State v. Cunningham
State v. Cunningham
Opinion of the Court
Defendant-appellant, Bruce Cunningham,, appeals from a conviction of unlawful possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor. A jury was waived and the case was tried to-the court. The defendant was found guilty and placed on probation for nine months-
The facts considered in the light most-favorable to upholding the judgment of the-
When the officer asked the appellant where he got the cigarette that he was rsmoking, he responded that he had gotten it from Mr. Mackey.
The appellant presents the following ■question for review:
“Where a useable quantity of marijuana was not found upon the person of the defendant, but where a companion with whom defendant was walking along the street was found to have marijuana in his possession, was there sufficient evidence to convict the defendant of the unlawful possession of marijuana? ”
In raising the foregoing question, appellant contends that the court erred in admitting into evidence the box of marijuana cigarettes which Mackey had in his possession and compounded this error by then finding appellant guilty of possession of marijuana.
At the trial the expert witness for the State testified that the remains of the cigarette which Officer Wingfield secured from appellant contained some burnt residue and two or three scorched marijuana seeds. On cross-examination this expert testified as follows:
“Q. Did you determine whether or not the two seeds in the cigarette butt contained any tetrahydrocannibinol ?
A. The seeds contained very little if any tetrahydrocannibinol.
Q. Did you run a test to determine whether or not these particular burned seeds contained tetrahydrocannibinol ?
A. No, I did not.
Q. And is it your opinion then that it is not a useable amount of marijuana, is that correct?
A. Yes, it is not a useable amount.”
Appellant first contends that it was error to admit into evidence the cigarettes that Mackey had attempted to conceal. It is true that the crime of illegal possession of marijuana requires either physical possession or constructive possession with knowledge of the presence of marijuana. State v. Hunt, 91 Ariz. 149, 370 P.2d 642 (1962); Carroll v. State, 90 Ariz. 411, 368 P.2d 649 (1962). It is further true that while both direct and circumstantial evidence may be used to show possession of marijuana, the evidence must link the defendant to the marijuana in a manner and to an extent that a reasonable inference arises that not only did the accused know of the marijuana’s existence
1. The appellant smelled like marijuana.
2. The cigarette was being passed back and forth, a common practice in the smoking of marijuana.
3. The butt contained marijuana seeds, although they were scorched.
4. The yellow paper of the cigarette butt appears to be the same as the yellow paper on the marijuana cigarettes which Mackey attempted to hide.
5. Cunningham stated he got the cigarette from Mackey.
6. The cigarettes in Mackey’s possession were definitely proven to contain marijuana.
All these facts together are sufficient for-the trier of fact to determine that the cigarette butt which appellant had in his possession at one time contained marijuana prior to its being smoked down to the point where it contained only a burnt' residue and a few charred seeds. The narcotic character of the substance may be proved. by circumstantial evidence. People v. Francis, 71 Cal.2d 66, 75 Cal.Rptr. 199, 450 P.2d 591 (1969); State v. Goetz, 491 P.2d 220 (Or.App. 1971); State v. Larkins, 3 Wash.App. 203, 473 P.2d 854 (1970), reversed on other grounds, 79 Wash.2d 392, 486 P.2d 95 (1971).
Affirmed.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting)..
I regret that I must dissent from the-opinion of my worthy and able colleagues..
The trial court’s first error was in admitting as one exhibit the marijuana cigarettes in the possession of Mr. Mackey,, which he attempted to hide under the seat: of the unmarked police vehicle. There is-no showing that appellant Cunningham had. anything to do with these cigarettes and. there is no showing of any control or dominion over them or joint possession of the cigarettes.
The other portion of the exhibit, the remains of a burned cigarette in the possession of appellant Cunningham, did not have a useable amount of marijuana, as-was proven by the State’s witness, Anna. Steerngast of the Tucson-Pima County-Crime Laboratory.
Our Supreme Court has repeatedly held'that there must be a useable amount of the-narcotic drug
For the reasons stated, the conviction of the appellant Cunningham should be reversed.
. There is a grave question as to whether marijuana is a narcotic drug.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The STATE of Arizona, Appellee, v. Bruce CUNNINGHAM, Appellant
- Cited By
- 11 cases
- Status
- Published