THI RD DI VI SI ON

ELLI NGTON, P. J.

, DI LLA RD and M C FA DDEN, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a ls .us /r ule s /

Jul y 13, 2015



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A0 65 3 . THE STATE v . W RIGHT.

M C F A D D E N , J u d g e.

Th e st at e ap p eal s fro m t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s g ran t o f a g en eral d em u rrer ag ai n s t an

i n d i ct m en t ’ s co un t al l eg i n g t h at To m m y Lu g en e W ri g h t c o m m i tt ed t h e o ffen s e o f

p o s s es s i o n o f a co n t ro l l ed s u b s t an ce i n vi o l at i o n o f OCGA § 1 6 -1 3 -3 0 (a). W e affi rm

,

b ecau s e t h e i n d i ct m en t d o es no t i den t i fy a s u b s t an ce l i s t ed as a co n t ro l l ed su b s t an ce

u n d er t h e s t at u t e.

“ A g en eral dem

u rrer ch al l en g es t h e su ffi ci en cy o f t h e s u b s t an c e o f t h e

i n d i ct m en t [.] ” Br

ya n t v. S t at e

, 3 2 0 Ga. Ap p

. 8 3 8

, 8 4 1 (3 ) (7 4 0 SE2 d 7 7 2 ) (2 0 1 3 )

(ci t at i o n o m i t t ed ). “ A n i nd i ct m en t sh al l b e d eem ed s u ffi ci en t l y t ech n i cal an d co rrect

t o wi t h s t an d a gen eral d em u rrer i f i t ‘ s t at es t h e offen s e i n t he t erm s an d l an g u ag e o f

t h i s Co d e o r s o p l a i n l y t h a t t h e n at ure o f t h e o ffen s e ch arg ed m ay eas i l y b eu n d ers t o o d b y t he ju ry .’ ” S t a t e v

. C o r h en

, 30 6 Ga. Ap p

. 4 9 5

, 4 9 7 (7 0 0 SE2 d 9 1 2 )

(2 0 1 0) (q u o ti n g OCGA § 1 7-7 -5 4 (a)).

[I] f an accu s ed wo u ld b e g u i l ty o f t h e cri m e ch arg e d i f t h e fact s as

al l eg ed i n t h e i n d i ct m e n t are t ak en as t ru e, t h en t h e i n d i ct m en t i s

s u ffi ci en t t o wi t h s t an d a g en eral d em u rrer; ho wev er, i f an accu s ed can

ad m i t t o al l of t h e fact s ch arg ed i n t h e i n d i ct m en t an d s ti l l b e i nn o cen t

o f a cri m e, t h e i n d i c t m e n t i s i n s u ffi ci en t an d i s s u bject t o a gen eral

d em u rrer.

Id . (ci t at i o n om i tt ed ). Th i s p res en t s a q u es t i o n o f l aw t h at we rev i ew d e n o v o

. S t a t e

v. McDo wel l , 3 01 Ga. Ap p . 7 5 1 (6 8 8 SE2 d 4 1 7 ) (2 0 0 9 ).

Th e i n d i ct m en t i n t hi s cas e al l eg ed t h at W ri gh t “ u n l a wfu l l y po s s es s [ed ] an d

[h ad ] u n d er [h i s ] co n t ro l 3

, 4 -m et h y len ed i o x y

- N

- e t h y l cat hi n o n e (et h y l o n e), a

s u b s t i t u t ed 2 -am i n o p ro p an -1 -o n e, a Sch ed u l e 1 co n t ro ll ed su b st an ce, in v i o l at i o n o f

OCGA § 1 6-1 3-3 0 (a)[.] ” T h i s d es cri p t i o n o f t h e s u b s tan ce i s n o t s u ffi ci en t t o s h o w

t h at i t i s a co n t ro l l ed su b st an ce wi t h i n t h e m ean i n g o f th e st at ut e. Cf. Ni xd o r f v. S t a t e

