United States v. Joseph E. Palmer

467 F.2d 371, 151 U.S. App. D.C. 317, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 10172
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedApril 11, 1972
Docket71-1505
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 467 F.2d 371 (United States v. Joseph E. Palmer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Joseph E. Palmer, 467 F.2d 371, 151 U.S. App. D.C. 317, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 10172 (D.C. Cir. 1972).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Appellant was convicted of two narcotics offenses — possession of narcotic drugs not in the original stamped package (26 U.S.C. § 4704(a)) and receipt and concealment of narcotic drugs, knowing the same to have been imported contrary to law (21 U.S.C. § 174) — and sentenced to concurrent terms of imprisonment of one to five years, respectively. His appeal contends that he was prejudiced by the failure of the Government to introduce three sport coats into evidence in which some of the narcotics were found and by the instructions given on constructive possession. He also contends that the Government should have introduced the contents of a search warrant which allegedly showed that some person other than appellant had been selling narcotics from his apartment. We see no necessity for oral argument and affirm the convictions on the briefs and record.

I

On May 4, 1970, police officers executed a search warrant for a four-room apartment with respect to which it was stipulated that appellant was the sole lessee. No person was in the apartment at the time of the search. The search uncovered narcotics in six separate locations in the bedroom: (1) in a front room closet on a top shelf narcotics were uncovered in a piece of tinfoil in a Ko-tex box; (2) tinfoils containing narcotics were also discovered in the closet in a blue denim sport coat, (3) in a green sport coat, and (4) in a charcoal colored sport coat; (5) an additional large piece of tinfoil containing two smaller foil packets of narcotics were discovered near some strainers in a double dresser. Appellant’s photograph and other papers and bills belonging to appellant were discovered in the same dresser drawers. (6) Another packet of narcotics was found on the nightstand in the bedroom.

In addition to the narcotics found in the bedroom, gelatin capsules were found in two locations in the front room and various white powders, subsequently identified as sucrose, dextrose and barbital sodium, were also found in the front room of the apartment. An expert witness testified that those who prepare narcotics for street use mix su *373 crose, dextrose and barbital sodium with heroin to dilute it before packaging it in tinfoil packets or gelatin capsules.

Appellant testified in his own defense and denied the use of narcotics, 1 knowledge of the narcotics and of the narcotics paraphernalia, and ownership of the sport coats. The defense also introduced testimony by a friend (Slade) who stayed in appellant’s apartment while he was away in order to protect costly electronic equipment that was kept there. Slade testified that he stayed in the apartment from Friday, May 1st, until the afternoon of May 4th, while appellant was absent in Philadelphia. On Monday afternoon, according to Slade, a prior friend known only to him as “Preston” came to the apartment, opened a bag and began to spread various jars containing white powder, capsules, tinfoil and other items on the floor and said it was “dope.” Shortly thereafter Slade looked outside and saw that appellant was returning from Philadelphia and told Preston that he would have to “get rid of this stuff.” Preston then, according to Slade, quickly went about the apartment placing the various items in dresser drawers and on the nightstand. Appellant then entered his apartment while Preston was there and the three left together. The search of the apartment occurred shortly thereafter.

II

One of appellant’s contentions on appeal is that the Government’s failure to produce the three sport coats in which some of the drugs were found was prejudicial error since such evidence was necessary to show appellant’s dominion and control over the drugs. It was, however, open to the jury to reach that conclusion from the presence of the narcotics in appellant’s apartment under the circumstances here presented. The sport coats were in the bedroom closet in an apartment of which appellant was the sole lessee, and on the evidence introduced at trial it was as permissible for the jury to find that the sport coats were in the constructive possession of appellant as it was to reach the same conclusion with respect to the narcotics. It might have made a stronger case if the sport coats had been introduced into evidence or if there had been some testimony from which it could have been inferred more strongly that the coats belonged to appellant but, in the absence of any showing that the coats themselves would somehow tend to disprove the Government’s ease or that testimony concerning them was suppressed or incorrect, we do not see that it was necessary for the Government to introduce the coats themselves into evidence. Appellant knew from the Government testimony that three packets of narcotics had been found separately in three sport coats and he could have obtained the coats 2 and he introduced them into evidence. Since appellant took the stand and denied owning any of the jackets or knowledge of the drugs found therein, there would have been no further difficulty for him to testify further as to sizes or to use the coats in demonstration proof. The coats were equally available to both parties to introduce 3 and on the showing here we do not find that any error, prejudicial or otherwise, was committed by the Government in not offering the coats into evidence. We note that the Government made no point in argument to the jury that appellant had not availed himself of the opportunity to subpoena the coats and try them on, but the defense did point out to the jury that, “These coats were not introduced into evidence.”

We thus fail to countenance a claim of prejudicial error based entirely on the evidence which was available to appellant at trial and which he made no attempt to introduce. There was nothing *374 secret about the fact that three packets of narcotics were found by the Government in the three sport coats. Thus appellant had alternative choices. He could subpoena the coats, introduce them and possibly demonstrate whether they fit him or not, or he could stand on his denial that the coats were his. He followed the second course and since he was not foreclosed from following the first course we find no error in this respect in the trial.

On the claim of prejudice, we also note that three other packets of narcotics were found elsewhere in appellant’s bedroom; in a box in the closet, on the nightstand, and in the dresser. So there is ample evidence to support the conviction apart from the dope found in the sport coats.

Ill

Appellant also attacks the instructions given by the trial court on constructive possession. On this phase of the case the judge gave the standard District of Columbia Bar Instructions on actual and constructive possession. He also gave an example of constructive possession. 4

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United States v. Wilson
7 M.J. 290 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1979)
United States v. Joseph B. Davis
562 F.2d 681 (D.C. Circuit, 1977)
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532 F.2d 773 (First Circuit, 1976)
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529 F.2d 12 (First Circuit, 1976)
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Bluebook (online)
467 F.2d 371, 151 U.S. App. D.C. 317, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 10172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-joseph-e-palmer-cadc-1972.