for a few minutes about the cars, the three men walked together towards defendant’s house. Burns testified that as they entered the house defendant volunteered something like “I picked up some marijuana last night.” Morgan responded by saying he’d like some and Burns said to Morgan, but so defendant could hear, “I’ll buy. I owe you.” Defendant left the room and came back with two “baggies” of what appeared to be marijuana. Burns looked at the baggies, handed one back and asked, “How much?” Defendant responded, “Since he’s a friend [indicating Morgan] — $45.” Burns then paid defendant. Defendant handed Burns a business card as Burns and Morgan were leaving. Thereafter Burns marked the baggie and placed it in the evidence room at the station. He testified that he thereafter delivered the baggie to Dr. William Glanville, a forensic chemist, for examination.

[444]*444Dr. Glanville was thereafter called by the state to testify. He testified that he tested the substance contained in the baggie and that it was his opinion that it was marijuana.

The defense called as witnesses two brothers, William Randall Timm and Paul Timm. They both testified that they were among the people outside defendant’s home on the day of the alleged sale. They testified that they had just arrived from Nebraska and that they planned on staying with defendant, who was a family friend. They testified that they did not witness any sort of a sale involving defendant and either Morgan or Burns.

Defendant then took the stand. He testified as to how he had met Morgan and that they had previously smoked marijuana together. His testimony as to what happened when Morgan came to his home with Burns is essentially the same as Burns’ own testimony except as to the conversation regarding marijuana. Defendant testified that Morgan asked defendant if he had any marijuana. Defendant said he had “a little to smoke” but that he didn’t have any for sale. On direct examination, he then testified as follows:

Q. Did you give Mr. Morgan any marijuana?
A. No. I didn’t give him any marijuana at the time; No. I had given him marijuana, but I didn’t at the time.
Q. You didn’t on that day?
A. No.
Q. Did you give any to Mr. Burns?
A. No.
Q. Did you take $45 from him?
A. No.

The jury returned with a verdict of guilty and sentencing was scheduled for February 11, 1980. On said date, the court entered final judgment but stayed imposition of sentence and placed defendant on probation. This appeal followed.

The crux of this appeal relates to the defense of entrapment. U.C.A., 1958, 76-2-303, provides, in pertinent part, as follows:

(3) The defense provided by this section [entrapment] is available even though the actor denies commission of the conduct charged to constitute the offense.
(4) Upon written motion of the defendant, the court shall hear evidence on the issue and shall determine as a matter of fact and law whether the defendant was entrapped to commit the offense. Defendant’s motion shall be made at least ten days before trial except the court for good cause shown may permit a later filing.
(5) Should the court determine that the defendant was entrapped, it shall dismiss the case with prejudice, but if the court determines the defendant was not entrapped, such issue may be presented by the defendant to the jury at trial. Any order by the court dismissing a case based on entrapment shall be appealable by the state.

The above-cited statute provides that written notice of the defense of entrapment shall be filed at least ten days before trial. Six days before trial, on January 9, 1980, defendant filed a motion (hereinafter referred to as “motion to produce”) which read, in pertinent part, as follows:

. . . Defendant ... hereby moves the . . . court for an order requiring plaintiff to produce for trial as a witness a Mr. Ken Morgan, the individual used as an informant to gain evidence in the above case upon the grounds and for the reasons that said witness has crucial information with respect to [the defense of entrapment] and further . . . that the witness will testify contrary to the prosecution’s witnesses ....

On the morning of the trial, the court heard arguments on the motion to produce. The trial court thereupon ruled as follows:

A motion and notice on behalf of the defendant was filed on January 9th of 1980. The record may further reflect that there has been no notice of entrapment filed as required by the statute.
[445]*445The court denies the motion, number one, as not being timely filed. There was adequate time beforehand where the matter could have been filed.
And, number two, the defense of entrapment has not been raised.
Number three, pursuant to the case law which has been furnished to the court, the incident in question, both the — at least the allegation is that the information — or, the event in question took place both in the presence of the defendant, Officer Burns and the alleged informant. And anything that took place would be subject to being disclosed by Officer Bums upon cross-examination.

The prosecution and the defense then argued to the court whether the issue of entrapment could nevertheless be raised at trial. The court ruled that good cause had not been shown to waive the 10-day notice requirement and ruled that the defense of entrapment would not be available to defendant at trial.

Later in the day, after the jury had been empaneled, but before trial had begun, the court requested that counsel come to his chambers. The court indicated that in reviewing the statute and case law he had decided that defendant was in a position to claim entrapment. “But obviously you must raise the issue,” the court cautioned.

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Bluebook (online)
629 P.2d 442, 1981 Utah LEXIS 800, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-stone-utah-1981.