Opinion ID: 2441637
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Motion to Sever Offenses

Text: For his second argument, Heritage claims that the trial court should have severed the count relating to the drugs found in the UPS package from the count relating to the drugs found in his pocket. The decision on whether to grant severance is within the trial court's discretion. Passley v. State, 323 Ark. 301, 915 S.W.2d 248 (1996). While offenses may not be joined solely on the basis that they are of the same or similar character, Id., they may be joined if they are part of a single scheme or plan. See A.R.Cr.P. 22.2. The appellant relies on Teas v. State, 266 Ark. 572, 587 S.W.2d 28 (1979) to argue that his offenses were not part of a single scheme or plan. In Teas , the appellant sold $20.00 worth of marijuana to a man on December 5. He sold two morphine pills to the same man on December 14. We held that the trial court should have severed the offenses. The case at hand is readily distinguishable. The offenses in this case did not occur nine days apart; they were virtually simultaneous. The appellant was in possession of two distinct amounts of the same type of controlled substance at the same time and at the same location. Each substance was possessed in a weight sufficient to raise the presumption of intent to deliver. We find no abuse of discretion by the trial court in refusing to sever the offenses.