WALTER DEVERE DENT, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 1st DCA | 1974-10-15
No. T-363
BOYER, J., concurs., SPECTOR, Acting C. J., dissents.
301 So. 2d 475 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1974) Negative Treatment
Cited by 10 cases

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Synopsis

Walter Dent appeals his jury conviction on four counts—two for possession of cocaine and two for sale of cocaine. The First District Court of Appeal affirms the possession convictions but reverses the sale convictions due to insufficient evidence, holding that Dent merely arranged drug sales between an undercover agent and third parties rather than engaging in the sales himself.


Holding

The court affirmed the possession convictions but reversed the sale convictions due to insufficient evidence. The evidence showed only that Dent arranged sales between the agent and others, without personally handling the drugs or money during the transfers. The court found no error regarding entrapment jury instructions or the admission of the agent's testimony.


Headnotes

[1] A jury instruction on entrapment is not required when the evidence shows no inducement or instigation on the part of the agent.

[2] Evidence is insufficient to support a conviction for the sale of illegal drugs when the defendant merely arranged the transaction between an undercover agent and another…

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Key Quotes

“The evidence shows nothing more than appellant arranging the sales between the agent and other persons. In both transactions, the agent gave the money for the illegal drugs to an individual other than appellant and then, at a later date, paid appellant compensation for arranging the sale.”

Establishes the factual distinction between merely arranging a sale and actually engaging in a sale, which was the basis for reversing the sale convictions.

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Facts & Procedural History

An undercover Department of Law Enforcement agent met Dent at a tavern and arranged to purchase cocaine. In two separate transactions at Dent's home, …

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Opinion of the Court
JOHNSON, Judge.

JOHNSON, Judge.

Appellant seeks reversal of his conviction in a jury trial on charges of two counts of possession and two counts of sale of cocaine, for which he was sentenced to three years on each of the four counts, said sentences to run concurrently.

The evidence adduced at trial shows that an undercover agent for the Department of Law Enforcement first met appellant in a tavern, where a discussion of drugs ensued. The undercover agent made arrangements with appellant t'o meet at appellant’s home on October 17, 1972. On that date, the agent went to appellant’s home and appellant asked him if he had the money. Receiving an affirmative reply, appellant and Newkirk, one of appellant’s roommates, left the room and Newkirk produced the cocaine. Appellant and the agent weighed the substance and then the agent paid to Newkirk $725.00. Thereafter, appellant and the agent had discussions relative to the compensation appellant might receive for having arranged the above transaction.

On November 6, 1972, the agent again met with appellant at appellant’s home. On this occasion, one Diez was present. The agent paid appellant $30.00 for the prior transaction and then Diez produced a quantity of cocaine, for which the agent paid Diez $725.00. Several days later, the agent paid appellant $10.00 and subsequently paid him an additional $20.00 as compensation for having arranged this second purchase. As noted above, the jury found appellant guilty of all four counts of possession and sale and appellant was sentenced to three years on each count, said sentences to run concurrently.

Appellant raises three points on this appeal. He contends that the jury should have been instructed as to the law of entrapment; that certain testimony should have been compelled from the agent or, in the alternative, that the agent’s entire testimony should have been stricken; and that the evidence was insufficient to support the convictions for the sale of illegal drugs.

A review of the entire record in this cause, as well as oral argument and the briefs submitted by counsel, leads us to conclude that no error occurred with respect to the entrapment issue or the testimony of the agent. We find insufficient evidence of inducement or instigation on the part of the agent so as to justify charging the jury on the law of entrapment. Nor can we find, from the record as a whole, that prejudicial error resulted during the questioning of the agént.

However, we do find and so hold that the evidence was insufficient to support a jury verdict with regard to the sale charges. The evidence shows nothing more than appellant arranging the sales between the agent and other persons. In both transactions, the agent gave the money for the illegal drugs to an individual other than appellant and then, at a later date, paid appellant compensation for arranging the sale. Appellant did not receive or pay any money during the drug transfer. He was simply present during said transfer, and the compensation received by him was for making the arrangements. Appellant cites numerous cases from other jurisdictions which have adopted an agency theory with respect to similar factual situations. However, we note that in those cases, the accused had actually purchased the illicit drugs for and on behalf of the agent. We do not feel that we need to discuss this agency theory further, inasmuch as it does not appear to us from the evidence that appellant had anything to do with the actual sales made in this case.

Although neither party has raised this issue, we note in passing that even if the evidence did support the sale convictions, we would be compelled to vacate those sentences imposed for the two counts of possession. In each instance, the cocaine which appellant was convicted of possessing was the same cocaine as that which he was convicted of selling. Hence, he was convicted of two facets or phases of the same transaction, and could only be sentenced for the higher of such offenses. Yost v. State, 243 So. 2d 469 (Fla.App.3rd, 1971). Thus, even if we were to affirm on the merits, the two sentences imposed for possession (3 years each) would have to be vacated. By reversing on the grounds that the evidence was insufficient to support the guilty verdicts on the two sale counts, it is required that the two sentences imposed for sale (3 years each) be vacated.

In conclusion, as to the adjudication of guilt of possession of illegal drugs and the two concurrent three year sentences imposed therefor, we affirm. As to the convictions for sale, we reverse and direct that the sentences imposed therefor be vacated.

Affirmed in part; reversed in part with directions.

BOYER, J., concurs.

SPECTOR, Acting C. J., dissents.

Dissent
SPECTOR, Acting Chief Judge

SPECTOR, Acting Chief Judge

(dissenting) :

I respectfully dissent. In my view, appellant was an accessory to the crime of selling cocaine, at the very least. By operation of Section 776.011, Florida Statutes, appellant is thus guilty of sale. Jacobs v. State, 184 So. 2d 711 (Fla.App.1966).

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Citator

Cited By

  • State v. Dent, 322 So. 2d 543 (Fla. 1975)
    …ENGLAND, Justice. By petition for certiorari we are asked to review a decision of the First District Court of Appeal, reported at 301 So. 2d 475, which directly conflicts with Jacobs v. State, 184 So. 2d 711 (1st DCA Fla.1966). We have jurisdiction.1 The state asks us to reinstate respondent’s conviction following a jury trial on two counts of selling cocaine. The events leading to responde…
  • Jackson v. State, 311 So. 2d 811 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975)
    …or phases of the same transaction and could only be sentenced for the higher of such offenses; to wit: the sale of cocaine. Yost v. State, 243 So. 2d 469 (Fla.App. 3rd, 1971); Johnson v. State, 260 So. 2d 212 (Fla.App. 1st, 1972); and Dent v. State, 301 So. 2d 475 (Fla.App. 1st, 1974). Upon the authority of the above cited cases, we reverse the sentence on the possession count and affirm the sentence on the sale count, without the necessity of bringing the appellant before the trial court for resentencing.…
  • Sonny Marshall and Silvia P. Hanson v. State, 321 So. 2d 114 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975)
    …the evidence adduced by the state at trial established him as a mere broker in the drug transaction which is insufficient to support a conviction for sale of a controlled substance under the holding of this Court in Dent v. State, Fla.App. 1st 1974, 301 So. 2d 475. The Dent case involved two separate drug transactions which the defendant arranged. Although the defendant received money as a result of the narcotics purchases, it was clear that he was being compensated not for the sale itself but for his service…

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