Jеssie Mae Malone was indicted for possession of marijuana for purposes other than for her personal use. The jury found the appellant "guilty as charged in the indictment" and after a sentencing hearing the trial judge sentеnced her to two years' imprisonment. *1388
On February 13, 1982, Sergeant Ed Taylor and Sergeant Frank Debuty of the Decatur Police Department, and Lieutenant Walter Price and Lieutenant James Hudson of the Morgan County Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant at 1301 Sunset Drive in Decatur, Alabama. Such warrant was executed at 7:34 a.m. and its purpose was for marijuana. Upon obtaining entry into this apartment, Sergeant Taylor and Lieutenant Price went upstairs, аnd Sergeant Debuty and Lieutenant Hudson stayed downstairs. Upstairs, the officers located a black female, the appellant, in one bedroom and a black male and black female in another bedroom. All of the oсcupants of the apartment were brought together downstairs in the living room. Sergeant Debuty testified that at this point all occupants were read theirMiranda rights.
Lieutenant Price testified that he searched the appellant's bedrоom where he found a large plastic bag, which contained marijuana, beneath a chair in the room. Underneath the same chair he found another bag which contained 40 to 50 coin envelopes. Each of these еnvelopes contained marijuana. He found two sets of gram scales, in plain view, on top of the dresser in the bedroom. He further found two boxes of coin envelopes in one of the dresser drawers.
Sergeant Taylor tеstified that upon his search of the living room he found more marijuana under the seat cushions on the couch. He also found a box which contained $93.96 in cash under the same couch. He said that he then asked all of the ocсupants of the apartment who owned the marijuana. He said the appellant spoke up and stated "[i]t's not theirs, they didn't have anything to do with it." Taylor then took the appellant into the kitchen, advised her of her Miranda rights, and asked hеr who owned the marijuana. He stated that she said it belonged to her.
The appellant was arrested and taken to the Decatur Police Department. Sergeant Taylor read her a form which had herMiranda rights printed on it and also a waiver of those rights. Sergeant Taylor stated that the appellant then read the form and signed the waiver of rights. He stated that the appellant proceeded to make a confession, which he reduced to writing. The appellant read the confession, initialed, and signed this writing.
After the appellant's arrest she gave the following statement to Sergeant Taylor:
"This statement is being written by Sgt. Taylor, but the words are my own. Nothing has been promised to me for making this statement. Today the police searched my house and found several nickle bags. All the nickle bags of marijuana belonged to me. The large bag of marijuana the police found also belonged to me. I had the marijuana to sell. It should be a little less than a pound. I bаgged up the nickles last night before I went to work. The police also found some money in a box. All of that money came from marijuana I sold yesterday. I have been selling marijuana for around two months." (R. 139-140)
It is the last two sentences оf the appellant's statement that the appellant claims should not have been admitted.
As a general rule, parts of a confession which include admission of offenses separate from those relating to the crimе in issue are not admissible. Madison v. State,
In the present case, the appellant's admission of the prior sale of marijuana was relevant to prove her intent, motive, scheme or on-going business system to engage in illegal drug transaсtions. See Montgomery v. State, supra; Jordan v. State, supra; Terry v. State,
Moreover, such was relevant and substantial evidence, in addition to the rest of the evidence, that the appellant held such marijuana for other than her personal use as averred in the indictment.
The State must show voluntariness and a Miranda predicate in order for a statement to be deemed admissible. Thomas v. State,
Generally, it is the province of the trial judge to first determine the voluntariness of a statement in a voir dire examination outside the presence of the jury, and unless there is clear abuse this decision will not be overturned. Duncan v.State,
In this cause the trial judgе's conclusion that the statements were voluntary and admissible was adequately supported by the evidence and this decision will not be overturned.
The appellant's argument has no merit. The rule in Alabama is precisely the opposite of her argument. "Although the hearsay allegations of a reliable informant may be considered in hearing a motion to suppress, conducted outside the jury's presence, in determining probable cause for an arrest or sеarch, they have no place in the trial itself." Small v.State,
The trial court did not err in not allowing the search warrant affidavit into evidence. If he had admitted the affidavit which contained hearsay allegations of a confidential informer, he would have been in error.
The general rule is that the prosecution is privileged to withhold from thе accused disclosure of the identity of an informant, unless it is essential to the defense set up by the accused and necessary to show their innocence. Hood v. State,
In this case, the confidential informant was not an active participant with the appellant in possession of the marijuana found in her home. The informant merely supplied police officers with information to establish probable cause for a search of the appellant's residence. In cases such as the one sub judice, a prosecution for possession and not for sale, this court has held that such disclosure is not necessary to the defense or necessary to show the accused's innocence. See Dixonv. State,
In a prosecution for illegal possession of marijuana, there is a presumption that the possession is for other than personal use. The showing of possession for personal use is a defensive matter and the burden of adducing evidence on this issue is upon the accusеd. Corbin v. State,
Although it is not necessary for the State to prove that possession of marijuana was not for personal use, they assumed the burden of so doing by the wording of the indictment. "[I]t is axiomatic that some indicia of [her] intent would have to come out in the prosecutor's proof to support this averment."Corbin v. State, supra. In this cause the State assumed this burden and the evidence was sufficient to support such avermеnt. Moreover, in light of the evidence in this cause, the appellant was in no way prejudiced by such averments. Therefore, we find no error in the trial court's denial of appellant's motions.
We have carefully reviewed the record in this cause and can find no error therein.
The judgment of the trial court is due to be and is hereby affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
All the Judges concur.
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