State v. Lopez

Feb 26, 1974
No. 13402
Reporters:
,
Before:
Henriod
HENRIOD, Justice:

Appeal from a conviction for possessing a controlled substance (Obedrin L. A.). Affirmed.

Defendant forged a ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍doctor’s prescription. The druggist, suspicioning it, told defendant to return later, which she did, but, after having paid for the drug, was about to take it and leave,—when apprehended and ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍prevented from doing so by a peace officer who arrested her for violation of Title 58-37-8(4) (a) (ii) Utah Code Annotated 1953, as amended.

Only question is whether defendant violated the act ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍with respect to gaining possession by virtue of a forgery. We think that under the circumstances of this case the defendant’s actions and intent and the custodial features involved here impress ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍us with a conclusion that technical touching and taking or asportation and such are minutiae, and should not be dispositive of the clear import of the statute or by any ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍hypertechnical claim of abuse by split-second interruption.

CALLISTER, C. J., and ELLETT, CROCKETT and TUCKETT, JJ., concur.