Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Louis Diaz RODRIGUEZ
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1991-11-22
Citations: 590 So. 2d 52
Docket Number: No. 91-KH-0028
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Louis Diaz RODRIGUEZ.
Judges: COLE, J., dissents.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 590
Pages: 52–53

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Louis Diaz RODRIGUEZ.
No. 91-KH-0028.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
Nov. 22, 1991.
Rehearing Denied Jan. 6, 1992.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Granted. Under the law applicable at the time of the offense, the defendant's punishment for possession of cocaine in specified amounts under La.Rev.Stat. 40:967(F) depended upon grams of cocaine or related substances by weight and not upon the weight of the preparation or mixture containing the cocaine or related sub stances. State v. Newton, 545 So.2d 530 (La.1989). The state did not present any evidence that qualitative testing of the four samples taken from the 1,000 grams of powder seized from defendant indicated the presence of a specified amount of cocaine. Defendant's conviction and sentence for possession of more than 400 grams of cocaine are therefore vacated. Judgment for simple possession of cocaine in violation of La.Rev.Stat. 40:967(C) is entered, and this case is remanded to the district court for resentencing. State v. Newton, supra; La.Code Crim.Proc. art. 821.
COLE, J., dissents.