Opinion ID: 782497
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Messere's Distribution of Crack on July 19, 1998

Text: 5 The government's principal witness on the charge that Messere had distributed and possessed crack with intent to distribute was Siler. Siler was an SPD officer who had been suspended in 1999 as a result of the federal investigation and had been dismissed in 2001 after he pleaded guilty to violating RICO by conducting the affairs of SPD through a pattern of racketeering activity. That activity included identifying drug dealers who had narcotics in their possession, taking the narcotics without arresting the dealers, and giving the drugs to various informants rather than reporting or delivering the contraband to SPD. 6 During his tenure in SPD, Siler had participated in seizures of substances that he believed to be crack cocaine, and laboratory tests had proved him correct. Based on that experience, Siler was able to recognize crack by its appearance. He was also familiar with the manner in which crack was packaged for sale to users. 7 Siler testified that at noon on July 19, 1998, he began a four-hour patrol shift, partnered with Messere. During that shift, at the intersection of State Street and Swan Street, Siler and Messere saw one of Messere's informants, Tina Martinez, who was a prostitute and crack addict. Siler testified that Messere motioned Martinez toward the car and said something Siler could not hear. When Martinez walked toward the car, Messere threw some bumps out the window, some pieces of crack cocaine that he had and drove off. (Trial Transcript (Tr.) 3325.) [B]umps were small pieces of an off-white rock-type substance [that] appeared to be crack cocaine, packaged in small baggie corners, tied off, in the manner in which, in Siler's experience, crack was sold. ( Id. ) 8 The government also called Martinez as a witness. She testified in part as follows: 9 Q. Do you recall sitting on State Street one day and seeing Officer Messere? 10 A. It was in the summertime.... I was sitting on the steps and Nick came up on the sidewalk in the police car. He came out of nowheres, and he would drive up and ask me who got it good. You know, where is the good crack at, and I told him I don't know. I don't know, you know, and he threw me a bump and told me to get off the streets, and he just drove away.... 11 .... 12 Q. You say he threw something out the window, would you describe what he threw out the window? 13 A. A bump. A bag of crack, you know. 14 Q. What did you do with this bag of the substance then? 15 A. I picked it up and went home and smoked and came right back out. 16 .... 17 Q. Had you ever smoked crack cocaine before that? 18 A. Yes. 19 Q. And you smoked this substance that he threw out the window? 20 A. Yes, I smoked it. 21 Q. What was it? A. Rock. That is what we call it. It was crack, it was drugs, my god it was drugs. We got high. It was drugs. 22 (Tr. 3022-24.) 23 Martinez could not recall in what year this incident had occurred. Before the grand jury, she had testified that it occurred in 1996 or 1997; at trial she could not even recall that testimony. 24