Opinion ID: 2582263
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Multiple Acts/Unanimity

Text: The defendant also contends there were several factually different acts which the jury could have relied upon to convict him of possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture. He lists a variety of objects and substances found in his vehicle which could have served as the basis for his conviction and argues that several of the items found were paraphernalia for drug use and not manufacturing. Thus, defendant contends the trial court should have given the jury a multiple acts instruction to ensure unanimity. The Court of Appeals panel rejected this argument, finding the defendant failed to allege how there were multiple acts which would have justified a unanimity instruction and finding the jury was clearly instructed that the paraphernalia necessary to convict defendant was that which is used in the manufacturing process. The court concluded there was no jury confusion on the evidence needed to convict defendant and the trial court did not err by failing to give a unanimity instruction. Schoonover, slip op. at 19-21. Whether a case presents a multiple acts issue is a question of law over which this court has unlimited review. Kesselring, 279 Kan. at 682. We have applied a two-part harmless error test enunciated in State v. Hill, 271 Kan. 929, 939, 26 P.3d 1267 (2001), when analyzing unanimity issues. The first prong of the Hill harmless error test requires determination of whether there was jury confusion. As part of this analysis, it must be determined whether the evidence showed legally or factually separate incidents. In Kesselring, we clarified that the question of whether there were factually separate incidents should be a threshold question, not part of a harmless error analysis. Much like we must determine whether conduct is unitary for double jeopardy purposes, we must determine if there are multiple acts involved before considering whether the defendant's statutory right to a unanimous verdict has been violated. If the incidents are not factually separate, there are not multiple acts. As we explained in Kesselring, `[i]ncidents are factually separate when independent criminal acts have occurred at different times or when a later criminal act is motivated by a fresh impulse.' 279 Kan. at 683 (quoting Hill, 271 Kan. at 939). In addition, the other factors we have identified as factors for determining if there is unitary conduct can be applied as well. Thus, the considerations would include: (1) whether the acts occur at or near the same time; (2) whether the acts occur at the same location; (3) whether there is a causal relationship between the acts, in particular whether there was an intervening event; and (4) whether there is a fresh impulse motivating some of the conduct. The Court of Appeals panel in this case focused upon this question and determined there were not factually separate incidents involved. The defendant seeks review of this determination, contending that State v. Kinmon, 26 Kan. App. 2d 677, 995 P.2d 876 (1999), abrogated on other grounds by State v. Hill, 271 Kan. 929, Syl. ś 3, 26 P.3d 1267 (2001), controls. In Kinmon, the jury could have convicted the defendant based upon evidence of actual possession of cocaine found in his pocket or constructive possession of cocaine found under a couch. The Kinmon court ruled that jurors could have relied on different acts in deciding to convict the defendant, thus the failure to give a unanimity instruction required reversal of the defendant's conviction. 26 Kan. App. 2d at 678-79. Kinmon was distinguished in State v. Hazley, 28 Kan. App. 2d 664, 19 P.3d 800 (2001), the case relied upon by the Court of Appeals panel in this case. In Hazley, the State charged the defendant with possession of methamphetamine and marijuana under the theory that she constructively possessed all the drugs found in various locations throughout her home. The defendant claimed the drugs belonged to someone else. The defendant argued that a unanimity instruction was required because the State failed to specify which items it was relying on to support each charge. The panel rejected her argument, distinguishing Kinmon, and holding: Hazley urges us to hold that State v. Kinmon, 26 Kan. App. 2d 677, 995 P.2d 876 (1999), controls this issue. In that case, [the] weight of the State's evidence was that the defendant possessed cocaine in two places: in his pocket and under a couch. The first would constitute actual possession and the second constructive possession. Because either factually and legally distinct act could have supported the crime charged, we ruled that the trial judge committed error by failing to instruct the members of the jury that they must agree unanimously on which act was proved by the State. 26 Kan. App. 2d at 678-79. We do not find Kinmon controlling. In this case, the State pursued convictions only on a constructive possession theory for drugs found simultaneously throughout the house in which Hazley lived. On the methamphetamine count, for example, Hazley was accused of constructively possessing all of the methamphetamine in her house. The same was true of the marijuana count. There were no truly multiple acts on which the prosecution relied and thus there was no need for a unanimity instruction. 28 Kan. App. 2d at 671. The facts of this case are more akin to Hazley than Kinmon. As in Hazley, this case is one involving multiple items of evidence but not factually distinct, i.e., multiple, acts. The State alleged that the defendant possessed all of the drug paraphernalia found in his vehicle. Thus, there was no need for the State to specify which particular piece of paraphernalia it was relying upon and no need for the trial court to give a unanimity instruction; it was possession of all of the drug paraphernalia which was at issue. The defendant also argues that the jury could have convicted him based on paraphernalia which was intended for drug use rather than drug manufacture. However, as the State points out in its brief, Detective Frazier testified about the specific use of each piece of drug paraphernalia found. Frazier explained that the forceps, rolling papers, and small glass snort tube were all used to ingest or inhale drugs, rather than being used in the manufacturing process. The Court of Appeals resolved this argument by noting that Instruction No. 5 clearly informed the jury that the paraphernalia necessary to convict defendant was that which is used in the manufacturing process. Instruction No. 5 defined drug paraphernalia as follows: `Drug paraphernalia' means all equipment, products and materials of any kind which are used or intended for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, storing or containing a controlled substance in violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances act. `Drug paraphernalia' shall include, but is not limited to: (1) Kits used or intended for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing or preparing controlled substances; (2) Scales and balances used or intended for use in weighing or measuring controlled substances; (3) Blenders, bowls, containers, spoons and mixing devices used or intended for use in compounding controlled substances. (Emphasis added.) Thus, the jury was not instructed that it could convict the defendant based on any drug paraphernalia intended for use to ingest or inhale drugs.