Case Name: Robert BRIDGES v. STATE of Arkansas
Court: Arkansas Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Arkansas
Decision Date: 1994-06-29
Citations: 46 Ark. App. 198
Docket Number: CA CR 93-974
Parties: Robert BRIDGES v. STATE of Arkansas
Judges: Robbins, J., concurs in part; dissents in part.
Reporter: Arkansas Appellate Reports
Volume: 46
Pages: 198–205

Head Matter:
Robert BRIDGES v. STATE of Arkansas
CA CR 93-974
878 S.W.2d 781
Court of Appeals of Arkansas En Banc
Opinion delivered June 29, 1994
William R. Simpson, Jr., Public Defender, by: Phyllis A. Edwards, Deputy Public Defender, for appellant,
Winston Bryant, Att’y Gen., by: Gil Dudley, Asst. Att’y Gen., for appellee.

Opinion:
John E. Jennings, Chief Judge.
Robert Bridges was convicted by a jury of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, maintaining a drug premises, and possession of a defaced firearm. He was sentenced to twenty years in the Arkansas Department of Correction for the cocaine charge, three years for possession of drug paraphernalia, three years for maintaining a drug premises, one year in the county jail for the firearms charge, and total fines of $6,245.00. The firearms charge, a misdemeanor, was merged with the felonies and all sentences were set to run concurrently.
On appeal, Bridges contends that the evidence was insufficient to support the conviction for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, and maintaining a drug premises. We hold that the evidence was sufficient and affirm.
In reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the State. Bailey v. State, 307 Ark. 448, 821 S.W.2d 28 (1991). We must affirm if there is substantial evidence to support the verdict. Substantial evidence is evidence that is forceful enough to compel a conclusion that goes beyond speculation or conjecture. Hendrickson v. State 316 Ark. 182, 871 S.W.2d 362 (1994). The issue of the sufficiency of the evidence is a question of law. See Wooten v. State, 32 Ark. App. 198, 799 S.W.2d 560 (1990).
Appellant was standing on the porch at 1720 West 16th Street with several other men when detectives of the Little Rock Police Department arrived to execute a search warrant on July 29, 1992. An Intertech nine millimeter pistol was leaning against the wall directly in front of him and within his reach. The serial number was scratched off of the pistol, which contained nineteen live rounds of ammunition. A sawed-off twelve gauge pump shotgun with seven live rounds was standing against the porch wall farther away. A matchbox with white residue was lying on a porch windowsill. Appellant told officers he lived at the house.
In the living room a matchbox with cocaine residue was found under the couch, as was an empty Intertech box used to house a nine millimeter pistol. A plastic bag containing cocaine residue and a knife were on the fireplace mantel. A vase on the mantel held a small plastic bag containing several small pieces of crack cocaine. A plastic bag with marijuana residue was found behind the fireplace mantel.
Inside a dresser drawer in the middle bedroom were a marijuana pipe, paper, and residue. The pipe contained marijuana residue. A small plastic packet with cocaine residue was on top of the headboard. In a southeast bedroom dresser drawer were other plastic packets with cocaine residue. Various papers bearing the name of Willie Bridges and the address 1720 West 16th were found on top of the dresser. In the northeast bedroom were papers which belonged to Willie Bridges. Under the bed was a Guardian .32 caliber revolver.
Appellant testified that he had lived with his brother, Willie Bridges, from February 1, 1992, until the date of his arrest on July 29, except for a two-week period. He testified that he wanted to move back to El Dorado because he "got tired of being around drug dealers and gang banging and stuff like that. Crips." He said there were "fifteen or sixteen coming around every day, all through the night, all through the day." He testified that "all this drug activity had been going on while I was there." He denied any participation.
Appellant's argument in regard to the controlled substance and drug paraphernalia convictions is that since appellant was not in actual physical possession of either, the convictions may not stand. The argument is that appellant's possession was merely "constructive" and that when conviction is based on constructive possession, factors other than mere joint occupancy of a residence must be shown to link the accused to the contraband.
Neither exclusive nor actual physical possession of a controlled substance is necessary to sustain a conviction. See Bailey v State, 307 Ark. 448, 821 S.W.2d 28 (1991); Johnson v. State, 35 Ark. App. 143, 814 S.W.2d 915 (1991). Constructive possession is sufficient. Bailey v. State, supra; Parette v. State, 301 Ark. 607, 786 S.W.2d 817 (1990). Constructive possession can be inferred when the controlled substance is in the joint control of the accused and another. Hendrickson v. State, 316 Ark. 182, 871 S.W.2d 362 (1994). However, joint occupancy alone is not sufficient to establish possession or joint possession; there must be some additional factor linking the accused to the contraband. Bailey, supra; Hendrickson, supra. The State must show additional facts and circumstances indicating the accused's knowledge and control of the contraband. Bailey, supra; Hendrickson, supra.
Constructive possession is the control, or right to control, the contraband in question. Osborne v. State, 278 Ark. 45, 643 S.W.2d 251 (1982); Johnson v. State, 35 Ark. App. 143, 814 S.W.2d 915 (1991). Such control and knowledge may be inferred from the circumstances where there are additional factors linking the accused to the contraband. Nichols v. State, 306 Ark. 417, 815 S.W.2d 382 (1991); Mosley v. State, 40 Ark. App. 154, 844 S.W.2d 378 (1992).
Circumstantial evidence alone may be sufficient to support a conviction; indeed, the law makes no distinction between circumstantial and direct evidence. Perry v. State, 277 Ark. 357, 642 S.W.2d 865 (1982), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 959 (1989). Whether the circumstantial evidence excludes every other reasonable hypothesis is ordinarily for the factfinder to determine. See Sanders v. State, 308 Ark. 178, 824 S.W.2d 353 (1992).
It is important to remember that jurors do not and need not view each fact in isolation, but rather consider the evidence as a whole. The jury is entitled to draw any reasonable inference from circumstantial evidence to the same extent that it can from direct evidence. Shipley v. State, 25 Ark. App. 262, 757 S.W.2d 178 (1988). Jurors are instructed that they are not to set aside their common sense. AMI Crim. 103. When joint occupancy is the basis for a conviction of possession of contraband there must be proof of both knowledge and control on the part of the accused. See Plotts v. State, 297 Ark. 66, 759 S.W.2d 793 (1988). In the case at bar appellant's knowledge of the contraband and its sale from his home were admitted. Appellant's control, or right to control, the controlled substances and the drug paraphernalia could be inferred by the jury from the facts and circumstances of the case. For example, the jury might infer that appellant resided in the "middle bedroom" because papers belonging to his brother, Willie Bridges, were found in the other two bedrooms. It was in the middle bedroom that the marijuana pipe was found and cocaine residue was found in plain view.
Furthermore, a bag containing cocaine residue was in plain view on the mantel in the living room in the house. Appellant's possession of the Intertech pistol and the proximity of the Intertech box found under the couch in the living room to additional cocaine could be considered by the jury.
When all of the facts and circumstances of the case at bar are considered we cannot say that the evidence was insufficient to support the jury's finding of guilt on the charges of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Appellant's final contention is that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction on the charges of maintaining a drug house. The statute provides, in pertinent part, that it is unlawful for any person knowingly to keep or maintain any dwelling which is resorted to by persons for the purpose of using or obtaining controlled substances. Ark. Code Ann. § 5-64-402 (1987). We hold that the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction on this count.
Affirmed.
Robbins, J., concurs in part; dissents in part.
Cooper, J., dissents.