Taylor v. State

1976 OK CR 255, 555 P.2d 1073
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 15, 1976
DocketNo. F-76-268
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1976 OK CR 255 (Taylor v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor v. State, 1976 OK CR 255, 555 P.2d 1073 (Okla. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinions

OPINION

BUSSEY, Judge:

The appellant, Gary Lee Taylor, hereinafter referred to as the defendant, was charged, tried and convicted in the District Court, Woods County, for the offense of Unlawful Delivery of Marijuana in violation of 63 O.S.1971, § 2-401, fl B2. In accordance with the verdict of the jury the defendant was sentenced to a period of two (2) years in the custody and control of the Department of Corrections, State of Oklahoma, and fined Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00). (Case No. CRF-73-58) From said judgment and conviction the defendant has filed this timely appeal.

At the trial, Ted S. Jones testified that he was on duty as Chief of Police of Way-noka, Oklahoma, on October 9, 1973. On this date Herman Marion contacted him by telephone and asked him to come to Park’s Hardware Store, in Waynoka, and bring a marked twenty dollar bill. A few minutes later a meeting was held between the Chief and the witness Marion at which time Marion informed the Chief that he could make a buy from “two boys from Woodward.” At that time the Chief searched Marion and found nothing of significance. He then furnished Marion with a marked twenty dollar bill. The bill was marked with the letters N O K A, being the last four letters in Wyanoka. At this point the Chief returned to the police station and waited. Approximately one hour later, Marion came back to the police station and gave Chief Jones what he called a lid of marijuana in a cellophane container or baggie. Marion also furnished the Chief with a description of the automobile and a brief description of occupants therein. The Chief then proceeded in his own vehicle to look for the automobile, found same, but subsequently lost the car. The Chief then telephoned to the Woodward County Sheriff’s Office and requested that if they should find said automobile to stop and retain it.

On cross-examination, Chief Jones testified that he had known Herman Marion for approximately three (3) months, prior to October 9, 1973. Chief Jones stated that this relationship was very casual and that he had no information in regard to Marion’s reliability as an informant or to his past record.

The State’s second witness, Herman Lee Marion, testified that in 1962 he received a one (1) year suspended sentence on a bogus check charge from Grady County; and in 1971 he was sentenced to five (5) years in the State Penitentiary for forgery and bogus check charge from Canadian County, Oklahoma. He stated that he in fact served over two (2) years in the State Penitentiary at McAIester. The witness then went on to say that during the morning hours of October 9, 1973, he was searching for some help with labor in the construction business when he encountered one Bill Brown coming around the curve on the highway just north of Waynoka. Pie said he had known Brown for approximately a month. He stopped Brown who was accompanied by the defendant, and one other individual in this case, and asked Brown if he would like to work that day. Brown declined to work. At this point according to the witness Marion, Brown asked if Marion would like to purchase some marijuana. (Tr. 32). The witness testified that he did not know the defendant Taylor at that time. Before departing arrangements were made for him to meet Brown, the defendant, and another person at a house in Waynoka. The witness Marion had left the three men and went into Park’s Hardware Store and called Chief Jones. At that time Chief Jones came to the hardware store, searched Marion, and gave him [1075]*1075the marked twenty dollar bill, previously described. The witness Marion identified State’s Exhibit No. 1, as the twenty dollar bill he received from Chief Jones. Upon leaving Park’s he went to Opal Treece’s house, where he met Brown and the defendant and the other person named Chance. Brown then introduced him to the defendant and Chance and then left. Marion and the two individuals then went for a drive in the country for the purpose of testing the marijuana. At that time the three individuals smoked a “joint.” The witness testified that he had smoked marijuana before, mostly while in the State Penitentiary at McAlester, and that in his opinion the substance was marijuana. A conversation was then had concerning the sale and purchase of a lid of marijuana, at which time the defendant, Taylor, handed a lid to the back seat where Marion was riding and the witness Marion then handed the defendant a twenty dollar bill. The witness subsequently identified State’s Exhibit No. 2, as the bag of marijuana that the defendant had sold him. After returning to Waynoka, he went to the police station and turned the marijuana over to Chief Jones.

The next witness for the State was Officer Ron Stevens. Officer Stevens testified that he was the Chief of Police of Moore-land, Oklahoma and that on October 9, 1973, he received information that the Woodward County authorities were looking for a ’61 Chevrolet bearing an Oklahoma WW-4411 license tag. He testified that while sitting at a Conoco Station in Mooreland, he saw the automobile pass through the City of Mooreland, Oklahoma. He then notified Chief Sunderland of the Woodward Police Department who instructed Officer Stevens to follow the automobile and keep the subject in view. Officer Stevens then testified that the defendant’s automobile was stopped about a mile east of the town of Woodward, Woodward County, Oklahoma at which time the occupants were arrested and their persons searched. Officer Stevens also testified that he observed Chief Sunderland of the Woodward Police Department “reach in and get some marijuana out of the car.” Officer Stevens further testified that he saw a twenty dollar bill which was seized from the person of one of the defendants.

The next witness for the State was Officer Don Sunderland. Officer Sunderland testified that he was the Chief of Police of Woodward, Oklahoma. Chief Sunderland identified a baggie which he had taken from the vehicle. Chief Sunderland also testified that he advised the defendant of his Miranda rights.

The next witness for the State was Calvin Rutledge. Mr. Rutledge testified that on October 9, 1973, he was the Undersher-iff of Woodward County, Oklahoma. He testified that he participated in the stopping of the defendant’s vehicle and that it was he who actually placed the defendant under arrest. The former deputy sheriff Rutledge then identified State’s Exhibit No. 1, which was the marked twenty dollar bill. The former deputy sheriff Rutledge identified the twenty dollar bill as coming from the right front pocket of the defendant’s trousers.

The next witness for the State was Mr. Arlo Darr who testified that he was the Chief of Police of Alva, Oklahoma. Mr. Darr testified as to the chain of custody of the State’s Exhibits and that he mailed the exhibits to the State Crime Bureau via the United States mail.

The final witness for the State was Mr. Donald Flynt of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Flynt testified that he was a chemist with that bureau and had been employed as such for some time. After being qualified as an expert, Mr. Flynt testified that in his opinion the items contained in State’s Exhibits Nos. 2 and 3, were marijuana, i. e., cannabis sativa.

After introducing all the State’s Exhibits into evidence the State rested.

The defendant took the stand in his own behalf and testified that he and his com[1076]*1076panion, Mr. Chance, were in Waynoka to look for and meet some girls. He further testified that Mr. Bill Brown was his cousin. He testified that he observed the meeting between Mr.

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Related

Pierce v. State
1990 OK CR 7 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1990)
State v. Hewitt
689 P.2d 22 (Utah Supreme Court, 1984)
Coleman v. State
668 P.2d 1126 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1983)
Taylor v. State
1980 OK CR 121 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1980)

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Bluebook (online)
1976 OK CR 255, 555 P.2d 1073, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-v-state-oklacrimapp-1976.