People v. Farris
People v. Farris
Opinion of the Court
Defendant was charged with and pled guilty to possessing a controlled substance, marijuana, with intent to deliver; MCLA 335.341(l)(c); MSA 18.1070(41)(l)(c). He was sentenced to a prison term of 18 months to 4 years and appeals.
At the outset it is well to mention that defendant Farris pleaded guilty on February 1, 1974, at which time MCLA 335.341(2); MSA 18.1070(41X2), had not as yet been challenged as far as constitutionality of the act was concerned. After this guilty plea People v Serra, 55 Mich App 514; 223 NW2d 28 (1974), was decided and found the act unconstitutional. This statement is made in fairness to the trial judge who did not have the benefit of Serra at the time the plea was taken.
The issue squarely before us entails deciding the applicability of People v Serra, supra, to a guilty plea proceeding. Serra held, and we agree, that the two-ounce presumption
"MCLA 335.341(2); MSA 18.1070(41X2) is infirm in that there is no rational connection between the proven fact (possession of two ounces of marijuana) and the presumed fact (intent to deliver) in light of today’s 'common experience’ ” People v Serra, 55 Mich App 514, 528; 223 NW2d 28, 35-36 (1974).
Proof of the crime of "possession with intent to deliver” does not require the crutch of a presumption.
We are unable to say, from this record, that the trial judge inferred the intent to deliver from the large quantity ("it was pounds”) possessed. We believe that, instead, the statutory presumption was on the trial judge’s mind at the plea taking and at sentencing.
The following dialogue occurred while the plea was taken:
"MR. FARRIS [defendant]: I believe October 5th or 6th, yes, October 6th, I was arrested for possession with intent to deliver marihuana.
"THE COURT: That is the charge against you, that you did possess it unlawfully with intent to deliver it.
"MR. FARRIS: And I’m pleading guilty.
"THE COURT: Well, did you possess marihuana on that date?
"MR. FARRIS: Yes.
* * *
"THE COURT: And how much — what was the answer, yes?
"MR. FARRIS: It was over two ounces.
"THE COURT: Over two ounces?
"MR. FARRIS: Yes.
"THE COURT: About how many ounces was it?
"MR. FARRIS: Oh, I really couldn’t tell you exactly. It was pounds.
"THE COURT: Pounds, plural?
"MR. FARRIS: Yes, sir.
"THE COURT: And there are what, sixteen ounces in a pound?
"MR. FARRIS: Yes, sir.”
Our conclusion is reinforced by the court’s reference to the burden cast upon the accused to rebut the offending presumption (at sentencing):
"The Defendant, by his own admission, had in his possession a substantial quantity of marihuana with the intent to deliver it. That is, he pled guilty to that offense, and no attempt [sic] to rebut the portion of the statute which gives rise to the presumption.”
Defendant claims that the trial judge erroneously failed to determine the factual basis for the plea since there was nothing other than the two ounce presumption to indicate that he intended to deliver the marijuana. The people claim that, because of the amount involved, the intent to deliver is readily inferable.
Relevant portions of GCR 1963, 785.7(3) read:
"(b) The court shall not accept a plea of guilty until it is satisfied that a crime was committed and, through personal interrogation of the defendant, that defendant participated therein.
"(c) If defendant’s description of his actions and any otherwise admissible evidence presented to the court on the record during the plea taking proceedings would not substantially support a finding that defendant is in fact guilty of the charged offense or the offense to which he is pleading, the plea shall be rejected by the court.”
As we perceive the court rule, this subsection
In the instant case, the record reveals that the attention of the trial judge focused on the amount involved and not on defendant’s intent. Although the people argue that the trial judge considered the quantity as circumstantial evidence of intent, the record reveals that the judge impermissibly considered the quantity as a substitute for the element of intent. If, as we held in Serra, it is irrational for a jury to presume intent solely from the fact that more than two ounces were possessed, it is equally improper for the plea taking judge to reach the same conclusion.
We reluctantly conclude that the record does not reveal the factual basis for a finding of specific intent to deliver. As was said in People v Schneff, 392 Mich 15, 25-26; 219 NW2d 47, 53 (1974):
"It is our opinion that MCLA 768.35; MSA 28.1058 [to the same effect as GCR 1963, 785.7(3)(b)] requires the trial court to derive the factual basis for a guilty plea directly from defendant or through testimony developed at a full adversarial trial. This procedure also provides the best method for assurance that a defendant understands the nature of the charge to which he is pleading. A complete recitation of facts from the defendant also provides for increased appellate certainty when reviewing challenged guilty pleas.” (Footnote omitted.)
Reversed and remanded.
"Possession of more than two ounces of marijuana is prima facie evidence of possession with intent to deliver.”
US Const, Am V; Const 1963, art 1, § 17.
Concurring in Part
(concurring in part, dissenting in part). I concur with my brothers that this cause
My quarrel is not with the majority’s reasoning in the case at bar, but rather with this Court’s opinion in Serra. I read Serra to say that a jury may readily infer that a person possessing a large amount of a controlled substance intended to deliver it.
It is true that Serra twice recognized that intent to deliver could be permissibly inferred from the quantity involved.
It is my opinion that in declaring the two-ounce presumption rule unconstitutional, the Serra Court inadvertently, through an unfortunate choice of words, actually strengthened that rule by
To say that a jury may not presume intent from the amount of a controlled substance possessed but it may infer such intent is not only illogical and ambiguous, but furthermore assumes that the average jury will be able to make the legal distinction between presumption and inference. Labels alone are not sufficient to make the distinction. Appellate courts, trial courts and advocates have had difficulty over the years when attempting to distinguish a presumption from an inference. If the legal profession has had such difficulty, how can we honestly expect a jury of laymen to be able to do so?
It is my opinion that Serra, as written, is for all intents and purposes, a legal nullity. The opinion simply did not go far enough in its attempt to throw out the harmful effects of the two-ounce presumption rule. By allowing the jury to draw an inference of intent from the mere fact of the amount of a controlled substance possessed, the Serra Court has placed defendant in the same position that he was in before the Serra opinion was released. The only evidence which can effectively rebut the inference is the defendant’s own testimony as to his intent. This was true before Serra and it is still true today. Thus, despite Serra, a defendant is still compelled to take the stand in violation of his right against self-incrimination
I wish to make one more point before closing. The offense with which defendant was charged was possessing a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Intent to deliver is an element of this offense which should be proven by the prosecutor
My reading of Serra is based on excerpts of the opinion found on pages 520 and 525.
US Const, Am V.
Const 1963, art 1, § 17.
In reference to guilty pleas, I think that the better practice in accepting a guilty plea to a specific intent crime is for the trial court to ask the defendant point blank whether he entertained the illicit intent.
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