Swinney v. State

828 S.W.2d 254, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 800, 1992 WL 56555
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 26, 1992
Docket01-91-00007-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 828 S.W.2d 254 (Swinney v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Swinney v. State, 828 S.W.2d 254, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 800, 1992 WL 56555 (Tex. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinions

OPINION

DUGGAN, Justice.

The trial court found appellant guilty of delivery of less than 28 grams of cocaine. Appellant pled true to two enhancement paragraphs in the indictment, and the court assessed his punishment at 35 years confinement. Appellant asserts three points of error. We affirm.

Officer Gary Dora testified that he met appellant on July 23, 1990, while he was assigned to the Southwest Tactical Unit Narcotics detail and working as part of a team performing undercover controlled “buys” of narcotics at the intersection of Rampart and Glenmont in Houston. As Dora approached, driving an unmarked car, appellant and three other males standing in a convenience store parking lot at the intersection gave him a hand and head gesture. Based on his experience as a narcotics officer, Dora knew the gestures to mean they were selling drugs.

Officer Dora stopped and said he needed “a twenty.” Although this statement was not directed to any specific individual in the group, appellant, who Dora identified in the courtroom, separated from the group and directed Dora to park his car.

When appellant approached the parked car and asked Dora what he needed, Dora replied that he needed a twenty dollar rock; appellant went back to the group and spoke with one of the individuals. Officer Dora could not hear their conversation. Appellant then accompanied that individual, a juvenile, back to Dora’s vehicle. The juvenile got inside the officer’s vehicle on the passenger’s side, and appellant stood just inside the angle created by the car frame and the open passenger door. The juvenile asked Dora how many he needed, and Dora said just one; the juvenile then poured crack cocaine from a vial into his hand to show Dora. Appellant remained outside the vehicle during the entire transaction. Officer Dora then took one of the “rocks,” handed the juvenile twenty dollars, and noted as he left that appellant and the juvenile stood together in front of the store.

Officer Dora field-tested the substance, determined that it was cocaine, and notified the raid team by car radio as he left the scene. He drove back to the scene to verify that the team had arrested the right person, and tagged and deposited the contraband in the HPD lockbox. He also verified that a photograph of appellant, taken at the time of his arrest, was that of the suspect present during the drug transaction.

Appellant, who was on parole and was transferring to Louisiana, testified that he was standing at the corner waiting for a bus; Dora testified he was not at the bus stop. Although appellant testified the bus to Louisiana left at 12:55 p.m., Dora’s offense report showed that the arrest, which occurred within minutes of the drug transaction, took place at 1:45 p.m. Appellant denied making any gestures, or approaching or speaking to Officer Dora. It is unclear from the record whether appellant testified he spoke to the juvenile; however, he stated that he was not acquainted with any of the individuals on the corner prior to that day. No controlled substances were found on appellant, who had on his person only seventy cents, which he claimed was bus fare. The only controlled substances shown in court were those found on the juvenile. The jury found appellant guilty of delivery by constructive transfer only.

In appellant’s first point of error, he urges that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction for constructive transfer of a controlled substance because it does not show that, prior to the alleged delivery, he had either direct or indirect control over the controlled substance Officer Dora purchased.

The elements of the offense of delivery of a controlled substance are: 1) a person, 2) knowingly or intentionally, 3) delivers, 4) a controlled substance. Stewart v. State, 718 S.W.2d 286, 288 (Tex.Crim.App.1986); Tex. Health & Safety Code Ann. § 481.112(a) (Vernon Pamph. 1992). Section 481.002 of the Health and [257]*257Safety Code defines “delivery” of a controlled substance as:

(8) “Deliver” means to transfer, actually or constructively, to another a controlled substance ... regardless of whether there is an agency relationship. The term includes offering to sell a controlled substance....
(9) “Delivery” or “drug transaction” means the act of delivering.

Tex. Health & Safety Code Ann. § 481.-002(8) & (9) (Vernon Pamph.1992).

Thus, constructive delivery is the transfer of a controlled substance, either belonging to an individual or under his control, by some other person or agency, at the instance and direction of the individual accused of such transfer. Atuesta v. State, 788 S.W.2d 382, 385 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1990, pet. ref d). Con structive transfer is proved by showing that 1) prior to the alleged delivery, the transferor had either direct or indirect control of the substance transferred, and 2) the transferor knew of the existence of the transferee. Daniels v. State, 754 S.W.2d 214, 220-22 (Tex.Crim.App.1988) (citing Eassmussen v. State, 608 S.W.2d 205, 209-10 (Tex.Crim.App.1980) and Gonzalez v. State, 588 S.W.2d 574, 577 (Tex.Crim.App.1979)).

While mere presence at the scene of an offense is not sufficient to make one a party to the offense, it is a circumstance tending to prove that one is a party when taken with facts sufficient to prove participation. Medellin v. State, 617 S.W.2d 229, 231 (Tex.Crim.App.1981). Sufficient evidence of constructive delivery has been found where the suspect initiated and was present during the transaction, even though he did not hand over the contraband or accept any money. Woods v. State, 734 S.W.2d 414, 415 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1987), vacated and remanded on other grounds, 758 S.W.2d 285 (Tex.Crim.App.1988).

Appellant concedes that he knew of the existence of the transferee, Officer Dora. However, he urges that the State failed to meet its burden to show that he, as the alleged transferor, had either direct or indirect control of the crack cocaine transferred, relying on Davila v. State, 664 S.W.2d 722 (Tex.Crim.App.1984). In Davi-la, an undercover officer and a companion, Chism, entered the living room of a house where neither Davila nor her common-law husband, Cosme, lived. Davila and another person were seated on a couch. Davila, who knew Chism, got up and asked what the two wanted. Chism answered simply “four.” Davila went outside, engaged in a brief conversation with Cosme, and returned inside and resumed her seat. Cosme came in “in short order,” approached Chism, and asked what he wanted. Chism answered “four,” and Cosme, who had “precisely four” balloons containing cocaine in his hand, placed them in Chism’s hand in exchange for $130.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
828 S.W.2d 254, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 800, 1992 WL 56555, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/swinney-v-state-texapp-1992.