Opinion ID: 1983550
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence of constructive possession

Text: Relying on Curry v. United States, 520 A.2d 255 (D.C.1987), both appellants contend that the evidence was insufficient to sustain their convictions. Braxton argues that the government failed to prove that he constructively possessed any of the seized articles and, in particular, that he evidence did not support his conviction of the armed offenses under D.C.Code § 22-3202. More specifically, he maintains that the government failed to show the higher degree of control which, in his view, was necessary to establish that he committed the offenses while armed with or having readily available a weapon, and failed to show that it was foreseeable that Guishard would have a gun readily available. Guishard argues only that the evidence was insufficient to prove that he had constructive possession of the pistol. At the outset we address Braxton's argument that our review of his claim of evidentiary insufficiency is limited to consideration of the government's evidence. Relying on Cephus v. United States, 117 U.S.App. D.C. 15, 324 F.2d 893 (1963), Braxton asserts that this court, when reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence in a multi-defendant case, cannot consider the testimony of a co-defendant if the appellant claiming insufficiency moved for a judgment of acquittal at the close of the government's case. The general rule governing appellate review in a multi-defendant case is set forth in Franey v. United States, 382 A.2d 1019 (D.C.1978). We said in Franey that a defendant who introduces evidence after the denial of his motion for a judgment of acquittal made at the close of the government's case thereby waives that motion and cannot make the ruling the subject of appellate review. Id. at 1021 (citations omitted). Cephus established a narrow exception to that rule. The court held in Cephus that if the defendant himself rests on the Government's evidence, the co-defendant's testimony does not waive the defendant's motion. 117 U.S.App.D.C. at 19, 324 F.2d at 897 (footnote omitted). Contrary to Braxton's argument, however, Cephus does not govern here, for the Cephus exception is limited to cases in which one defendant's evidence is introduced in response to damaging testimony presented by a co-defendant. Id.; see Dumas v. United States, 483 A.2d 301, 304 (D.C.1984). Since Braxton presented his defense first, and not in response to the testimony of either Guishard or Smith, the Cephus exception to the general waiver rule of Franey does not apply. In any event, we need not consider the finer points of Braxton's argument because we are satisfied that the government's evidence alone was sufficient to sustain his conviction. Although the co-defendants' evidence strengthened the government's case, it was not necessary to enable the jury to find Braxton guilty. Thus our standard of review is the usual one, stated and restated in countless cases. We must review the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, giving full play to the right of the jury to determine credibility, weigh the evidence, and draw justifiable inferences of fact, and making no distinction between direct and circumstantial evidence. Curry v. United States, supra, 520 A.2d at 263 (citations omitted); accord, e.g., Nelson v. United States, 601 A.2d 582, 593 (D.C.1991) (citing cases). To obtain a conviction based on a theory of constructive possession, the government must prove that the defendant knew of the location of the contraband, that he had the ability to exercise dominion and control over it, and that he intended to guide [its] destiny. Speight v. United States, 599 A.2d 794, 796 (D.C.1991); In re T.M., 577 A.2d 1149, 1151-1152 n. 5 (D.C.1990); Bernard v. United States, 575 A.2d 1191, 1195-1196 (D.C.1990). While the defendant's mere presence at the scene of the crime or proximity to the contraband does not by itself establish constructive possession, proximity or association may establish a prima facie case of constructive possession if it is colored by evidence linking the accused to an ongoing criminal operation of which that possession is a part. Curry, supra, 520 A.2d at 263 (citations omitted). [11] If the contraband is seized from a residence which is occupied by more than one person, the government must also establish that the accused is more than a mere visitor to the premises and has a possessory interest in its contents. Id. at 264. Applying these principles to the facts of the instant case, we hold that the evidence was sufficient for a reasonable juror to find that both appellants constructively possessed the pistol as well as the other contraband found by the police. Appellants rely primarily on Curry in arguing that the government failed to establish that they exercised dominion and control over the drugs, the gun, or any of the other contraband recovered from the apartment. They contend that, as in Curry, there was no evidence linking either of them to the apartment or its contents, and in particular that the evidence was insufficient to connect them to the gun in the dresser drawer, since the gun was not in plain view and there were no fingerprints on it. They maintain that generalized expert testimony about the use of weapons to protect a drug enterprise does not permit a blanket inference [12] that this particular gun belonged to either of them or was used in connection with their drug transactions. Contrary to appellants' argument, Curry is distinguishable on its facts. In Curry we held that the government had failed to establish that a loaded gun found in a drawer in the bedroom was part of the drug operation or linked to the defendants. Significant to that decision, however, was the fact that the drug transactions did not take place in the room where the gun was recovered; in fact, none of the defendants were even seen in the bedroom where the gun was found. Furthermore, there were no drugs found near the gun, and there was no evidence, other than expert testimony, that linked the gun to the drugs. In the instant case, by contrast, there was circumstantial evidence linking both appellants to the gun, as well as to the drugs and the other contraband found in the apartment. See Earle v. United States, 612 A.2d 1258, 1265-1266 (D.C.1992). The testimony of Officers Tillman and May clearly established that both appellants, along with their co-defendant Smith, were operating a drug business out of the rear bedroom at 1012 Harvard Street. The personal papers recovered from the bedroom and elsewhere, together with the testimony of Smith and Mosley, established that each appellant was at least a part-time resident of the apartment. Some of those papers were found on top of the dresser where the gun was also found in a top drawer. The gun, although not in plain view, was in close proximity to both appellants when they were selling drugs to the two undercover officers, and thus it can be linked to that illegal activity. The bedroom was small, and each appellant was just a few steps away from the dresser where the gun was located. Evidence of proximity is sufficient to permit the jury to infer that appellants had convenient access and thus `dominion and control' over the [gun]. Logan v. United States, 489 A.2d 485, 491 (D.C.1985) (citations omitted); accord, Brown v. United States, 546 A.2d 390, 395 (D.C.1988); Johnson v. United States, 309 A.2d 497, 499 (D.C. 1973), cert. denied, 416 U.S. 951, 94 S.Ct. 1960, 40 L.Ed.2d 301 (1974). We hold that the evidence was sufficient to establish that both appellants constructively possessed the gun as well as the drugs and the other contraband recovered from the apartment. [13]