,

2 2 6 Ga. 6 1 5, 6 1 7 (1 ) (a) (1 7 6 SE2 d 70 1 ) (1 97 0 ) (co n s i d eri n g, i n ru li n g o n d em u rrer,

wh et h er al leg at io n s in i n d ict m en t w ere s uffi ci en t t o s h o w d efen d an t ’ s o ffi ce was

“ p ri va t e p l ace” wi th i n m ean i n g o f s t at u t e es t ab li s h i n g o ffen se o f eav es d ro p p i n g ). Th e

s u b s t an ce “ 3

, 4 -m et h y l en ed io xy -N-et h y l cat h i n o ne (et h y lo n e)” d o es n o t ap p ear by

2n am e wi t h i n th e s tat u t o ry l i st o f Sch ed u l e 1 co n t ro l l ed s u b s t an ces

. See OCGA § 1 6

-

1 3 -2 5. Th e s t a te a r gue s tha t the p h ras e “ a s ub s t it u t ed 2-am in o p ro p an -1 -o n e” i n d i cat es

t h a t th e s u bs t an ce fal ls u nd er OCGA § 1 6 -1 3 -2 5 (1 2 ) (L), wh i ch i n p ert i n en t p a r t

i d en t i fi es as a Sch ed u l e 1 co n t ro l l ed s u b st an ce “ [a] ny c o m p o u n d

. . . s t ru ct u ral l y

d eri v ed fro m 2 -am i n o p ro p an -1 -o n e b y s u b s t i tu t i o n at t h e 1 -p o s i t i o n wi t h ei t h er

p h en y l , n ap h t h y l , o r t h io p h en e ri n g s y s t em s [.] ” Bu t t h e i n di ct m en t ’ s l an g u ag e d o es

n o t cl earl y refer t o a su b st an ce u n d er OCGA § 1 6 -1 3 -2 5 (1 2 ) (L). It s u s e o f t h e t erm

“ s u b s t i tu t ed ” i s am

b i g u o u s an d co u l d b e co n s t ru ed t o in cl ud e co m p ou n d s t hat d o n ot

m at ch t he p reci s e d efi n i t io n o f th e s t at u t e an d, t h u s

, are n o t co n tro l l ed s ub s t an ces

. So

co n st ru ed

, t h e i n di ct m en t w o ul d n o t ch arg e a cri m e. See g en eral ly Ti b b s v. S t a t e

, 2 1 1

Ga. Ap p

. 2 5 0, 2 5 1 (1 ) (4 38 SE2 d 7 0 6 ) (1 9 9 3 ) (i n d i ct m en t t hat al l eg ed d efen d an t h ad

v i o l at ed s t at u t e p ert ai n i n g t o “ d an g ero us d ru gs ” b u t i d en t ifi ed s u b s t an ces t h at were

n o t “ d an g ero u s d ru gs ” bu t rat h er “ co n t ro l l ed s u b s t an ces ” fai l ed to s t at e an y cri m e an d

wo u l d h av e b een s u b

ject t o d em

u rrer h ad d efen d an t t i m el y fi led s u ch d em

u rrer).

“ An i n d i ct m en t i s t o b e s tri ct l y co ns t ru ed ag ai n s t t h e s t at e wh en a d em u rrer h as

b een fi l ed ag ai n s t i t .” J ack Go g er, Dan i el ’ s G a. Cri m i n al Tri al Pract i ce, § 1 3 -4 (2 0 1 4

-

2 0 1 5 ed .) (ci t at i o ns o m i t t ed ). Becau se th i s i n d ict m en t can b e co ns t ru ed s u ch t h at

W ri g h t wo ul d no t b e g ui lt y of t h e cri m e o f p o s s es s i o n of a co n tro l l ed s ub s t an ce i f t h e

3fact s as al l eg e d i n th e in di ct m en t were t ak en as t ru e, we fi n d n o erro r i n t h e t ri al

co u rt ’ s g ran t o f t h e g en eral d em u rrer t o W ri g h t o n t h at co u nt

.

Ju d g men t a f f i r med

. El l in g t o n

, P. J., co n cu r s ; D i l la r d

, J., co n cu rs i n t h e

j u d g emen t o nl

y

.

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