Opinion ID: 1780851
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Valium Tablets and Scales

Text: This court has made it clear that a conviction may be affirmed if the evidence of guilt is overwhelming and the error complained of is slight. See, e.g., Abernathy v. State, 325 Ark. 61, 925 S.W.2d 380 (1996); Rockett v. State, 318 Ark. 831, 890 S.W.2d 235 (1994); Greene v. State, 317 Ark. 350, 878 S.W.2d 384 (1994). On these facts, the error regarding the Valium tablets was slight given the fact that the jury was explicitly apprised of the fact that the Valium tablets were taken from Lee's bedroom in the jointly-occupied mobile home. Furthermore, Valium tablets were found on Hicks's person. As to the triple-beam scales, it was made clear to the court and to the jury that they were taken from Silvers's residence. The court's ruling, however, is not without some support, as evidence of scales used for weighing methamphetamine found at the home of Hicks's purchaser the day after the sale of a significant amount of methamphetamine is certainly probative of the occurrence of the sale itself. Furthermore, the question of the prejudice suffered by Hicks must be answered. Officer Tommy Steen of the Baxter County Sheriff's Department testified on cross-examination that he could connect the scales to Silvers's residence, but not directly to Hicks. Also, Hicks puts forth the argument that the scales seized were dissimilar to those testified to by Lamm as having been at Hicks's mobile home. In sum, given all the evidence before the jury on the scales, the impact of this error was manifestly slight. As noted earlier, however, the erroneous introduction of evidence does not, by itself, entitle a criminal defendant to a reversal of his conviction. Other jurisdictions have applied a harmless error analysis when an irrelevant drug or item of irrelevant paraphernalia was introduced in a criminal prosecution involving controlled substances. See, e.g., United States v. Williams, 957 F.2d 1238 (5th Cir.1992)(admission of marijuana found on defendant's person was harmless error in prosecution for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute); People v. Romero, 189 Ill.App.3d 749, 137 Ill.Dec. 383, 546 N.E.2d 7 (2 Dist.1989)(testimony as to roach clips was harmless error in prosecution for possession of cocaine with intent to deliver); People v. Hollis, 57 Ill.App.3d 725, 15 Ill.Dec. 388, 373 N.E.2d 734 (1 Dist.1978)(admission of marijuana found at defendant's residence was harmless error in prosecution for possession of cocaine and heroin); Rogers v. State, 862 S.W.2d 47 (Tex.App. 14th Dist.1993)(admission of marijuana seized from defendant's house was harmless error as to defendant's guilt on charges of possession of methamphetamine and burglary). Because of the overwhelming evidence of guilt supporting all four convictions, I would affirm the four judgments despite the erroneous admission of both the Valium tablets taken from Lee's bedroom and the triple-beam scales taken from Silvers's residence. GLAZE, J., joins.