Case Name: James Frederick BROWN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1982-04-14
Citations: 412 So. 2d 420
Docket Number: No. 79-459
Parties: James Frederick BROWN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: ANSTEAD, J., concurs specially, with opinion.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 412
Pages: 420–426

Head Matter:
James Frederick BROWN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 79-459.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
April 14, 1982.
Robert L. Saylor of Saylor, Ingalsbe & Cohen, North Palm Beach, for appellant.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Robert L. Bogen, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
BERANEK, Judge.
This is an appeal from a conviction for possession of marijuana in excess of five grams in violation of Section 893.13(l)(e), Florida Statutes (1977). The appellant was charged with possession of marijuana in excess of five grams, possession of hashish, and possession of PCP. The jury acquitted the appellant of the latter two charges.
The appellant raises numerous points on appeal, only one of which merits discussion; that is, the sufficiency of the evidence as to constructive possession.
During the evening hours of April 26, 1978, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence owned by the appellant. The residence had been under surveillance for approximately one year. During that period of time, the appellant had been observed entering and leaving the house on a number of occasions. When the warrant was served, the appellant opened the door and was seated by the officers in the living room. There were two persons living in the house with the appellant, and they were present when the warrant was executed. Marijuana was found in the following places: (a) five grams in an ash tray on the coffee table in the living room, (b) 54 grams in a plastic cup in the door panel inside the refrigerator, (c) 826 grams in a locked beer dispenser in the kitchen, (d) some amount in a coffee cup in the cabinet above the beer dispenser, (e) several bags of seeds in the garage, (f) a container of seeds in the kitchen cabinet, and (g) a bottle of seeds on the bar in the family room. A search also disclosed the following narcotic paraphernalia: (a) a glass mirror, (b) a strainer, (c) a razor, (d) plastic bags and cigarette papers on the kitchen counter, (e) surgical clips on the coffee table in the living room, (f) pipes and containers in the garage, (g) spoons, papers, mirrors, and plastic funnels in the bar in the family room, (h) a bottle of manitol (a cutting agent) in the garage, (i) six pipes, hashish, and 150 milligrams of PCP on the bar shelves in the family room, (j) hashish in a car belonging to one of the residents parked outside the home, and (k) other drugs found in one resident's bedroom. At issue is whether the State presented a prima facie case of constructive possession based on these facts.
In order to convict an accused of constructive possession, the State must prove that he had dominion and control over the contraband, had knowledge that the contraband was within his presence, and had knowledge of the illicit nature of the contraband. Wale v. State, 397 So.2d 738 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981); Hively v. State, 336 So.2d 127 (Fla. 4th DCA 1976). If the area in which a contraband substance is found is within the exclusive possession of the accused, his knowledge of its presence, and his ability to maintain control over it, may be inferred. If the area is only in his joint possession, his knowledge of the presence of the contraband on the premises and his ability to maintain control over it will not be inferred but must be established by other proof. This proof may consist of circumstantial evidence from which a jury might properly infer that the accused had knowledge of the presence of the contraband and an ability to control it. Wale v. State, supra.
We believe that the facts brought out at trial were sufficient to create a jury question as to the appellant's constructive possession of the marijuana. This is not a situation where three people shared an apartment as co-tenants or roommates with equal rights in that apartment. Here the appellant owned and lived in the house and had superior possessory rights. He received mail there, paid the household bills, and was residing there immediately prior to the events in question. The marijuana and narcotic paraphernalia were in plain view. Given that the appellant lived in his own home literally in the midst of all the seized drugs and paraphernalia, a jury could reasonably infer, as it did in this case, that the appellant had dominion and control over the premises and its contents. See United States v. Davis, 562 F.2d 681 (D.C.Cir.1977); United States v. Herron, 567 F.2d 510 (D.C.Cir.1977).
Notwithstanding our conclusion that the evidence was sufficient to sustain appellant's conviction we recognize that the case law in this area is far from clear. This issue is further addressed in Judge Rivkind's dissent and Judge Anstead's special concurrence. Because this has been a recurrent problem which has proven troublesome to trial courts and appellate courts alike we hereby certify the following questions to the Supreme Court as being of great public importance:
1. DOES OWNERSHIP AND JOINT OCCUPANCY OF A PREMISES WHERE ILLEGAL DRUGS ARE DISCOVERED IN PLAIN VIEW, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE OWNER, CONSTITUTE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT A CONVICTION FOR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION AS TO THE OWNER OR AS TO A LESSEE UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES?
2. WHERE TWO OR MORE PERSONS JOINTLY OCCUPY PREMISES AND ILLEGAL DRUGS ARE DISCOVERED IN PLAIN VIEW, IN THEIR PRESENCE, IS SUCH PROOF, WITHOUT MORE, SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT A CONVICTION FOR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION AS TO EACH PERSON?
The judgment and sentence of the trial court are hereby affirmed.
ANSTEAD, J., concurs specially, with opinion.
RIVKIND, LEONARD, Associate Judge, dissents, with opinion.