Opinion ID: 2629227
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Abbott next claims that there is insufficient evidence to support his conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia. When considering whether there was sufficient evidence to support a criminal conviction, an appellate court must review all of the evidence, viewed in a light most favorable to the prosecution. If the appellate court is convinced that a rational fact finder would have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, then the conviction must be affirmed. State v. Beach, 275 Kan. 603, Syl. ¶ 2, 67 P.3d 121 (2003). The drug paraphernalia in this case was found in the rear seat pocket of both of the two middle seats in a customized van. Detective Shipley observed Abbott in the third row of seats in the van. One of the owners of the van was seated in one of the middle seats; the other owner was in the driver's seat. The officer observed movement in the van before he contacted the occupants but could not determine what the movement was or who had been moving. Citing State v. Rios, 19 Kan. App. 2d 350, 869 P.2d 755 (1994), the Court of Appeals determined that this case is not a case of nonexclusive possession, presumably because Abbott was sitting in the third seat behind the seat pockets where the drug paraphernalia was found. Abbott, 31 Kan. App. 2d at 715. This conclusion, however, overlooks the fact that the van was not owned by Abbott and was occupied by two other people. In State v. Faulkner, 220 Kan. 153, 160, 551 P.2d 1247 (1976), this court stated that when illicit drugs are found in an automobile containing more than one person, the defendant's mere presence in the vehicle, without more, would not sustain his conviction for possession. Other circumstances which have been held sufficiently incriminating to link a defendant with illicit drugs in a vehicle are his previous participation in the sale of drugs, his use of narcotics, his proximity to the area where the drugs are found and the fact the drugs were found in plain view. In reversing the defendant's conviction for possession of drugs, the Rios court relied on this language from Faulkner and listed additional factors that may be considered for establishing possession when there is more than one person present when the contraband is found, including: (1) incriminating statements made by defendant; (2) suspicious behavior on the part of the defendant; (3) previous drug sales by defendant; (4) defendant's use of narcotics; (5) proximity of defendant to the area where drugs were found; (6) drugs found in plain sight; and (7) other drugs or paraphernalia found on defendant. 19 Kan. App. 2d at 357. Several of these factors point to Abbott's possession of the drug paraphernalia. They include his proximity to the area where the items were found, his previous drug sale to the CI, and his possession of drugs in his underwear when the drug paraphernalia was found. The United States Supreme Court recently ruled on a case which has similar facts, and that ruling requires us to extend our ruling in Faulkner. In Maryland v. Pringle, 540 U.S. 366, 157 L. Ed. 2d 769, 124 S. Ct. 795 (2003), a police officer stopped a car for speeding, searched the car, seized $763 from the glove compartment of the car and cocaine from behind the back-seat armrest, and arrested the car's three occupants after they denied ownership of the drugs and money. Pringle, who had been the front-seat passenger, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of cocaine and was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals affirmed, but the Maryland Court of Appeals reversed, holding that absent specific facts tending to show Pringle's knowledge and dominion or control over the drugs, the mere finding of cocaine in the back-seat armrest when Pringle was a front-seat passenger in a car being driven by its owner was insufficient to establish probable cause for an arrest for possession. The United States Supreme Court held: We think it an entirely reasonable inference from these facts that any or all three of the occupants had knowledge of, and exercised dominion and control over, the cocaine. Thus, a reasonable officer could conclude that there was probable cause to believe Pringle committed the crime of possession of cocaine, either solely or jointly. 540 U.S. at 372. United States v. Di Re, 332 U.S. 581, 92 L. Ed. 210, 68 S. Ct. 222 (1948), is also helpful to this analysis. The Di Re Court concluded that there was no probable cause for arresting Di Re because an informant had singled out another occupant in the car as the culprit. The Court there stated: Any inference that everyone on the scene of a crime is a party to it must disappear if the Government informer singles out the guilty person. 332 U.S. at 594. Such singling out by an informant is precisely within the factual record in this case. We, therefore, conclude that there was sufficient evidence to support Abbott's conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia even though he was not the owner or the sole occupant of the van. Abbott's convictions are affirmed. Judgment of the Court of Appeals is affirmed. Judgment of the district court is affirmed. BEIER, J., not participating. LARSON, S.J., assigned.