Thompson v. State

290 N.E.2d 724, 259 Ind. 587, 1972 Ind. LEXIS 517
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 20, 1972
Docket1071S299
StatusPublished
Cited by104 cases

This text of 290 N.E.2d 724 (Thompson v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thompson v. State, 290 N.E.2d 724, 259 Ind. 587, 1972 Ind. LEXIS 517 (Ind. 1972).

Opinions

ARTERBURN, C.J.,

— Defendant-Appellant, Leonard Ray Thompson, was charged in a two-count affidavit with both the possession (Count I) and the sale (Count II) of dangerous drugs, to wit: Lysergic acid diethylamide (hereinafter sometimes referred to as LSD). Acts 1961, Ch. 45, §3, p. 81 [.Burns’ Ind. Stat. Ann. § 35-3333 (1969 Repl.)] subsequently amended by IC 1971, 16-6-8-3 (a) and (c) [Burns’ Ind. Stat. [589]*589Ann. § 35-3333 (a) and (c) (1972 Supp.)]. He was tried by a jury and found guilty on both Counts. On Count I, possession of dangerous drugs, the trial court imposed a suspended sentence of imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than ten years. Appellant was fined $25.00 plus court costs on this charge. On Count II, sale of dangerous drugs, Appellant received a sentence of not less than one year and not more than ten years. He was also finded $25.00 and costs for this offense.

Appellant urges two grounds for reversal: First, he contends that he was entrapped and unlawfully induced to commit the offenses charged. He further maintains that the imposition of sentence for the sale of dangerous drugs under Count II constitutes double jeopardy since the crime of possession, as contained in Count I, is an included offense of the crime of selling dangerous drugs. U.S. CONST, amend. V and XIV: IND. CONST, art. I, § 14.

The testimony reveals that Chmelik, a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, accompanied by an informant known as Katz, contacted a certain Rob Nau at Nau’s residence in Bloomington, Indiana, in order to purchase a pound of mescaline. At Nau’s request, Chmelik displayed $1400 for the purchase; however, Chmelik and Katz left Nau’s residence since Nau was apparently unable to locate his source of supply. The next day, Chmelik telephone Nau who stated that he then possessed the mescaline. When Chmelik and Katz arrived at the same residence in Blooming-ton, Nau instructed them to follow him to another residence where they encountered the defendant, Leonard Ray Thompson. Chmelik informed Thompson that Nau had advised him that a pound of mescaline was available for sale. Thompson replied that he didn’t have any mescaline, but that he did have LSD, approximately 250 “doses” at $2.50 per tablet.

Chmelik then left the residence to examine a sample tablet. Upon his return, Thompson displayed three amber bottles con[590]*590taining approximately 250 tablets. Chmelik asked Thompson to accompany him outside so that Chmelik could give Thompson the money and take delivery. Thompson was arrested by Chmelik as they approached the agent’s car.

It should be noted that the facts of this case involve an unusual situation for a claim of entrapment. Normally, the initial suspect becomes the ultimate defendant. See eg. Sherman v. United States (1958), 365 U.S. 369, 78 S. Ct. 819, 2 L. Ed. 2d 848; Sorrells v. United States (1932), 287 U.S. 435, 53, S. Ct. 210, 77 L. Ed. 413, 86 A. L. R. 249. Gray v. State (1967), 249 Ind. 629, 231 N. E. 2d 641; cf. Walker v. State (1970), 255 Ind. 65, 262 N. E. 2d 641; See generally Note, 38 NOTRE DAME LAW. 741 (1962-63). In this case, however, a previously unsuspected third-party stranger, whom no one intended to trap, is the ultimate defendant. Three recent federal court cases have met this issue, concluding that the defense of entrapment is not available in such a situation. We believe that these cases achieve a logical result and we adopt their reasoning :

“Where a third party, who does not know the true identity of the Government agent, unwittingly leads the Government agent to the defendant, there is no entrapment because it is the third party who induces the initial violation, not the Government agent. Therefore, the Government is not “the initiator of the defendant’s illegal acts in the sense of having induced the defendant to do what the defendant would otherwise not have been willing to do.” (citations omitted).

United States v. DeLoache (W. D. Mo. 1969), 304 F. Supp. 183, 186; See also United States v. Fox (7th Cir. 1971), 437 F. 2d 733 and United States v. Romano (2nd Cir. 1960), 278 F. 2d 202.

Proof of entrapment constitutes a defense to the crime charged and is a question of fact for the jury. Osburn v. United States (1966), 385 U.S. 323, 87 S.Ct. 429, 17 L. Ed. 2d 394; Masciale v. United States (1958), 356 U.S. 386. 78 S. Ct. 827, 2 L. Ed. 2d 859. In this case [591]*591the jury was properly instructed on this issue. After reviewing the record, we conclude that there is sufficient evidence of probative value to support the verdict and the finding that there was no entrapment. Riner v. State (1972), 258 Ind. 428, 281 N. E. 2d 815; Gann v. State (1971), 256 Ind. 429, 269 N. E. 2d 381. See also Smith v. State (1972), 258 Ind. 415, 281 N. E. 2d 803, 805.

From the very beginning of his activities, the Government agent, in this case, simply allowed events to take their natural course. Having properly commenced an investigation centering upon a prime suspect, the agent may follow it to its logical conclusion as a means of apprehending the accused even though the accused turns out to be a third-party stranger. As Givan, J., observed in Walker v. State (1970), 255 Ind. 65, 262 N. E. 2d 641, 645:

“Investigations are not conceived and completed instanter. All criminal investigations by their very nature must be a series of steps calculated to increasingly gain additional information based upon prior acquired lesser information.”

We, therefore, conclude that there was no entrapment in this case.

Appellant next complains that he has been subjected to double jeopardy. We understand the essence of his argument to be that the imposition of sentence under Count II, sale of dangerous drugs, was improper since Appellant had already been sentenced for the possession of dangerous drugs under Count I.

The Double Jeopardy clause is assurance that the State will not be allowed to make repeated attempts to convict an accused for the same offense. U.S. CONST, amend. V and XIY; IND. CONST. Art. 1, §14; See Benton v. Maryland (1969), 395 U.S. 784, 89 S. Ct. 2056, 23 L. Ed. 2d 707; Green v. United States (1957), 355 U.S. 184, 78 S. Ct. 221, 2 L. Ed. 2d 199, 61 A. L. R. 2d 1119; Armentrout v. State (1938), 214 Ind. 273, 15 N. E. 2d 363. Since Appellant [592]*592has been subjected to only one judicial proceeding for the offenses charged, his claim of double jeopardy is inappropriate. Kokenes v. State (1938), 213 Ind. 476, 13 N. E. 2d 524.

However, he has received, in effect, double punishment for a single offense arising from but one set of operative circumstances. See Kokenes v. State, supra.

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Bluebook (online)
290 N.E.2d 724, 259 Ind. 587, 1972 Ind. LEXIS 517, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-state-ind-1972.