Yantis v. State

476 S.W.2d 24, 1972 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2260
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 11, 1972
Docket44328, 44329
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 476 S.W.2d 24 (Yantis v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Yantis v. State, 476 S.W.2d 24, 1972 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2260 (Tex. 1972).

Opinion

OPINION

DALLY, Commissioner.

The conviction is for possession of marihuana; the punishment for each appellant, two years. The imposition of the sentenc *26 es was suspended and appellants were granted probation.

The jointly indicted appellants both waived a jury trial, entered pleas of not guilty and were tried before the court.

We first consider appellant’s ground of error no. 4, which challenges the sufficiency of the evidence and is stated: “The trial court erred in refusing to grant defendants’ motion for verdict upon the conclusion of the testimony, as the state had wholly failed to prove a material element of the charge, viz., that defendants were in control and custody of the marihuana seized.”

When the officers approached the apartment to execute a search warrant they found the door open. After they entered the apartment they saw the appellants and a girl in the apartment. A penny matchbox containing what was proved to be 1.19 grams of marihuana seeds and a “plastic baggie” containing what was proved to be 3.03 grams of marihuana leaves and stems were found in the apartment in plain view on the serving counter dividing the kitchen from the living room. The appellant Doughty was found in a bedroom at a desk or nightstand making entries in a checkbook. A box was found in the dresser in that bedroom which contained 27.91 grams of what was proved to be marihuana seeds. On the desk where the appellant Doughty was making the entries in the checkbook was found one clay pipe. Another clay pipe was found in the dresser. The chemist and toxicologist testified that he found that there were traces of marihuana in these pipes. Karen Meine testified that she was the assistant manager of the apartment house and while in that capacity she became acquainted with the appellants Yantis and Doughty. She said that she had collected rent for the apartment from both of the appellants from time to time. She recalled the events of the 5th day of May, 1970, when some police officers came to the apartment house during the nighttime hours. At that time both appellants Doughty and Yantis were residing at Apartment No. 231, in the apartment house located at 711 W. 32nd in Austin. Appellants had taken up residence on separate occasions, but both had lived there more than thirty days before the 5th of May of 1970.

The evidence is sufficient to show the appellants had such “control and custody” of the marihuana seized to constitute possession. Cf. Blaylock v. State, 171 Tex.Cr.R. 665, 352 S.W.2d 727 (1961); King v. State, 169 Tex.Cr.R. 34, 335 S.W. 2d 378 (1959) and Tomlin v. State, 170 Tex.Cr.R. 108, 338 S.W.2d 735 (1960). Appellant’s ground of error no. 4 is overruled.

Ground of error no. 3 is that “The court erred in admitting the marihuana into evidence inasmuch as it was seized pursuant to the execution of a search warrant based upon an affidavit which failed to state probable cause.”

In Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S. Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 (1964), the Supreme Court set out two requirements for an affidavit for a search warrant, where the affidavit is based upon hearsay evidence. Aguilar requires, first, that the issuing magistrate “be informed of some of the underlying circumstances from which the informant concluded that the narcotics were where [they said] they were” and, secondly, that he be informed of “some of ■ the underlying circumstances from which the officer concluded that the informant, whose identity need not be disclosed . . was ‘credible’ or his information ‘reliable’.” 378 U.S. at 114, 84 S.Ct. at 1514.

The appellants agree that an affidavit used to obtain a search warrant may be based upon hearsay evidence. Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, 80 S.Ct. 725, 4 L.Ed.2d 697 (1960). They also concede that the affidavit for the search warrant in the instant case meets the first requirement of Aguilar v. Texas, supra.

*27 The appellants argue that the affidavit here in question does not meet the requirements of the second test of Aguilar and that the deficiencies of the affidavit are like those in the case of Kemp v. State, 464 S.W.2d 141 (Tex.Cr.App.1970), which the majority of this court held to be insufficient. The allegations in that affidavit concerning the credibility of the informant were “We have been informed of the existence of the foregoing set out facts by reliable, credible and trustworthy citizen of Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.”

The pertinent part of the affidavit in this case reads:

“ . . . that on or about the 5th day of May, A.D. 1970, affiant received information from a credible and reliable informant that Kent Yantis W-M-20 and Travis Doughty, W-M-20 were keeping and using marijuana at their apartment, located in Buckingham Square Apartments, Apartment 231 which is located at 711 W. 32nd. Informant has been present within the last 24 hours and has observed numerous containers of marijuana plants scattered about the entire apartment. Several penny matchboxes of marijuana were located on the breakfast bar dividing the living room and the kitchen. Also, a plastic bag of marijuana seed was observed on the couch in the living room. Informant further states that he has been present in the Yantis Doughty apartment when they have been smoking marijuana and that they have numerous visitors coming and going regularly to their apartment who also participate in the use of marijuana. Though the informant has not given information in the past, the credibility and reliability has been established by his excellent reputation in the neighborhood in which he resides, the lack of a criminal record and his continuous gainful employment.”

The portion of the affidavit which we must focus on to determine the issue raised in this case is “Though the informant has not given information in the past, the credibility and reliability has been established by his excellent reputation in the neighborhood in which he resides, the lack of a criminal record and his continuous gainful employment.” Does this quoted portion of the affidavit meet the second requirement of Aguilar?

The allegations in this affidavit show that the affiant has made a considerable effort to determine the “credibility and reliability” of his informant. The affiant could not truthfully swear that his informant had an excellent reputation in the neighborhood where he resided without taking some means to determine how that excellent reputation had been established. The affiant could not truthfully swear that his informant did not have a criminal record without making some investigation to determine that his statement was true and correct. The affiant could not truthfully state that the informant had continuous gainful employment without making some effort to gain this information. If we apply the “common sense teachings” of United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102, 85 S.Ct. 741, 13 L.Ed.2d 684 (1965); Brinegar v.

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Bluebook (online)
476 S.W.2d 24, 1972 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2260, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yantis-v-state-texcrimapp-1972.