Source: http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/429/429mass620.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 10:44:17+00:00

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INDICTMENTS found and returned in the Superior Court Department on December 20, 1994.
A pretrial motion to suppress evidence was heard by MaryLou Rup, J., and the cases were tried before her.
LYNCH, J. A jury convicted the defendant of trafficking in 200 or more grams of cocaine and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Prior to trial, the judge denied the defendant's motion to suppress evidence seized during his arrest. The defendant now appeals from all three convictions, arguing that the judge improperly denied his motion to suppress and, in the alternative, urging us to reduce his conviction to reflect possession of a lesser quantity of cocaine. We granted the defendant's application for direct appellate review and now affirm.
the defendant, the officers followed him through the kitchen and into the bedroom. One of the officers conducted a protective sweep of the apartment to determine whether others were present. Both officers noticed a black fabric bag in the kitchen. The bag was partly open and inside it, in plain view, the officers noticed clear vials with bright orange caps. One of the officers knew from training and experience that vials of this type were often used by local dealers as packaging for cocaine. This officer then "looked around inside" the bag and noted several paper bags filled with vials containing what looked to be cocaine, a razor blade, and a hand gun. Leaving the bag in the kitchen, he resumed escorting the defendant to the bedroom to dress. The officers advised the defendant of his Miranda rights in Spanish twice, which the defendant freely and voluntarily waived. The defendant then signed a "consent to search" form that one of the officers had translated into Spanish for him. At this point, the defendant indicated that he lived in the apartment and had originally rented it under another name, but that he later changed the name on the lease to his friend's name. On a subsequent search of the apartment, the police discovered and seized the black bag along with its contents, narcotics, narcotics related paraphernalia, cash, and personal documents.
On appeal, the defendant argues that the officers entered the apartment unlawfully, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and art. 14 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights or, in the alternative, that the officers, in failing to notify the defendant that they were there to arrest him, violated the knock and announce rule. The defendant further contends that the judge should not have admitted the items seized and the defendant's statements in evidence, because they were obtained as a result of an unlawful entry into the defendant's home. Lastly, the defendant argues that, because neither the verdict slip nor the jury's verdict given in open court indicated the amount of cocaine on which the jury based their conviction, we should reduce the conviction to reflect that the jury never decided whether the defendant had trafficked in 200 or more grams of cocaine.
the apartment. In his initial memorandum in support of his motion to suppress, the defendant argued only that the police failed to knock and announce their purpose before executing the arrest warrant, and that the defendant did not voluntarily consent to the apartment search. In a subsequent memorandum, the defendant asserted that suppression was compelled by our decision in Commonwealth v. Forde, 367 Mass. 798 , 806 (1975), where we stated that, "the Fourth Amendment prohibits a warrantless entry into a dwelling to arrest in the absence of sufficient justification for the failure to obtain a warrant." [Note 2] Because the defendant did not raise a lack of reasonable belief theory below, the evidence is scant on this issue. That the defendant actually lived and was ultimately arrested with Figueroa in that building, suggests that such evidence would have been more complete had the defendant argued his suppression motion on this ground. Because the defendant did not alert the trial judge to this argument, the waiver doctrine precludes him from doing so on appeal. See Commonwealth v. Burnett, 428 Mass. 469 , 475-476 (1998); Commonwealth v. Amirault, 424 Mass. 618 , 641 n.15 (1997) ("A constitutional right is, in most cases . . . a right to insist that things be done in a certain way, but it is not a right that they be done in that way if the defendant does not choose to insist. . . . [A] right that must be claimed is not denied if it is not claimed, and the proceeding in which the claim is not made is, in that respect, wholly free from error"); Commonwealth v. Ramos, 402 Mass. 209 , 211-212 (1998), and cases cited. Even had he properly preserved the issue, however, the result would be no different.
requires probable cause to support the officers' belief, the defendant's cause is not advanced.
