State v. Taylor, Unpublished Decision (2-11-2000)

CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 11, 2000
DocketCourt of Appeals No. L-98-1375. Trial Court No. G-4801-CR-0199802201.
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Taylor, Unpublished Decision (2-11-2000) (State v. Taylor, Unpublished Decision (2-11-2000)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Taylor, Unpublished Decision (2-11-2000), (Ohio Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY
This case is before the court on appeal from the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas. Following a trial, the jury found appellant David Taylor guilty of two counts of trafficking in crack cocaine, one count of trafficking in crack cocaine with a major drug offender specification, and one count of intimidation of a crime victim or witness. For the reasons that follow, this court affirms the judgment of the trial court.

The evidence adduced at trial is as follows. This case stems from three controlled drug buys conducted by the Toledo Police Division Vice-Narcotics Section with the help of a confidential informant now identified as Simon Mitchell. The controlled buys were undertaken by the Police Division after Simon Mitchell was himself arrested for drug trafficking and he identified appellant as his supplier.

The first controlled buy occurred on October 31, 1997. On that date, Detective Duane Poole was present when Mitchell paged appellant and entered the code "500" on the pager, the code for one-half of an ounce of crack cocaine. Detective Poole had previously verified that the pager number that Mitchell called was registered to appellant. When appellant called Mitchell in response to the page, Detective Poole recorded the telephone conversation. He also listened in on the conversation on an extension. During the telephone conversation, appellant and Mitchell negotiated the sale and purchase of crack cocaine. Appellant and Mitchell agreed to meet at 639 South Avenue in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio to conduct the transaction.

Before allowing Mitchell to proceed to 639 South Avenue, Detective Poole searched him to ensure that he had no money or drugs on his person. Detective Poole also conducted an extensive search of Mitchell's vehicle to ensure that it contained no money or drugs. Detective Poole then gave Mitchell $500 of vice-narcotics funds. At the time of the search, one or two other vice-narcotics detectives had already proceeded to 639 South Avenue to conduct surveillance.

After Detective Poole searched Mitchell and his vehicle, Detective Poole and another detective followed Mitchell to 639 South Avenue. Detective Poole testified at trial that he had constant visual contact with Mitchell's vehicle during the entire drive to the agreed-upon location. Upon arriving at 639 South Avenue, the detectives watched Mitchell walk around to the back of the house, where the only available entrance was located.1 Some moments later, Detective Poole observed Mitchell emerge from the house, and Detective Poole then followed him to the bus station in Toledo, a location at which he and Mitchell had previously agreed to meet.

Once at the bus station, Mitchell handed Detective Poole a bag of a substance that, in Detective Poole's experience, appeared to be crack cocaine in an amount consistent with a $500 buy. Detective Poole searched Mitchell and found no money or other drugs on his person. Detective Poole took the bag of suspected cocaine that Mitchell had handed him and turned it over to the night property room at the downtown police station.

A similar controlled buy occurred on November 4, 1997. On that day, Detective Poole watched as Mitchell punched the pager number previously identified as being registered to appellant. He then witnessed Mitchell punch in the code "1000," which in the vernacular means $1000, or one ounce of crack cocaine. Appellant called Mitchell back, but this time Detective Poole only recorded the conversation; he did not listen in. Again, appellant and Mitchell agreed to meet at 639 South Avenue. During this buy, Mitchell was equipped with a recording device: a microphone on a cell phone battery. Once again, Detective Poole searched Mitchell's person and vehicle and found no money or drugs. This time, Detective Poole gave Mitchell $1000 of vice-narcotics funds. After other detectives were given several minutes to set up surveillance at 639 South Avenue, Detective Poole followed Mitchell in his vehicle to the agreed-upon location. During the drive, Detective Poole ran a test with Mitchell to verify that the recording device worked.

Once at 639 South Avenue, the detectives watched Mitchell proceed to the back entrance of the house. They listened for thirty to forty-five minutes as Mitchell made small talk with some women inside the residence while waiting for appellant to arrive. Finally, Detective Poole saw a car (a Cadillac) that he recognized as appellant's car pull up to the front of the residence, and he observed a male that he recognized as appellant emerge from the car and proceed toward the back of the house.2

Listening in on the recording device, Detective Poole heard someone say, "I got it. Just a minute. I got to go get it." About ten seconds later he heard Mitchell counting out money, and within thirty seconds, he observed Mitchell leaving the house. Once again, Detective Poole followed Mitchell to an agreed-upon location, where Mitchell handed Detective Poole a bag containing a substance that, in Detective Poole's experience, appeared to be crack cocaine in an amount consistent with a $1000 buy. Detective Poole searched Mitchell and found no money or other drugs on his person. He then processed the bag of suspected cocaine and that night turned it over to the night property room. After this buy, Detective Poole made arrangements with Mitchell to help with another buy on November 7, 1997, at which they would try to buy five ounces of crack cocaine. Detective Poole had determined that, after the November 7, 1997 buy had been consummated, he and other officers would execute a search warrant of the premises from which the drugs were sold.

On November 7, 1997, Detective Poole witnessed Mitchell punch in a pager number which Detective Poole had previously identified as being registered to appellant. When appellant called back, Detective Poole recorded appellant's phone conversation with Mitchell, but this time he did not listen in on the line.3 Detective Poole listened to the recorded conversation in which Mitchell told appellant that he wanted five ounces of crack cocaine. Appellant indicated that he was not sure he could get five ounces, but he could get three ounces. Appellant and Mitchell negotiated a price of $2,800 for the three ounces of crack cocaine. Detective Poole gave Mitchell $2,800 of vice-narcotics funds, which Detective Poole had previously photocopied in order to trace the serial numbers on the bills. As he had before, Detective Poole searched Mitchell before Mitchell proceeded to 639 South Avenue, the agreed-upon location, and he equipped Mitchell with a recording device. As he had with the other buys, Detective Poole followed Mitchell to 639 South Avenue.

After Mitchell was in the house for approximately ten minutes, Detective Poole observed a Cadillac he recognized as appellant's car approach the house from the front and then drive away. One of the other officers on surveillance observed the Cadillac pull around to the back of the house. Listening in on the recording device, Detective Poole heard a conversation between appellant and Mitchell. Though the recording device was not particularly clear, Detective Poole testified that he heard sounds that he believed to be Mitchell counting the money. When Detective Poole heard Mitchell say the words that they had agreed would be a signal that Mitchell had seen the cocaine, the first team of police officers entered the home and began executing the search warrant. When Detective Poole entered the house, he found appellant and Mitchell lying on the floor of the living room. Near their feet was a large quantity of crack cocaine and $2,800 in cash.

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Taylor, Unpublished Decision (2-11-2000), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-taylor-unpublished-decision-2-11-2000-ohioctapp-2000.