When the police knocked on the defendant's door, they were lawfully on the premises. As stated above, at that point, under the Fourth Amendment the police could have entered the apartment on a reasonable belief that the defendant was within. Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573, 603 (1980). As we mentioned previously, at the police station the officers had been given the defendant's picture and were told where the defendant would likely be found. Moreover, at that moment the officers knew that another suspect had fled on learning of their presence. Even if at that time they had not yet learned that the fleeing suspect was Figueroa, his attempt to flee after they had identified themselves as police officers looking for Figueroa and Rivera, corroborated the information they had received that the defendant might be found at that address. Given these facts, the police had more than a reasonable belief; they had probable cause. Accordingly, even if art. 14 requires more than a reason to believe that the defendant was within the apartment to justify a forcible entry (a proposition that we do not reach) suppression would not be required because the officers did not enter forcibly and because they had more than a mere reason to believe that the defendant was in the apartment.
In sum, we conclude that the defendant's consent was unnecessary, that the entry was not forcible, and, therefore, that the officers were properly on the premises. The evidence resulted from a lawful search, and the judge properly denied the suppression motion.
Deficiency of the verdict. The defendant next challenges his conviction because both the jury's verdict read in open court and the verdict slip which the foreperson signed omitted the weight of the cocaine involved. He argues that this omission requires us to reduce his conviction from trafficking in 200 or more grams of cocaine, to the less serious penalty for trafficking cocaine of an unspecified weight. We conclude that the omission does not require that we reduce the conviction.
"The only verdict which can be received and regarded, as a complete and valid verdict of a jury, upon which a judgment can be rendered, is an open and public verdict, given in and assented to, in open court, as the unanimous act of the jury, and affirmed and entered of record, in the presence and under the sanction of the court."
Commonwealth v. McCarthy, 37 Mass. App. Ct. 113 , 116-117 (1994), quoting Lawrence v. Stearns, 11 Pick. 501 , 502 (1831). But as the Appeals Court has correctly noted, this rule is not without exception. Commonwealth v. McCarthy, supra at 117. See Commonwealth v. Evans, 42 Mass. App. Ct. 618 , 626-627 (1997); Commonwealth v. Andino, 34 Mass. App. Ct. 423 , 427428 (1993). The exception is fully applicable here.
(G. L. c. 266, s. 18), the judge correctly defined each element of the offense and clearly informed them that they had to find beyond a reasonable doubt that the breaking of the building must be with 'the specific intent to commit a felony.' . . . The intent element . . . did appear on the face of the indictment, which was attached to the verdict slip and sent to the jury. After deliberations the foreperson checked on the verdict slip for that charge the box indicating guilt."
Id. at 115-116. The Appeals Court rejected a similar argument in Commonwealth v. Andino, supra. In that case, the court declined to reduce a defendant's conviction to "receiving stolen property" where the verdict slip failed to mention the charge of receiving a stolen motor vehicle. The court concluded that, because "[t]he evidence, arguments, and instructions at trial relating to a particular stolen motor vehicle" matched the charges, there was no risk that the jurors were mistaken. Id. at 427. Most recently, that court reached the same result on similar facts in Commonwealth v. Evans, supra.
final instructions, placed heavy emphasis on the weight requirement.
In light of these instructions and of the surrounding circumstances, there is no risk that the jurors were misled by the omission.
[Note 1] The defendant was apprehended in "apartment 2L," the left hand apartment on the second floor.
[Note 2] The defendant concedes that this case is inapposite to the present facts where the officers had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
[Note 3] Even assuming the defendant did not consent to the apartment search, this does not alter our conclusion that the entry was not forcible. Under Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573 (1980), they were authorized to arrest him regardless of consent. The fact that there was no threat of violence and that it was the defendant (rather than the police) who unlocked the door is the relevant inquiry. See Commonwealth v. Sepulveda, 406 Mass. 180 , 181-182 (1989).
[Note 4] Defense counsel stated: "And unless you believe that he knew there was over 200 grams of cocaine in that bag ... then that presumption of innocence is still intact" (emphasis added).

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